Wanting to create a song

[Jeremy Healey]

Hey everyone!
For the first time ever, I am actually committing to try and write my own song. During the month of February there is something happening called the RPM Challenge (Record production month). Basically it’s challenging you to write a song or an album! So it’s the perfect time to create!
I feel as if I’m ready! I have the desire! I’m right on the front porch! I just can’t seem to open that door and take my first couple steps into the world of writing.
If anyone has any kind of tips they would like to share, I would love to hear them!

 

[Jamie London]

The best advice I can give is pretty basic, but it’s just, start. Sit down with whatever you feel like starting with, guitar, lyrics whatever, and start, even if the intention isn’t to instantly have something written. Something I like to do when writing music & lyrics is set a timer. 3 minutes.

The rule is I can’t take my hand away from the notepad or fretboard for the entire three minutes. I have to write, or play whatever comes to mind the whole time. Sometimes by the end something catches, other times it’s hot garbage all around haha but I’ve always found it to be a helpful way of getting started at the very least

 

[Ed Seith]

Find a drumbeat to start with, even if it's a loop on YouTube (some form of programmable drums might be easier). Find a beat, find a tempo, and just start playing until you keep coming back to something over and over, and then keep playing it until you build on it and turn it into something you like.

 

[Muz Malek]

Hey everyone!
For the first time ever, I am actually committing to try and write my own song. During the month of February there is something happening called the RPM Challenge (Record production month). Basically it’s challenging you to write a song or an album! So it’s the perfect time to create!
I feel as if I’m ready! I have the desire! I’m right on the front porch! I just can’t seem to open that door and take my first couple steps into the world of writing.
If anyone has any kind of tips they would like to share, I would love to hear them!

If I may - don't be afraid to end up having "sound like" something. This mentality of being afraid that we 'might be copying' an existing piece is what stops a lot of people from writing songs. I can't recall where I got that very inspiration. Either i was watching some Paul Gilbert clinics (who is also about "recycling" riffs) or something I've heard from Shads or Syn.

But yeah, don't shy away from laying out something you've heard and changing things up from there

All the best!

 

[Rad Synner]

All great advice from people here!

Here's my take (which kind of bounces back from what @Muz Malek said):

As an exercise, just try to rewrite a song you really like. What do I mean by that? Simple:

- Take a song you wish you wrote
- Analyze it, understand it's structure
- Figure out it's BPM, drumbeats and key
- From those info, you can already either create a drumbeat from either a virtual instrument or drum track you find online. At this point, you're kinda where Ed suggests to be.
- You start jamming around that, play in the same key if you wish so or play around but at least now with the BPM and drumbeat, you found the right groove for what you would wanna do.
- And from there it's kinda up to you to just exercise your creative muscle.

Are you taking the risk of sounding like the inspiration? At first yes. But the more you do it, the more you will find your voice and the more you will just end up naturally tweaking stuff around.

Good luck and I'm looking forward to hear what you will do!

 

[Javier Wienarjati]

I come in right thread, In my my class, I have a projects with my friends. The theme is about reduce-reuse-recycle garbage and I made this song. The lyrics is not done yet. I made this with my mother. This kinda sad but kinda happy song and I love it. The cadence inspired by The Beatles - While my guitar gently weeps and the beats I take from youtube just like what Ed said. Here is my very raw demo, actually I made this with my acoustic guitar. But I record this on myelectric and DAW with my NUX MG-400.

 

[Ed Seith]

@Radu-Cristian Perde , I believe @Brian Haner Sr. spent a lot of time talking about that, and writing/performing an example of it on the spot, in one of his most recent live streams.

 

[Rad Synner]

@Radu-Cristian Perde , I believe @Brian Haner Sr. spent a lot of time talking about that, and writing/performing an example of it on the spot, in one of his most recent live streams.

He indeed has!! I don't remember in which episode but yeah PG did a whole segment on songwriting and how he approaches it

 

[Richard O'connor]

Find a drumbeat to start with, even if it's a loop on YouTube (some form of programmable drums might be easier). Find a beat, find a tempo, and just start playing until you keep coming back to something over and over, and then keep playing it until you build on it and turn it into something you like.

im a big advocate of this. EZ Drummer has helped me no end in coming up with riffs and complete songs!

 

[Jeremy Healey]

Thank you everyone for your input! I should also note that I am going to be writing this along side my friend Paul, and possibly get our friend to record it for us (as he has a more professional setup than I do). So im hoping this also helps me move forward and get through that initial door!

@Jamie London ill try that method this evening when attempt to start! And maybe itll lead to something aha.
@Muz Malek I was picking away with it last night before writing this discussion! I came up with this little into I liked a lot, but then as I slowed it down a bit, it instantly became very recognizable. Then i realized it was pretty much exactly like "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins lol.
@Ed Seith One thing I can confidently say is i can come up with some solid drum beats. It is the instrument I am most fluent and comfortable with and I have no issue. Might possibly start there and just lay down a structure.
@Radu-Cristian Perde there are definitely a handful of songs I listen to that share a very similar song structure, so I may borrow from them!

As things progress I will try and post some snippets of what I come up with

 

[William B.]

Me too, I have been feeling to move forward some and practice writing some more.
Motifs and a common tone is what I could think of for tips

 

[Paul Walsh]

I think the OP might need to share his finished work now that RPM is over and the song has been submitted, *wink wink*. Been fun actually writing with someone proper and jamming, let's do this again, @Jeremy Healey

 

[Alicia Willis]

I think the OP might need to share his finished work now that RPM is over and the song has been submitted, *wink wink*. Been fun actually writing with someone proper and jamming, let's do this again, @Jeremy Healey

I second this comment !

 

[Jeremy Healey]

I second this comment !

Ask and you shall receive! Me and Paul never had time to add lyrics yet where the deadline for RPM was Feb 28th. But I will want to add to it

 

[Alicia Willis]

Ask and you shall receive! Me and Paul never had time to add lyrics yet where the deadline for RPM was Feb 28th. But I will want to add to it

duuude it says it’s not a valid URL

 

[Jeremy Healey]

duuude it says it’s not a valid URL

I reposted it! Try again aha. Me and @Paul Walsh will have to make a video for the song and post it up properly