How to Write a Song With Music and Lyrics

Think about what you want to write about. Writing about your own experiences is always the best way to go, because you'll know how the song should feel. Think about a breakup, a friendship or even a vacation. If you want your song to tell a story, think about each part of that story and how it feels. Make sure the story isn't too complicated, because it will be hard to understand.^[1]

Once you know what you want to write about, start thinking about songs you've heard, with the same kind of feeling. If it is a sad song, it should normally be slow. Happy songs don't have to be fast, but they are normally higher and always in the major key. If it is a dark song, it will sound great in the minor key. You can even add some chords that clash if they sound appropriate to the mood of the song and you know what you are doing. If you don't have very much musical experience, experiment and see what sound you think reflects how your song should make listeners feel.

If you have a piano, try making a basic melody. Keep trying until you find one that is best for your song. Then see if you can find chords that go well with your melody. It won't sound as impressive if it doesn't have some chords. If putting the two together is too hard, you could just sing the melody and only play the chords. A lot of songs are like this and they sound lovely. If you don't have a piano, you can do this with another instrument or skip this step. Just plan out a melody or chorus for your song.^[2]

Hum your melody and add things to it until you are satisfied. Make sure it is the kind of melody that will sound good with words, because some melodies sound good on an instrument but not with lyrics.^[3]

Start writing your story. Sing each line as you write it down making sure it has the right amount of syllables. You don't always have to rhyme but some here and there sound good, as long as your rhymes make sense and don't sound like you only put them there because you couldn't think of anything better that rhymed. Repeating a stanza a few times can be nice and it helps people recognize your song faster and be able to sing it.^[4]