How do you write a song?

Question

Seasoned rapper/ songwriter/ recording artist with 10 years of professional experience in the music industry. All ages welcome. You will learn how to conceptualize, structure, and write an excellent rap/ hip-hop song with a clear, concise message ready to record. Lessons are customized to the preferences/ level of each student, whether a beginner looking to learn the ropes or intermediate to advanced seeking to sharpen their skill set. 

I will help you tap into your own creativity and bring your vision to life with top-tier lyricism. You will learn fundamental techniques to channel inspiration into a structured song flow, improve phrasing and word usage, and build a comprehensive song that keeps listeners engaged through the entire duration. Feel free to message me with any inquiries, I’m happy to answer all questions and start working on helping you become a skilled songwriter!

Answer 1

Let's dive in! Here is my step-by-step process to write a song!

1.) Choose an emotion I want to convey i.e. happiness, sadness, anger, loneliness, etc.

2.) Think of the speed at which you want the song to go. Generally for angry or happy songs, the tempo of the song will be much quicker, where as for sad, lonely, or more mellow songs, the tempo will generally be slower. THIS IS NOT IRON CLAD OR SET IN STONE. You can make the song as fast or as slow as you want, but this step will help you to gauge both the beat and the lyrics.

3.) Start writing down random sentences that are related to the emotion of the song. Don't focus on musicality or rhythm or rhyme. Only focus on writing TRUE WORDS. If you don't feel what you're writing, how can you expect your audience to?

4.) Narrow down some choice sentences that really resonate with you. Then find words that rhyme with the last word of that sentence. You can go online and look up rhymes for any word. Find words you resonate with and save them.

5.) THIS IS THE HARDER PART BUT YOU GOT THIS!!! Now you need to take those words and write new sentences that match the energy of the sentences you already have. They do not have to be complex!!! Just make them good enough to transition to important points.

DO NOT THINK OF THIS AS WRITING A SONG!!! YOU ARE WRITING YOUR FEELINGS AND YOUR STORY!!! THERE IS NO RULE TO HOW YOU FEEL. Focus on technique AFTER you learn to simply write how you feel.

Answer 2

The following is how I write a song:

If I have music to work with, I like to listen to it repeatedly and write down whatever ideas come to me. I then decide on a concept for the song based on the ideas I wrote down. Next, I note where the verses, chorus, bridge should begin in the music. That is like an outline and helps me decide where to put lyrics.

If I don't have music, I first try to come up with a catchy melody usually by humming or singing random ad libs. Once I have a concept, I start thinking of ideas to write down which will later become the song lyrics.

-Candace S. (Singer / Songwriter). 4/2/23.