A total newbie wants to learn how to write songs. What does he need?

Question

I am recently being interested in writing my own songs/my own music. However, I'm a newbie when it comes to music. I am not really musically talented nor inclined. I only know basic guitar chords and strum patterns. I know how to locate notes in the keyboard but that's about it (I don't even know proper finger position). I don't know how to read sheet music (I'm learning, though). I know the scale goes like CDEFGAB but that's about it. I am not tone deaf but I can't identify notes (tone deaf is not being able to identify if the notes being played have changed, right?) So, aside from learning a main instrument, what else should I learn before I start making my own music?

Answer 1

You seem to have already formulated the answer to your own question. To write songs, you have to learn how music works.

The only thing I would add is that yo don’t have to wait for any thing to begin writing songs. Some very effective songs have only one (1) chord and simple melodies.

So .... As you learn your instrument, write songs to exercise everything you learn about your instrument or about music. That’s what the Beatles did!

Answer 2

Hi, I think most songwriters pretty much start the way you do. My recommendation is studying music theory. This does not have to be traditional music theory where there are a lot of rules but contemporary music theory. Understanding how scales and chords related, and what kind of chords we can build up on scale major and minor degrees give you lots of choices to move your harmony and melodies around to create really interesting songs.