Songwriting can come about in many different ways. You can start with the lyrics, the melody, the instrumentals, the hook, whatever. Everyone has their own creative process and finding yours is what matters.
My Songwriting Process
For me, I find that inspiration hits at different and sometimes random moments. It is thus important that I write down or record the ideas the moment they hit. If I don’t, I will forget them and this will drive me crazy. I also find it helpful to not worry about perfection. When a couple lines of lyrics or the melody for a hook pops into my head at a random moment, I write it down. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t perfect as I know that during the writing and revising process the song will evolve and change anyways. So, these first lyrics, or tune, or whatever inspiration just hit, are just to get the song going in the right direction.
“Since I am constantly writing down little blurbs of lyrics or recording snippets of a new melody or instrumental line, I always have something to work with when it is time to create a new song”
Since I am constantly writing down little blurbs of lyrics or recording snippets of a new melody or instrumental line, I always have something to work with when it is time to create a new song. I find songwriting to be most enjoyable when the timing between my mood, mindset, creative inspiration, and balance with the rest of my life all naturally lines up perfectly, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, I have to get myself in the right headspace for songwriting. When I have to work to get myself into the songwriting mood, this is when it is especially helpful to have all the bits of lyrical or melodic inspiration to use to get my creative mindset going.
Once I am in the right songwriting space, songwriting becomes such a powerful combination of feelings from flow to cleansing to even an adrenaline rush. If I am in the songwriting space at the same time inspiration struck then I typically just continue with the song that hit me. If I had to get myself into the songwriting space, then it is more of a process where I try out different bits of lyrics, tunes, or instrumentals that I had written down or sound recorded for my memory until something makes me feel something. Once I am feeling emotionally connected to a piece, then I can continue the emotion and creativity into progressing the snippet into a whole song.
If I am not feeling emotionally connected to something I had already written down or recorded, then I take just a component of something I had and turn it into something else that does make me feel deeply, and just keep going from there. Songwriting for me is a creative and emotional process. If I am not feeling it, if it doesn’t mean something, why make it a song?
“…but I've crawled out of my grave, decided I'll see another day, I'm not young me…”
~Lyrics from “Gray Days”
How to Write a Song
While my songwriting process may be very emotionally creative or feelings oriented, you may just want some simple steps for how to write a song. If that is the case, here you go.
Basic Steps for Songwriting
- Keep record of all your song ideas the moment inspiration hits.
- Get in the right mindset and creative space to work on a song.
- Refer back to your collection of song inspirations.
- Work on the one that makes you feel most creative or excited or start something new that does make you feel creative and excited.
- Don’t worry about perfection as songs evolve through the process.
- Be creative with your lyrics, instrumentals, and structure- make something you can actually feel.
Conclusion
There is so much that goes into songwriting and it varies so much by person, style, genre, process, and the goals of the song and the musician. I am always happy to discuss the songwriting process whether it be mine or someone else’s. Let me know your thoughts, what you’d like me to expand upon, and/or if you’d like to discuss songwriting. Thanks for reading.
~GLITA
Comment below or email me at GLITAmusic@gmail.com. Return “Home” here.
