BENGALURU : MY songwriting professor once told me, “The secret to writing ONE great song? Write a thousand bad ones.” While that may sound like a punch line more than solid advice, there’s a lot to be said about working through the songwriting process before you hit your steady stride. I get asked all the time what the “best” way to write a song is, and the truth is, I don’t think there is ONE best way. Different artistes swear by different methods, but many great songwriters can write in multiple ways.
HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO GET STARTED
1.Write over a chord progression - If you’re familiar with how to play chords on the piano or the guitar, play something and see what you come up with. If you need a starting point, that’s what YouTube is for. Look up popular chord progressions (the most common chord progression in popular music is I-V-vi-IV, you’re welcome), and play through them. If you aren’t comfortable on an instrument, you can find karaoke chord progressions and try humming over them and see what you come up with.
2. Write a melody first - If you’re the sort of person who can come up with melodies first, or find a catchy hook line, this is a great way to start a song. Sing your melody a few times, refine it, and use it as a starting point for your song.
3 .Write lyrics first - Lyrics give the listener the story of the song, and can also be a great place to start. If you have a great idea, or a cool story to tell, start with lyrics first.
4 . Find a production vibe - In current popular music, much of it is productiondriven. Even if you don’t play an instrument, you can try finding the sound you want using loops on GarageBand, logic or any other music production software.
5 .Take inspiration - If you’re not sure where to start, start with a song that you really like, and break it down. Try to understand all the different parts. Pick one part that you like - the chords for example. Play the chord progression and come up with a new melody. Or if you like the drum beat, try to see what you can come up with on top of that. If you’re starting out, this is a great way to learn. After you’ve written a song around the part that inspired you, change that part to something new, and you have a completely original song. The most important thing about songwriting is being open. It’s often hard to share what you’ve created because you are scared of being judged. Find a circle you trust, and share with them first, then with the world around you. Trust the process, and don’t read all the Instagram comments. (The authors run SaPa - the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts)