What's in a song? A guide to creating music

First, start with the title. Starting with a title will help you stay focused on a single idea in your song. Create a phrase of one to six words that sums up the heart of what you want to say. Or look for an interesting phrase that suggests a situation or emotion to you. Then, you have to choose a song structure. Many of today’s biggest hits rely on a song structure like this: Verse / Chorus / Verse / Chorus / Bridge / Chorus. Some add a short section called a “pre-chorus” or “lift” between the verse and chorus to build anticipation. The verse, pre-chorus, and chorus each have an identifiable melody, one that the listener can recognize when it comes around. After that, begin to add chords to your chorus melody. Try a simple, repeated chord pattern and play with the melody and chords until you find something you like. Record yourself singing and/or playing even if it’s only on your smartphone. Be sure you get it down so you don’t forget it. And make your first line something that will get listeners interested: an intriguing statement, a question, or a description of the situation. In your second line, consider restating the first line in a different way or adding more information. Don’t move on too quickly; your listeners need time to understand what’s happening in the song. Then you need to have a verse and chorus, create a transition between them so that they flow naturally. You may need to raise or lower your verse melody or change the last line to get to your chorus smoothly. TIP: Chorus melodies are usually in a higher note range than verses. Add a nice bridge section; it adds a peak emotional moment to your song, a realization, or an “aha!” moment. Finally, record your song. A simple piano/vocal or guitar/vocal can often be the most effective emotional statement of your song. Practice both the instrumental and vocal parts until you are comfortable with them. And that's all the things needed to write a song.