I wish I could give you a foolproof blueprint for how to write a song. If that’s what you’re looking for, unfortunately, this post isn’t for you.
But don’t hit the back button just yet.
While I can’t give you a formula, I can give you tried-and-true tips that will tip the odds in your favor. Because the truth is the songwriting process is as unique as the songwriter.
Bob Dylan once said the best songs are written quickly in one sitting. Other artists heavily edit their work. Some songwriters, like Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo keeps a neatly-sorted spreadsheet of potential song lyrics.
I once heard that Bon Iver sings gibberish over his musical ideas until the lyrics materialize.
Songwriting is one of the most difficult, yet creatively rewarding things you can do. It’s more than just poetry and music, but the mysterious union of both those things to create something entirely new.
In this post, we’ll discuss 19 tips for writing songs both from my own experience and from some of the best songwriters in the world.
Let’s jump in.
19 Tips for How to Write a Song
1) Make your melody singable
How do you write a great melody? Boy, we could spill a lot of ink on that topic. It seems like every time you come up with “rules” for melody writing, a great melody comes along and completely breaks them.
But a great starting point, not a hard and fast rule, is to make your melody singable.
The late, great George Harrison once said, “A song should be like a kid’s nursery rhyme that gets stuck in your head.” One of the best ways to ensure that is by singing as you’re writing your melody.
Another way to make sure your melody is singable is to keep it simple. Your listener’s brain can only process so much information at once, so you want to make sure your melody is easy to understand.
This doesn’t mean your melody has to be boring, but you should avoid adding too many notes or making too many drastic changes in pitch.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure your melody uses mostly stepwise motion, meaning the notes move up or down by no more than one note at a time. This will make your melody more easily singable and (potentially) more memorable.
The important thing is to start with something, anything. If you hit roadblocks on melody writing, move to the rhythm. If nothing sticks, try a bassline. The key is to keep the momentum going no matter what.
2) Impose limitations upon yourself
One of the best ways to jumpstart your creativity is to impose limitations upon yourself. “Limitations breed creativity,” they say. And in my experience, they’re correct.
By imposing limitations, you force yourself to be more creative within a set of particular parameters and you eliminate “option anxiety.”
Here are some self-imposed limitations to try when you want to get out of a rut:
- Write a song using only 3 chords
- Write a song in a minor key or mode
- Write a song in a key you don’t usually write in (like F# or something wild)
- Write a song with a specific word or phrase repeated throughout
- Write a song that tells a particular story (or make one up)
- Write a song in a specific genre
Think about how you can challenge yourself the next time you sit down to write a song. It might be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing.
I really like this Andrew Huang video where he talks about using words based on a particular theme that could be interpreted as either metaphorical or literal:
3) Use tried-and-true song structures
Getting your song structure down, either on paper or in your digital audio workstation (DAW), is a great way to give yourself a roadmap for how to write the rest of your song.
Here are some common song structures to try:
- ABAB Form
- AABA Form
- ABCD Form
And then, of course, there’s a standard pop song structure of Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Chorus.
Almost every mainstream tune in the past 60 years or so has followed this format. If you’re having trouble getting started, this might be a good place to begin.
Getting a song structure down is really important for arrangement reasons as well. Check out my post on how to arrange music.
4) Experiment with rhyme schemes
Rhyme is an important part of songwriting, but it doesn’t have to be boring. There are endless possibilities for how you can play around with rhyme in your songs.
Here are a few common rhyme schemes to try:
- ABAB rhyme scheme
- AABB rhyme scheme
- ABABCB rhyme scheme
- ABCB rhyme scheme
And, of course, you can always make up your own!
Let’s look at a rhyme scheme example from the classic tune A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. In the first verse, she uses an AABB rhyme scheme:
Making my way downtown (A)
Walking fast (B)
Faces pass (B)
And I’m home-bound (A)
It’s also worth noting how the final line has a much quicker delivery and fewer syllables than the first, making it a bit unexpected and pleasing to the ear.
The next verse has a slightly different rhyme scheme, ABBC:
Staring blankly ahead (A)
Just making my way (B)
Making a way (B)
Through the crowd (C)
Notice how “crowd” is a near rhyme with “home-bound,” and it’s close enough to sound familiar without being campy. This is excellent songwriting!
5) Start with a kernel of an idea (melody, rhythm, etc.)
All songs start with an idea, no matter how big or small. It could be a melody you’ve been humming to yourself, a lyric you can’t get out of your head, or a rhythm.
The important thing is to start with something, anything. If you hit roadblocks on melody writing, move to the rhythm. If nothing sticks, try a bassline. The key is to keep the momentum going no matter what.
You can always come back to the melody later, but it’s important to keep the creative juices flowing. So start with a kernel of an idea and build from there.
6) Separate the lyric and music-writing processes
Many songwriters make the mistake of thinking they have to do both lyric writing and music writing at the same time. While it’s true that the two processes are often intertwined, they use very different parts of your brain and can be challenging to do simultaneously.
In fact, separating them can often be helpful. Write the melody first, then worry about attaching lyrics to it. Or vice versa. The important thing is to get all your ideas down first, then worry about how they fit together.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. But if you’re having trouble getting started, it’s worth trying out this method.
7) Step away from your instrument to write (or go to another instrument)
If you’re a guitar player, try writing on the piano. If you’re a singer, try writing on the guitar. Heck, pick up a used clarinet or accordion on Craigslist and try to write on that!
Sometimes it can be helpful to change up your instrument when you’re stuck.
It can also be helpful to step away from your instrument altogether. Write the melody in your head, then come back to your instrument and figure out how to play it.
This can be a great way to write new and interesting melodies, as you’re not limited by what you know how to play.
I wrote the progression to my original tune Muscat Canelli after my wife gave me a ukulele. The truth is, I only knew a handful of chords, but that was enough to spur my inspiration.
8) Jot down your ideas (keep a lyric and idea journal)
When you’re feeling inspired, it’s essential to capture your ideas. This could be a lyric, a melody, or just a general idea for a song.
The Voice Memos app on iPhone is perfect for this. So is the Notes app. Or you could keep a physical notebook.
The important thing is to have a place where you can quickly write down your ideas before they slip away.
And don’t worry about how good or bad your ideas are. Just get them down! You can always come back and revise later.
This is an excellent way to avoid writer’s block, as you’ll always have a bank of ideas to draw from when you’re feeling stuck.
9) Get feedback from friends or fellow songwriters
If you’re having trouble with a particular song, it can be helpful to get feedback from friends or fellow songwriters.
They might be able to offer some helpful perspective or at least point you in the right direction. For example, my wife is not musical at all, so if I want the opinion of a “normal” listener without all the technical musical jargon, I’ll ask for her perspective.
Of course, not all feedback is created equal. So take everything with a grain of salt and trust your gut.
10) Pretend to be someone else
Some of the finest American songwriters (Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan) all have a knack for painting some of the most elaborate, immersive narrative pictures set to music.
This skill of taking the listener on a journey is often attributed to their uncanny ability to adopt the identity of another person.
Paul Simon, for example, will often write songs from the perspective of a character he’s made up in his head. He’s even said that he will “become” that character while he’s writing the song.
If you’re having trouble writing lyrics, try adopting the perspective of another person. Write from their point of view. What are they thinking? What are they feeling? What are their traumas, their fears?
This is evident all throughout Simon’s work, but especially notable in Duncan:
“My father was a fisherman
My mama was the fisherman’s friend
And I was born in the boredom and the chowder
So when I reached my prime, I left my home in the Maritimes
Headed down the turnpike for New England
Sweet New England”
Not only is this poetically pleasing in its rhyme scheme (“when I reached my prime, I left my home in the Maritimes”), but in just a few lines it paints a potent narrative picture.
You might be surprised at how easy the words start to flow when you’re not bogged down by your own thoughts and feelings.
11) Focus on the emotion, not the story
On the flip side, when you’re writing a song, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to tell a specific story. But more often than not, it’s the emotion of the song that resonates with people, not the story.
For example, take Adele’s Someone Like You. It’s a very simple song, both in melody and lyrics. But it’s incredibly effective because it captures a relatable emotion:
“I heard that you’re settled down
That you found a girl and you’re married now
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn’t give to you“
These lyrics could be about anyone. And that’s what makes them so powerful. They tap into a feeling that we’ve all experienced at one point or another: heartbreak and loss.
So when you’re writing a song, focus on the emotion you want to capture, not necessarily the story you want to tell. The story will often flow from the emotion.
Think about how the song makes you feel and let that guide your lyrics and melody.
If you can tap into a relatable emotion, you’re well on your way to writing a great song.
12) Start with a title
Going back to Paul Simon again (I can’t help it, he’s my favorite songwriter), sometimes all you need to get inspired is a simple title.
This was the case in his song Rene and Georgette Magritte with their Dog After the War. He saw a photograph with that very title and inspiration struck.
He said in an interview:
“I started writing that just because of the title… I liked the idea of these two people whose lives had been swept up in the war and how their lives might be after the war.”
The result is a beautiful, melancholy song about love and loss.
So if you’re stuck, try starting with a title. It can be something as simple as a color or a feeling. And then build the song from there.
13) Try writing a contrafact or reharmonization
If you’re still having trouble getting started, try writing a contrafact or reharmonizing a melody.
A contrafact is when you take an existing melody and write new lyrics for it. This can be a great way to get started because the hard work of coming up with a melody is already done.
You can also try reharmonizing a melody, which means changing the chords that go underneath it. This can give an existing melody a whole new feel.
Both of these techniques can help jumpstart your songwriting and get the creative juices flowing.
14) Edit like crazy
No writer would be arrogant enough to turn in the first draft of their magnum opus with zero proofreading or editing (at least, I hope not).
We shouldn’t expect to nail the first drafts of our songs, either!
Part of the songwriting process is editing and revising your lyrics, melodies, and chords until they’re just right. So don’t be afraid to go back and make changes.
The key is to get something down. If you don’t have the first draft, you don’t have anything to edit. So the goal is just to get the song written, even if it’s not perfect.
Then, you can go back and revise it until it feels right.
15) Combine visceral, literal, and metaphorical language
A lot can be said about the art of lyric writing, but in my opinion, the best songwriters combine emotional, literal, and metaphorical language together.
This juxtaposition of different types of language can create a really effective contrast that can make your lyrics more interesting and impactful.
For example, consider the lyrics to Such Great Heights by the Postal Service:
“I have to speculate
That God himself did make us into corresponding shapes
Like puzzle pieces from the clay.”
The visceral language of God making two people into a perfect pair (emotional language) by shaping them into puzzle pieces from clay (literal language) is a pleasing and interesting juxtaposition.
Phoebe Bridgers, another one of my favorite songwriters, does this in Scott Street:
“Walking Scott Street, feeling like a stranger
With an open heart (metaphorical language), open container (literal language)“
These lyrics happen so quickly that you almost miss how clever they are.
So as you’re writing your lyrics, try to combine different types of language to create interesting juxtapositions.
16) Collaborate with other musicians
One of the best ways to improve your songwriting is to collaborate with other musicians.
Not only will this help you learn from their experience, but it can also jumpstart your creativity.
As artists, we can get a bit “precious” about our work, not wanting to muddy the waters with collaboration. The truth is, every time I’ve collaborated, the end product has been better as a result.
17) Play with interesting chord progressions & voicings
It’s human nature to gravitate toward that which is most familiar – the same keys, the same chords, the same rhythms.
But sometimes, the most interesting music comes from venturing outside of your comfort zone.
If you’re struggling to write a song, try playing with some interesting chord progressions or voicings.
You might be surprised at how a few simple changes can totally transform a song. Here are some harmonic techniques to try:
- Chromatic progressions – These are progressions that move by half steps, like C to C# to D. They can create a lot of tension and can be really effective when used sparingly.
- Passing chords – These are chords that don’t necessarily belong to the key of the song, but are used to create movement between chords. For example, you might add a passing chord between the IV and V chords in a major key.
- Altered chords – These are chords that have been altered from their original form. For example, you might play an A7 chord with a flattened 9th (G), which would make it an A9(b5) chord.
- Borrowed chords – These are chords that are borrowed from the parallel minor or major key. For example, you might borrow the VI chord (Am) from the parallel minor key of C major (A minor). Experiment with different harmonic techniques and see how they affect the feel of your song. Read more about borrowed chords here.
- Secondary dominants – These are chords that temporarily make a new chord feel like the tonic. For example, in the key of C major, you might play a D7 chord (the V/V “five of five” chord) followed by a G chord (the V chord). This would make the G feel like the tonic for a moment, which can create a lot of tension. Secondary dominants are everywhere in all genres of music.
- Slash chords – These are chords where the bass note is not the root of the chord. For example, you might play a D/F# chord, which would be a D major chord with an F# in the bass. Slash chords are a great way to create movement and interest in your chord progressions. Slash chords are also a great way to facilitate voice leading.
18) Get granular with details
Some of the most evocative lyrics come from painting very specific pictures of certain scenarios.
When you’re writing your lyrics, don’t be afraid to get granular with the details. The more specific you are, the more your listener will be able to visualize what you’re singing about.
Here’s an example from one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite songwriters, 1-Bedroom by Theo Katzman:
“You bring your boots and your yoga pants
I’ll bring my copy of The Royal Scam
We can get down to the Steely Dan
In my one bedroom
We’ll set the tone with a window plant
Decorative soap and a ‘Welcome’ mat
We’ll split the cost of it all in half
In my one-bedroom”
I know it’s cliche to say, but you do practically feel like you’re in the room after these two verses. The details feel so autobiographical and specific.
I utilized a similar technique when I wrote Mr. Gonzalez as part of the Good Grammar EP:
“We love your haircut from the ’90s
And your holiday clothes
Folks would say, that before I came
You were mean, but I did not know
You have a son and a daughter, too
And she’s driving your Mercedes
When she’s home, please be with her
Her affections are slowly fading.”
This tune was partially based on a real-life person, partially based on a dream I had, and partially based on scenarios I made up in my head.
Case in point: most songs utilize several of the tips listed in this post, not just one.
19) Exhaustively explore a metaphor
Another interesting technique, once again demonstrated by the masterful Theo Katzman, is to explore a metaphor exhaustively, taking it to its logical conclusion.
In As the Romans Do, Katzman creates a song based on the saying, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
That is to say, to succeed in a particular environment, you have to adapt to the culture of that environment, potentially even at the expense of your own values or moral compass.
Theo dials that feeling up to 11 with visceral and metaphorical language, as found in the delightfully clever third verse:
“I showed up to the alley with my tin pan
With a middle finger stickin’ up to the man
But the miners in the alley traded tin pans
For the Silicon Valley and a business plan
So I tattooed my face onto my hand
And unto my own image I built a brand
Now as soon as I have a million faceless fans
That’s when I’mma start movin’ those cheap head bands”
Final thoughts
There’s no one right way to write a song. The best thing you can do is to experiment and find what works for you.
And as I mentioned, most songs utilize several of these techniques. So try your hand at each one and see what sticks.
I’ll leave you with this songwriting advice video from Ed Sheeran. He’s one of the most successful songwriters of our generation, and he has some great advice on how to write a song:
I hope you found these tips helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!