Writing songs isn't easy and inspiration is key. But these tips can certainly help:
- Write songs that people can relate to so they are more likely to listen to it
- Try looking through magazines or newspapers for small phrases and see if you can somehow put them in your song lyrics
- Have a good understanding of the scales and how the intervals between the notes sound, for example a major 5th interval is the same interval as the “twinkle twinkle” part of twinkle twinkle little star, and I'm sure everyone can remember how that sounds
- Do not expect to be able to pick up a guitar or sit at a piano and write a song straight up, sometimes you will find yourself humming something and ta da! You have yourself a song
- Just because your song sounds similar to another popular song doesn't mean people won't like it, in fact it's the opposite people like songs that sound familiar
- If your favorite writing instrument is a guitar then try a piano, the change of tone color might be just what you need
- If you're afraid your song is a cliché and has been done many times before, e.g. boy likes girl, he finds out she has a boyfriend then finally she admits that she has loved him ever since they met. Do not worry about it because if selling c.ds and making video clips is what you want, clichés are the kind of stuff that sells. When you make it big you can write whatever you want and they will still love you!
- Learn how to read/write notation, that way any good musician will be able to play your song without much effort. For guitarists you could use TAB but I don't recommend it because it doesn't show the timing the song is played in.
- Don't write songs for the sole purpose of getting money because you will find that you may not enjoy playing the song if it means nothing to you
- HAVE FUN! If you don't enjoy writing music go become a lighting guy or sound technician
