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“I’ve never thought about songwriting as a weapon. I’ve only thought about it as a way to help me get through love and loss and sadness and loneliness and growing up.”
— Taylor Swift
Yes friends, I am bringing music into the sphere into writing. Though I have made clear my passion for writing, many of you might not know that I am quite passionate about music. Much like writing, music has been a big part of my life since I was a kid. I have now a lifetime of performing, singing, and songwriting under my belt, but still lack a lot of the theoretical and mechanical complexities that would come with a degree in a music field.
So, if you think I’m about to bore you with a labyrinth of music terminology, “fret” not!
Hahaha…ha see what I did there? … Okay, I’ll “refrain.” I don’t want to get into any more “treble” with you.
When I was a teenager struggling to navigate social life, family issues and high school academia, I discovered that songwriting was the best way to make sense of everything. I recall sitting on my backyard’s patio with my acoustic guitar. I would play basic chord progressions and sing quietly the words of my heart. My only audience was myself, and occasionally my dog, but it proved to be much-needed time alone.
And I know! Some of you may have never touched an instrument or hit a note correctly in your life, but you don’t have to be a maestro to write a song. Songwriting often takes a great deal of time and coordination, but for an individual who’s up for the challenge it can just take the form of pouring out your emotions, feelings, or thoughts. All you need is a journal, a pen and a little magic.
The Basics of Songwriting (With/Without An Instrument)
My dad’s favorite producer and singer is Jeff Lynne, known most famously as the lead singer and co-founder of the 70’s English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). When he was a boy, Lynn learned to play his first song on a one-string Elvis guitar. To this day, the 72-year-old singer cannot read all the various musical compositions, and yet, he is one of the most commercially successful songwriters and producers of all time.
I am not saying you have to aim as high as Jeff Lynne. Unless you are devoted to a music career, in which case, I say go for it. But for this writing blog, I encourage you to start from the small—write some lyrics!
Lots of classic rock and pop songs take this outline, which was taken from “Music Industry How To“. In-depth understanding of each one is also found on the page:
- A Verse
- A Chorus
- An Intro (also called the Introduction)
- An Outro
- The Breakdown/A Bridge
- A Pre-Chorus
- The Drop
When you listen to music, you can often identify these transitions. They are often written like a poem; they have a certain number of stanzas for every line. But, like free-verse poetry, you as the artist have the option of being all over the place if you so like. Still I thought you might enjoy a basic structure.
If you have an out-of-tune guitar or ukulele lying around your home, you can always tune it up with the “GuitarTuna” app and get yourself going with a nice, gentle strum pattern. The Down-Down-Up-Up-Down-Up strum pattern is most famous for simplicity:
The staple-looking one is a strum down. The “V” is strumming up. If you don’t have a guitar, dust off your piano. Or grab your uncle’s banjo or your great Aunt Mildred’s harpsichord. If you don’t have an instrumental, consider some instrumental tunes on your favorite music browser.
Finding Inspiration From Home & Nature
However you get that musical tune in your head, let it guide you. Your next step after grabbing a journal and a writing utensil is to think. Sit somewhere you can draw inspiration from—your backyard, your room, by the fireplace, etc. Think about your current situation. Ask yourself questions like: How am I holding up with the world’s chaos? My own chaos? Am I being treated fairly? Am I treating others fairly? Write it all down.
Not to sound like a therapist, but consider what emotions are you feeling: anxious? Paranoid? Joyful? Angry? Whatever words come to mind, write them down. How would you describe the setting around you? Constricting? A peaceful dwelling? A temple of awesomeness? Write it, darn it! Then, contemplate why you’re feeling these things. Create a cluster around a particular emotion or question. For example, it may look like this as a sketch:
After coming up with a collection of thoughts, use your notebook to write out your lyrics. Songs serve as the creative bridge between our hearts and minds. Let your heart do the feeling and let your mind be creative in placing the words. It may take some time, but in the end it may be worth it! Challenge yourself to work within the parameters of the previous outline, if you’d like. Capture the moments and feelings of 2020!
Maybe your song will make no sense. Maybe it’ll be too cliché. Maybe it won’t make it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. So what! Write because you want to!
If you feel comfortable or excited about your finished piece, share it below! All writing works are welcome on this corner of the blogosphere! I may even share my own! For more guidance on the songwriting process, check out Connolly Music’s article on the 6 steps to basic song writing.
The Writer's Desk 
Hi, Dr. O here. Great job! This was an excellent first post. I’m invested in the blog and the subject.…