good songs to write essays about

101 Songwriting Prompts: Quick Ideas for Writing Hit Songs!

Let’s face it: songwriting is HARD sometimes. So if you need some quick ideas to break out of a rut or find inspiration, you’re in luck!

According to John Braheny in his incredible book The Craft and Business of Songwriting , there are 7 basic song plots (ie topic areas) that most hit songs follow. With them in mind, I’ve put together a handy list of 101 songwriting prompts – broken down into these 7 popular song topics – to help you come up with incredible new song ideas.

You’ll also find a bonus section at the end of this post with some miscellaneous song prompts that don’t fit neatly into any of the other categories, but can STILL help you craft an original, compelling song that the world will love! Check them all out!

101 Songwriting Prompts for 7 Plots (Plus a Bonus!)

Love song prompts.

The most popular song category by far is love , because music helps you capture the feeling of this emotion better than almost anything. There are also so many different kinds of love songs – here are just some possibilities to get you started!

Write a song about the first time you went out with someone special for the very first time. What was it like to meet them, where did you go, what did you do? Are you doing it in the present, or reminiscing about your first date many years later?

Song Example : Daughter by Loudon Wainwright III

Write a song about your first crush. How young were you two? Did you pass notes in class or exchange glances when the teacher’s back was turned?

4) Wedding anniversary

Write a song addressed to your spouse on your anniversary. How has your love grown (or not) over the years? Is there tension in the air, or is he/she the love of your life, no questions asked? Is your spouse your rock, or your hard place?

Write a song exploring sex and what it means to you. How does it make you and your partner feel, in the moment and about your relationship? Is there a creative euphemism you can use to get across the message while still being radio-friendly?

Write a song in the form of a letter. Is it a romantic ballad expressing unrequited love, a message of regret that you’d rather burn then send, or a letter from a secret admirer?

8) Seasonal Love

Write a song about a love that you can’t seem to shake. Even though you know you’d be better off going, what’s keeping you there? Does it excite you that the love feels wrong?

Write a song about a fling you had. Was it a one-night stand or did it last a whole summer? Did you always intend to keep it short, but now you’ve developed a deeper connection? Is it liberating or unfulfilling to have short-lived love?

Write a song about a truly unhealthy relationship. You love them, but at what cost to you? Are you risking your dignity, your sanity, or your physical safety? Why do you turn to love in the worst places?

12) Friends: the family you choose

Write a song about falling deeply in love. How does it feel to be submerged so suddenly in affection? Is it purely euphoric, or is there a powerless there that scares you?

Write a song about how much you love yourself. Are you proud of your body, your mind, or your talent? Are you a firework, brave, or ready to roar?

Song Example : Shake it Off by Taylor Swift

Song Example : Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) by Billy Joel

Song Example : Every Breath You Take by The Police

Song Example : Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon

Hate Song Prompts

The other side of the coin with love, hate is a very popular genre. Powerful emotions like hate lend themselves to louder vocal performances, like those in punk and metal bands, but can be found in any genre.

2) Teenage angst

Write a song about the difficulties of coming-of-age. How are the pressures of school, friends, and first loves getting to you? Growing up is scary, and now there are cameras everywhere watching us perform. If the world is going to hell in a hand basket, how does a powerless teen feel?

Write a song about hating the city you live in. Is your city so big that you feel like you’re lost in the crowd, or so small that everyone knows about your mistakes? Do the landmarks in your town remind you of your ex or some other trauma you experienced there? Are you stuck there, dying to leave, or already on your way out?

Song Example : Creep by Radiohead

6) Frustrated in love

Write a song about how you’ve made a mistake you can’t fix. Can you handle the guilt you feel, or is it making you rot from the inside out? What coping mechanisms do you turn to – sex, drugs, alcohol – that might only make the problem worse?

Write a song about something political that you hate to see. Does it make you mad to see young people sent to war? Why do the rich never seem to have the rules apply to them? Is the system broken, or is it actually working as intended?

Write a song about how hatred itself is poisonous to your soul. Is hate ever the solution? How could you explain the feeling of hatred to someone who never experienced it? What about it hurts the hater more than the hated?

Write a song about something insignificant that makes you upset. Do you confront someone over it? Do you think people who do it deserve to burn in Hell? Is your song’s narrator justified or just bitter?

Loneliness Song Prompts

Write a song about when you were aching to be with someone romantically, but it was not to be. Did they want you just as badly but couldn’t get to you, or did they not even know you exist? Was this recent, or a has your loneliness been fermenting for years?

Write a song about how being single has it’s advantages. Maybe you’ve just broken up with someone and you aren’t nearly as upset as you expected. Is being alone bittersweet, or maybe entirely sweet, now that you aren’t dependent on anyone else for your happiness?

Write a song about a love triangle where you’re the third wheel. Did you love and then lose your significant other to a new suitor, or were you always on the outside? Have you given up, or are you still determined to find love in the face of rejection?

Write a song to break up with someone. Do you wish things had gone differently, or was your match doomed from the start? Is it you, or is it me?

Write a song about the feeling of rejection. It could be about love, but it could also be about an offer of friendship, a new job, or a connection to a relative. Was the rejection undeserved, or is your narrator an unreliable storyteller?

Song Example : Rude by MAGIC!

Song Example : Message in a Bottle by The Police

8) Ostracized

Write a song where you are sent to space. Are you awe-struck or terrified? How does it feel to have thousands of people working on Earth to get you to a place where you’re totally on your own?

Write a song about returning to nature. What kind of nature appeals to you – a forest, a shoreline, or a mountaintop? How can weather be used to convey the internal conflict that’s driven you away from civilization?

Song Example : Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg

Song Example : Zitti E Buoni by Måneskin

Happiness Song Prompts

Write a song about having a party. Who are you inviting? What’s the reason, or is there no reason at all? Is this a night to remember, or a night no one will be able to?

Write a song about how cracks are showing up in the veneer of happiness. Are you forced to act happy by society or pressure in a relationship? Do you actually have everything you wanted, but still aren’t happy? Was happiness fleeting or never real at all?

Song Example : Shiny Happy People by R.E.M.

Song Example : We Are the Champions by Queen

Song Example : Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin

Song Example : Tonight Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae

7) Fame and fortune

Write a song about the high-life. What’s it like enjoying the finer things in life? Where do you live? What do you eat? What kind of car do (or your chauffeur) drive? Is that wealth all for you, or if not, for whom will you make it rain?

8) Nostalgia

Write a song about how music feeds your soul. Were you lost until you found music? Does having a guitar in your hand or a microphone at your lips make you feel like the king of the world?

Song Example : Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Song Example : Fireflies by Owl City

Write a song about absolute bliss. Is it emotional, mental, or sexual? Does time stand still or does it fly when you’re having fun? Do you wish the moment would never end?

Sadness Song Prompts

When your heart is broken, it’s raining on your head, and your ice cream falls off the cone, you’re dealing with sadness . Putting that feeling to music can be cathartic for you and your audience. A thousand careers have been launched on the backs of sad songs.

Write a song about your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. What did you discover that ruined the day from the start? What went wrong, and how badly did it go? Were you really upset about not having coffee, or were you actually upset about your girlfriend taking the coffee machine when she left you?

Write a song about how school gets you down. Does your crush not notice you? Do your classes bore you? Is the vice-principal always on your case and your parents just don’t understand?

6) Life’s not what you had hoped

7) Unthinkable loss

Write a song about hoping to escape your bad circumstances. Are you stuck in a small-town but have bigger dreams (that may or may not actually ever come true)? Do you have reasons to keep hope alive, or is the dream just a coping mechanism, not a realistic option?

Write a song where you have done something that makes others ashamed to be around you. Is it fair of them to alienate you? Is there a hole deep enough for you to hide?

Jealousy Song Prompts

Write a song about wishing you were with another person who is already in a relationship. In what ways do you compare to the person they’re with, for better or worse? What do you feel when you see the two of them together – murderous rage, deep self-loathing, or a longing to be someone else?

Write a song about acting on your jealousy and stealing from someone else. What’s your plan for your heist? Is it impulsive or well-thought out. Does it turn out well for you?

Write a song where you’re jealous of people with relatively bad lives. Why would you rather be the lonely cat lady or the struggling street artist? Do they have something you don’t have? If so, is it abstract or tangible?

Revenge Song Prompts

Write a song about avenging someone who has been wronged. What’s your connection to the person who needs saving? Are you a real hero, or are you doing it for selfish reasons?

Write a song where you enter into a competition and are losing. How will you make it on top by the end? What are some stakes that can make the battle more suspenseful?

BONUS: Miscellaneous Song Prompts

Not every song follows a simple plot. There are many songs that use more than one of the above story arcs and there’s just as many that don’t fit nicely into any of the categories at all. Here are some more creative writing prompts for those who want help writing an original song.

Write a song with lots of nonsense lyrics? How can lyrical folderol represent a feeling better than actual words? What kind of made-up words can you make memorable with the right melody?

Write a song that sounds cool but doesn’t actually have any clear meaning. Your song might still have meaning, but can you make one that’s strange enough that a listener can’t be sure? Can you make imagery that’s psychedelic or fantastical?

Songwriter Prompt List Wrap-up

I hope this list was helpful! Whether you were able to read through these prompts all in one sitting or bounced around to find the ones that spoke to you, my recommendation is to actually take ONE songwriting prompt in this list and give it a try!

Lastly, why not bookmark this page so you can come back here any time you need inspiration?

How many chords do you need to know to write a song, 13 unconventional songwriting exercises to boost your skills, what makes a song good [5 great song tips for songwriters], how to start off a song: 11 song intro ideas to hook your listeners, i'm daniel and i love songwriting, learn piano, special offer.

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44 Perfect Songs To Listen To While You Write

As suggested by you.

BuzzFeed Staff

1. "Prelude – The Atlas March" – Cloud Atlas , Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil.

View this video on YouTube

2. "hearts of courage" by two steps from hell.

Suggested by zarayachan

3. "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" – The Lord of the Rings , Howard Shore

Suggested by Nicole Hom via Facebook, rachell41c37731e , ninas409719015 , brennas4d707ed48

4. "He's a pirate" – The Pirates of the Caribbean , Klaus Badelt

Suggested by Mia Brown via Facebook

5. "Courtyard Apocalypse" - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows : Part 2, Alexandre Desplat

Suggested by kaylac4bfa83ede , victoriad4c3359c83

6. "Death is the Road to Awe" – The Fountain , Clint Mansell

Suggested by connorb425563fbe

7. "Time" – Inception , Hans Zimmer

8. "Falling" – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford , Nick Cave

Suggested by victork7

9. "Now We Are Free" – Gladiator , Hans Zimmer

10. "The Balcony Scene" – Romeo + Juliet , Craig Armstrong

11. "Once There Was A Hushpuppy" – Beasts of the Southern Wild , Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin

Listen to this film soundtrack playlist on Spotify

open.spotify.com

12. "Dance Of The Swans" – Swan Lake , Tchaikovsky

Suggested by Paulina Restrepo Ramirez via Facebook

13. "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy

14. "Piano Concerto No 21" by Mozart

Suggested by katherinep406fdf725

15. "Adagio in G minor" by Tomaso Albinoni

16. "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber

Suggested by acejerry2216

17. "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven

18. "Love & Loss" by Mattia Cupelli

19. "Metamorphosis II" by Philip Glass

Suggested by jenniferlynnelsonf

20. Divenire by Ludovico Einaudi

Suggested by Sudha Kappet Rao via Facebook, mabel

21. "Says" by Nihls Frahm

Suggested by sethelib

22. "Symphony No. 9: Ode To Joy" by Beethoven

Listen to this classical playlist on Spotify

23. "Intro" by The XX

Suggested by Jake Howard via Facebook

24. "Your Hand In Mine w/strings" by Explosions in the Sky

Suggested by katiek41429cd48

25. "You Look Great When I'm Fucked Up" by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

26. "Memorial" by Bring Me The Horizon

Suggested by neenahw

27. "Untitled 3" by Sigur Ros

Suggested by rabiad , zachs4f54dc754

28. "The Walk (Instrumental)" by Imogen Heap

Suggested by hasinab

29. "Olympians (Radio Edit)" by Fuck Buttons

30. "Shoulder of Orion" by Lazerhawk

31. "Bleed" by DeadMau5

Suggested by erinb4a712b16d

32. "Auto Rock" by Mogwai

33. "3055" by Ólafur Arnalds

Listen to this instrumental playlist on Spotify

34. "Through the dark" by Alexi Murdoch

Suggested by Kristie Bringhurst via Facebook

35. "Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzalez

Suggested by jazzmom

36. "Everything" by Ben Howard

Suggested by Kelly Beestone via Facebook

37. "Blood" by The Middle East

Suggested by nataliew4d288629f

38. "How Soon Is Now" by The Smiths

Suggested by jazeh

39. "Something Good" by Alt J

Suggested by jackiet4cc58052c

40. "Take Me To Church" by Hozier

Suggested by coreyrae

41. "Immunity" by Jon Hopkins

42. "Teardrop" by Massive Attack

Suggested by alexisbundy1

43. "I Hope There's Someone" by Antony and the Johnsons

Suggested by codyg412d21a45

44. "Outro" by M83

Listen to this lyrics playlist on Spotfiy

Not a fan of music why not listen to the soothing sound of rain instead ..

Or try one of these sites for white noise, waves, and other ambient sounds .

Let us know your favourite writing music below!

Or check out the comments on the original post for more suggestions .

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K.L.Wightman

Let's Talk Content Marketing & Creative Writing

10 Songs For Writers About Writing

1 Comment on 10 Songs For Writers About Writing

Some songs you add to a playlist so that you have music to listen to while you write . Just like you have songs to pump you up for your writing session or celebrate what you accomplished after your writing session.

Then there’s the playlist of songs that honor your story as a writer. That’s what you’ll find in this music list.

No, you won’t find the Beatles’ Paperback Writer on this list—because it’s on every list. And you won’t find an endless scroll of songs with titles highlighting famous novels or famous writers—because that list retells stories you didn’t write and commemorates writers that aren’t you.

Instead, my list of 10 songs for writers about writing puts the focus on you. These songs portray emotions and experiences where commonality can be reached.

So turn up the volume and get ready for some strong feels with my list of 10 songs about writing for writers.

“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield

You may need to play the song once and dance first before you start your writing session. This song about open possibilities will get both your blood and your creative juices flowing.

Like Natasha sings, “no one else / can speak the words on your lips,” so grab a pen and start writing after singing along to these words:

“Staring at the blank page before you Open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find Reaching for something in the distance So close you can almost taste it Release your inhibitions”

Play This Song When you have a blank page ready to fill with words.

“Everyday I Write The Book” by Elvis Costello

Like other songs on this list, Elvis Costello claims in this interview that it only took 10 minutes to write this song. At first, this song was supposed to be played as a rock ballad, but Elvis didn’t like that arrangement and decided to go with a more lighthearted beat.

The song’s words tell a love story that plays out like a romance novel. What’s great about this song is that it follows the chapter structure of a book within its lyrics:

“Chapter One: We didn’t really get along. Chapter Two: I think I fell in love with you. You said you’d stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three But you were up to your old tricks In Chapters Four, Five and Six.”

Play This Song When you’re trying to find a parallel between your life and the story you want to write.

“I’m Writing a Novel” by Father John Misty

Josh Tillman—now known as Father John Misty—was the drummer for the Fleet Foxes. He wrote this tongue-in-cheek song in ten minutes and, according to this interview , has 10–15 extra verses. Alongside the humorous story conveyed, here are just some of the lyrics that elevated this song to this playlist:

“And I’m Writing a Novel Because it’s never been done before” and “I’ll never leave this canyon ’cause I’m surrounded on all sides By people writing novels and living on amusement rides”

Play This Song When you’re taking yourself too seriously as a writer.

“Open Book” by Cake

After some grungy 90s-esque beats, this song delves into the story of a woman so mysterious and captivating that it consumes the life of the infamous “you.” Mixed between dissonant chords and trumpet solos, you start thinking less about the love story in this song and more about your writing with lyrics like:

“She’s writing, she’s writing She’s writing a novel She’s writing, she’s weaving Conceiving a plot It quickens, it thickens You can’t put it down now” and “You think she’s an open book But you don’t know which page to turn to, do you?”

Play This Song When you can’t figure out that hard-to-read character in your story.

“Losing It” by Rush

When it comes to ballads about writer’s block, this song pulls the electric heartstrings. Amidst 80s synthesizers and a live-sounding drum beat, Rush’s song captures the tragedy of experiencing the downward fall of artistic success (“Sadder still to watch it die/Than never to have known it”).

No matter what age or stage of your writing career, I think we can all relate to lyrics like this:

“The writer stares with glassy eyes Defies the empty page His beard is white, his face is lined And streaked with tears of rage. Thirty years ago, how the words would flow With passion and precision But now his mind is dark and dulled By sickness and indecision”

Play This Song When you want to feel super depressed about your writing career.

“Mr. Writer” by Stereophonics

Again, this is another song written in 10 minutes—but has taken the band 10 years to explain. This song, as explained in this interview , targets a journalist who gave them a bad review, but every journalist came to think that the song was targeting them.

Nevermind that. Aside from the personal issues, this song metaphorically paints animosity, be it between characters or between character and author, with lyrics such as:

“Mr. Writer, why don’t you tell it like it is? Why don’t you tell it like it really is? Before you go on home”

Play This Song When your character feels slighted by their portrayal in your story.

“If You Could Read My Mind” by Gordon Lightfoot

You’re probably already singing this song inside your head. It took a broken marriage, an empty Toronto home and an afternoon with nothing else to do for Gordon to write this song (as stated in this interview ). This song compares a love story gone wrong to a variety of storytelling, from “a paperback novel” to “an old time movie.”

What’s so inspiring about this song is how real and honest the feelings are conveyed, even though the lyrics are a metaphoric comparison between the art of writing and the art of love:

“If I could read your mind love What a tale your thoughts could tell Just like a paperback novel The kind the drugstore sells When you reach the part where the heartaches come The hero would be me Heroes often fail And you won’t read that book again Because the ending’s just to hard to take”

Play This Song When you’re struggling to express raw emotions in your story.

“I Typed For Miles” by Jets To Brazil

I believe every writer can, at least at one point, related to the opening lines of this song: “I live in a hotel, I must keep writing / If I’m to be better than everyone else.” A writer’s life, usually at the rocky beginnings of something great, feels like a cramped room that isn’t your own in order to hide behind walls and write words you claim to be your own.

Very poetic of me, don’t you think?

This song captures the desperation of getting the words—nay, the right words!—down on paper at this very moment but we “can’t think with all this noise.” For example:

“Leave me here to my devices I need a word to change my life I’ve tied my ankles to the table legs with wire He can’t write so much as type”

Play This Song When you are on the verge of literary greatness.

“Oxford Comma” by Vampire Weekend

The idea for this song, as revealed in this interview , accidentally came about when lead singer Ezra Koenig first discovered the concept of the Oxford comma while perusing the Facebook group (remember, this is 2008) Students for the Preservation of the Oxford Comma. Month later while writing a song at the piano, the first words out of the singer’s mouth was “who gives a [bleep] about the Oxford comma?”

While this song is more about not giving a hoot rather than the obsession of grammar, the music video does play out in chapter form. The lyrics still rings true for writers who need to let loose a little during a writing session.

Play This Song When you’re lingering on a self-debate about whether or not to use a specific word or punctuation mark instead of continuing to write.

“Rewrite” by Paul Simon

Paul Simon strays away from his famous acoustic guitar sound to experiment with African blues. As he explains in this interview , this song describes a Vietnam war vet wanting to rewrite his life.

But that doesn’t mean these lyrics don’t apply to our writing journey. These lyrics can be sung like a mantra when it’s time to grab that red pen and rework your to-be masterpiece:

“I’m working on my rewrite, that’s right Gonna change the ending Throw away the title And toss it in the trash Every minute after midnight All the time I’m spending Is just for working on my rewrite, that’s right Gonna turn it into cash”

Play This Song When you need motivation to edit and revise your story.

Did your favorite song for writers about writing not make this list? Share your go-to tune in the comments section below.

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100 Songwriting Prompts to get you in the Zone

Feb 26, 2019 - Rebecca Cullen

Writing songs can be hard, writing good songs even harder. Coming up with songwriting ideas can be tricky, we can get stuck in a rut or face the often inevitable wall that is writer’s block. Like anything we want to develop skills in though, practice undoubtedly makes it easier over time. The more you write, the closer you get to writing that one song that really reaches out.

Whether you see this task as purely for fun, or something to genuinely help you escape your songwriting hiatus and build a lasting, enjoyable habit – here are 100 songwriting prompts and song ideas to play around with.

NB: Don’t over think it, songs are generally much shorter than articles or stories; a few key lines and hopefully some rhymes are all you’re really looking for. And if you don’t like the song at the end – no one ever has to hear it! You’re in control.

Write a song from the perspective of the last surviving human on the planet.
Write a song that tells a story about an intoxicated night out.
Imagine your life if you were a carpenter on a small island – population no more than 500. Your craft is your life. Write a song about an average Monday.
Many people consume coffee or tea during the first half of their day, and alcohol or other intoxicants during the latter half. Write a song from the perspective of someone who does this in reverse order. (eg: Brandy for breakfast.)
Consider life within an absolute dictatorship. Write a song about your commute to work.
Think about the day before yesterday. Write about your feelings and your ambitions for tomorrow (which would have been yesterday).
Write a song about the things you didn’t do yesterday.
Write a song about a famous person from history.
Write a song about all the best cereals there are.
Write a song comparing the value of material things to happy memories.

“I wish I were one of those people who wrote songs quickly. But I’m not. So it takes me a great deal of time to find out what the song is.” – Leonard Cohen.

Remember your last argument – write a song from the other person’s point of view.
Write a song about the city you’re currently in.
Set your alarm slightly earlier than it needs to be, have your note book and whatever else you may need by your bed, then write a song the very moment you wake up – make this be the absolute first thing you do. Try to spend at least twenty minutes writing the song before you get on with the rest of your day.
Make a song where each line starts with the next letter in the alphabet (from A-Z)
Write a song that would fit as the opening track to your favourite film.
Base your song on your favourite fictional character.
Take your favourite food and make a song about it, without using the actual name of the food.
Use the chord progression from another song, but play it backwards.
Write a song about your first year in high school.
Write a song that explores why humans wear clothes.

Remember, some of these songwriting ideas are just for fun, some are a little more serious and emotionally rooted – whichever it is, you’re in control, and any one of the songs could end up meaning far more than the prompt alone can imply.

Pick up the nearest book, turn to a random page, read the first paragraph and write a song about what you find there.
Put yourself in the position of a dog who can’t find his way home – write a song from his perspective. Don’t mention that you’re a dog.
Write a song about the possible need to experience true sadness in order to appreciate real joy.
Write a Birthday song. A brand new birthday song that we can all replace the classic with.
Write a song about someone you love, without using the word love.
Think of a time when you felt terrified – try to write a song that would calm someone who was feeling that same way.
Imagine you’ve reached a point in your life where you’re homeless, stuck in a foreign town, you don’t speak the language or know anyone, and you have no possessions. Write a song that details that experience.
Write a song that summarizes or references a bunch of your personal favourite songs.
Look around the room for something that comforts you – write a song purely about that thing.
Write a song about a topic of expertise you have – whatever the subject, just roll with it.

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Write a song asking for help with something that’s been troubling you.
Write a song to your enemy about forgiving them.
Write a song using only 12 different words.
Make up a melody on the spot, then add lyrics to it based on what your eyes are drawn to as you look around the room.
Choose a planet other than Earth and write a song about living there with your family.
Write a song about everything you did yesterday.
Think of a country you’ve never visited and write a song about how you imagine it to be.
Write a sequel to one of your old songs.
Write a song about something you have privately always regretted.
Write a song about the last mainstream news story you heard.

If you’re struggling with a certain songwriting prompt, just move on to a different one – the challenge is to write something you’re happy with, so choose song ideas that interest or engage with you.

Write a song in cave-man speak.
Write a comeback or reply song to someone else’s song.
Think back to the worst book you ever read, or the worst movie you ever saw, and write a song about it.
Get a stopwatch or timer ready and set it to just ten minutes – write a song in full, with two verses, and a hook. If you manage it, time another five minutes and write a middle 8. No cheating – when the timer stops, the song is over!
Write a song about the most pointless food you’ve ever tried.
Write a song using only two chords.
Consider a song about someone specific, then re-write it as if they were a totally different kind of person – for example, if the song celebrates their kindness, have yours berate them for their evil ways.
Play a riff or hum a melody on the spot, don’t overthink it, just make up a tune – then stick with that and turn it into a song about living in the moment.
Write a song without ever referring to any people – not yourself, or ‘you’, or ‘they’, ‘he’, etc.
Remember someone you knew who was a bully – write them a song.

Don’t fret too much on any of these, practicing your songwriting is key if you want to improve, but it’s also important to actually enjoy the process. Writing songs can be a fun or even therapeutic way to spend your time.

Write an entire song using only single-syllable words.
Write a song about healthcare.
Write a song about about cruelty.
Write a song about your dream day – what you’d do, where you’d go, who you’d share it with.
Write a song in a major key about something that’s worrying you.
Write a song in a minor key about something that made or makes you laugh.
Write a song where each line starts with the next letter of the alphabet, starting with ‘A’.
Imagine you were an astronaut who had floated away from their spacecraft – write a song about that isolation and helplessness, or however you might feel.
Picture a society without money, where we simply trade independently – write a song about a day in the life.
Write a song about running a 200 mile race.

Had any major breakthroughs yet? Or are you just skipping through the list out of sheer curiosity? Get involved!

Write a song about your great, great grandparents falling in love.
Whoever you voted for in the last election, write a song celebrating an opposing party’s strengths.
Write a song about a psychedelic awakening.
Pretend you’ve bought a one way ticket, alone, to the other side of the world – you’ve made no plans upon arrival. Write a song detailing what you do when you get there; how you feel, what your options are, what’s around etc.
Write a song about the last day of your life.
Drum out a rhythm on the nearest hard surface and write a song or rap over the top of it.
Take one of your favourite songs and re-write all the lyrics to be about life alone on a deserted island.
Whatever subject you studied last, try to write a song about the key facts or principles you learned.
Write a song that says all the things you’ve never been brave enough to say to people.
Set the timer for one hour and get to work writing the best possible song about how you’re feeling today. Aim to write the best possible song, but more importantly – make sure to finish the song, whatever it seems to sound like, within that one hour. Record your work if you can. When the time’s up, the song is done.

Try to think of the saddest or most heartbreaking story or event you ever witnessed – write two different songs about it, one in a major key, one in a minor key.
Write a song about cheese.
Write a song about the difference between people aged 50+, and people aged under 35 right now.
Imagine your country as being completely under the control of the government – every move we make is monitored and our good behavior used to stack up societal points – write a song from the perspective of you, the citizen.
If we didn’t need or crave love in our lives, what would we do differently? Tell me in a song.
Focus on your breathing for five full minutes – try to keep it even, a few seconds in, and a few seconds out. At the end of the five minutes, pick up your instrument of choice and start writing your song.
Imagine going out to work and to do your daily tasks while completely drunk – like, blatantly, unmanageably drunk. Write a song about that day.
Write a song as if you were just being born into this world, it’s your very first hour on Earth (for some reason you already speak fluent English).
Try to remember a time you messed up in a big way. Write a song about how you might have done things differently, and how that would have impacted your life as it is now.
Write a song about the next big revolution in the world.

Spend some time with a few different prompts – choose one and take it away for a while, work on melodies, chord progressions, rhyme schemes and hooks. Then narrow it down to the best bits and roll with it for three to four minutes – or however long you want the song to last…

Write a song about life without language.
Write a song about the struggles of fame and having everybody know who you are and want a photo with you, everywhere you go.
Using either fiction or genuine experiences, write a song about using fitness or some epic athletic feat to overcome personal turmoil or difficulty.
Write a song about the global shift to electric vehicles.
The next time you’re about to watch something on YouTube, TV or Netflix, have a reminder by the device to instead sit down and spend the time writing a brand new song.
Write a song about building a bizarre new business from scratch. Whatever comes to mind.
Write a song using a specific scale for the melody – only work up from the start and back as if you were practicing the scale. This can also help sometimes when learning scales, make a little poem-song out of it.
Write a metaphorical song about love and hate battling it out on the front line.
Consider a bunch of societal timeline expectations that have affected you and write a song about these – eg. People expecting you to be married or own a house or have a certain type of job by a certain age.
Write a song that makes you cry when you perform it.

“For me, songwriting is something I have to do ritually. I don’t just wait for inspiration; I try to write a little bit every day.” – Sean Lennon.

Write a song that makes you laugh when you perform it.
Write a song about a young person working their way up in politics right now – they still hold their values highly, they’re smart, educated, thoughtful and caring, but are about to enter the shark tank.
Write a song about how much everybody loves themselves online.
Print out a paragraph or two of text from your favourite book, then cut up the words individually and shuffle them around to make a new and mysterious song.
Imagine a future where people choose robots as their life partners. Write a song about your partner. Include pros and cons.
Take a piece of classical musical and write some lyrics to it – either using an existing melody or over the top.
Write a song about someone you lost.
Write a song about someone you’re afraid to lose.
Write a song about what you’d do if you knew you would live for 500 years. (You’re the only one)
Write a song about your life so far – the main events, the turning points, the direction you’re currently heading in. The hook should be the resolve – something emotionally hopeful regarding who you are or your future.

“For a songwriter, you don’t really go to songwriting school; you learn by listening to tunes. And you try to understand them and take them apart and see what they’re made of, and wonder if you can make one, too.” – Tom Waits.

How are you getting on?

Got any songwriting prompts or even songwriting tips of your own that might help other artists? Let us know in the comments!

Songwriting Songwriting Advice Songwriting Ideas Songwriting Prompts Songwriting Tips

11 responses to “ 100 Songwriting Prompts to get you in the Zone ”

Great list, Rebecca. Not really a prompt, but the thing that helped me get out of a songwriting rut was becoming part of the FAWM community. It’s an annual songwriting challenge that took me from being a 5 – 10 songs per year writer into a 100+ songs a year writer. It’s pretty much over for this year, but I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to hone their skills. They also have another challenge called 50/90, which runs July – October. They’re completely free (although you can donate and receive various perks). Best online community I’ve ever been part of.

I need to get involved with that & write a little something up on here – sounds like such a great idea & community! Thanks Pete.

Use scrabble letters A to G and grab a random selection without looking, drop them on a table or the floor, use this as your chord structure.

Take your pulse, use this as your song tempo.

Throw a dice and use the number to select how many chords are in your song.

Use the same chords for your verse and chorus but play them differently.

Write a melody on an instrument you are unfamiliar with.

Close your eyes, let’s your hands fall on your instrument and play, keep the first thing that happens.

Excellent tips, thanks Vin – have you made any songs using these? Would be keen to hear them.

Wow, this is a good list. This kind of small ideas and “hooks for an idea” can be very precious when trying to get your songwriting mood on. Thanks!

Thanks Pete for the FAWM info..have joined.

This is very helpful and creative. Thank you!

Thanks for the inspiration! I’m going to try the Boggle Word Game where you make as many words as you can after shaking the dice.

No worries, sounds like a fun plan – let us know what you come out with?

Amazing prompt list you shared. Took to almost half of them!! Thanks

That’s great to hear! Would love to listen to some of the songs you got out of it 😀

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How to Write a Song | 12 Songwriting Tips from the Pros

Here are 10 helpful songwriting tips, each backed up by quotes from some of the world's most successful songwriters.

Find out how to write a song from the best in the biz

1. where to start writing your song.

Getting started is often the hardest part of the songwriting process. Developing your song’s main melody or central chorus is considered by some to be the best place to begin writing your next track. Once you’ve got your hook or key chord progression, you can build the rest of your song around it. But don’t worry if you're struggling to find the perfect melody straight away, this method isn’t for everyone.

Starting with your song’s main riff or hook isn’t ideal for every songwriter. Some songwriters prefer to start at the beginning of their track by writing a killer intro, which will lead them naturally into the rest of the song, while others will get the lyrics down first, and then worry about the tune afterwards. There’s no rule when it comes to writing a new song. It’s down to the songwriter, the song and the original inspiration to determine your starting point.

You'll also want to think about what sort of environment you want fans to listen to your music in. Are you trying to write a catchy nightclub hit, a motivational workout tune for the gym, or something more chilled? Have a think before you put pen to paper.

How to write a song - John Legend songwriting tips

2. Lyrics matter

Unless you're producing instrumental music, the lyrics are arguably the most important part of your song - even helping you earn music royalties . Writing lyrics can often be the most frustrating and difficult aspect of the songwriting process, especially for amateur songwriter's lacking in experience.

Having a clear idea of what your song will be about is a good start. You could write down exactly what you want to get across in your lyrics, then play about with the rhythm, structure and cadence of your words to fit them around your melody. A solid lyrical hook for your chorus is particularly important, while the verses and bridge can be built around your central theme.

Chord progressions are also particularly important when it comes to writing your lyrics and finding a natural flow. Learn more about how to write a chord progression!

How to write a song - Rod Stewart songwriting tips

3. Record any spur of the moment inspiration

There’s nothing worse as a songwriter than coming up with an amazing melody or riff, only to completely forget what is was an hour later. Forgetting your ideas can be really frustrating, so it’s important to make a note of your idea while it’s fresh in your mind, even if it’s just recorded quickly on your phone or scribbled on a scrap of paper. You’ll be glad of the reminder later when you return to continue working on the song.

How to write a song - Connor Oberst songwriting tips

4. Write from experience

As obvious as it may sound, some of history’s greatest songs are about personal experiences, with artists drawing on real-life events and traumas to spark their creativity. Whether you’ve been through hard times or great times, you can use your life experiences to great affect. Put those feelings into a song you can be proud of.

How to write a song - Taylor Swift songwriting tips

5. Take inspiration from everywhere

Don’t restrict your writing inspiration to one-specific genre or style. Listen to a whole range of music and try to figure out how to use other sources that you might not have first considered to help you come up with new lines. You might hear a particular section sung by a grime artist or folk singer and think that their pronunciation or flow would work well in one of your tracks - even though you’re a metal band. Whatever you like the sound of, give it a go. It might work.

How to write a song - Doja Cat songwriting tips

6. H ave fun and challenge yourself

Although sometimes your songwriting might feel very much like work, it’s important to remember that it’s also meant to be fun. Try to keep that enjoyable element in mind and challenge yourself to make catchy and memorable lyrics. Your feelings will definitely come across within your writing so have fun whilst doing it!

How to write a song - Dua Lipa songwriting tips

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7. collaborate with other musicians.

If you’re suffering from writer’s block (everyone does at some point!), then collaborating with other musicians can offer a great way to break new ground and get a fresh perspective on your track. Show them what you’ve got so far, discuss any new ideas they might suggest, and see what comes out of it. Getting an outside perspective on your track from a fellow musician can help to bring the best out of your music. Two heads are always usually better than one.

TIP : You'll notice rap artists do this a lot. If you're an aspiring rapper or in the process of becoming a rap artist, make sure you go heavy on the collaboration opps!

How to write a song - Talib Kweli songwriting tips

8. Keep it simple and build on it

Keeping your track as simple as possible at first is an excellent way to accelerate the

songwriting process and work out the structure of your song. Many complex songs from 5 or 6-piece bands started life as a few chords strummed on an acoustic guitar. Once you’ve got the basis of the song in its simplest form, you can go about adding drums, strings, brass or any other additional elements afterwards. Don’t make things harder for yourself by overcomplicating your track right from the beginning.

How to write a song - Tom Morello songwriting tips

9. Make sure to take breaks

Writing a song from scratch can sometimes be frustrating and mentally tiring work, especially if the ideas aren’t flowing as easily as you’d like. Often a 15-minute break away from your instrument or lyrics pad can help get the creativity flowing and stop your mind from becoming too clouded to see the ideas and inspiration you’re searching for. Whether it's written in two hours or two months, the final product is all that's important, no matter how long it takes.

How to write a song - Leonard Cohen songwriting tips

10. Don't overthink it

Musicians and songwriters are often our own worst critics. If you judge your own songs too harshly you’ll never get anything done, so it’s important to keep an open mind. And while it’s great to take your time and carefully consider each facet of a new song, it’s often easier to get things done when you let the songwriting process flow, stop worrying and just get on with it. Overthinking can be your worst enemy. Get the basis of your song down, and you can always go back and change things afterwards.

How to write a song - Alex Turner songwriting tips

11. Ask for feedback

It’s easy to lose sight of how good or bad your song is after you’ve spent hours and hours working, changing and creating it by yourself. So find someone you trust to give honest advice, and who’s opinion you value, and ask them to critique it for you. You might find they have some fantastic insight into how it could be improved. Don’t just play it for someone who might be afraid to hurt your feelings - you want honest opinions, not just yes men.

How to write a song - Beck songwriting tips

12. Don't be afraid to fail

Apologies for the cliché, but if you’re failing and struggling to write the song you know is in you – just keep going. There’s no secret formula for successful songwriting, other than the combination of hard work, positivity and talent. This quote from the legendary Johnny Cash sums up the point perfectly.

How to write a song - Johnny Cash songwriting tips

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How do you handle the songwriting process? Have any great tips to share on how to write a song? Let us know in the comments, or share this article with your friends if you found any of the advice here helpful.

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The Best Songs to Write an Essay to

I have so many essays to write every semester. Sometimes I can’t even get myself to start writing even with a looming deadline. One way that I can get started, or get motivated to start, is by choosing a song to set the mood for writing. I feel that music helps to keep me from getting too distracted and losing focus. I know that not everyone can write to music, and sometimes I do just write in silence. However, there are times I need a soft song to play in the background, sometimes I need a hype song to get me started, and other times I just need a classical piece to get me into the rhythm of writing.

These songs are all good to just have playing in the background. They are best listened to when you’re already in the groove of writing and just need something that isn’t too hard to focus on.

I Lied by Lord Huron ft. Allison Ponthier

yellow is the color of her eyes by soccer mommy

Mirror Forever by Weyes Blood

Movies by Weyes Blood

Upbeat Songs

These songs are for those times when you need that extra push to get you started on your essay. It’s also for when you’ve lost motivation halfway through and need a little pick-me-up to bring you back to focus. These songs aren’t too noisy to make you distracted, but just enough hype to get you started.

Alien Blues by Vundabar

California by Grimes

Silhouettes by Colony House

White Sky by Vampire Weekend

Classical Music and Soundtracks

Sometimes I just can’t concentrate when there’s lyrics in it; this is when I turn to classical music. It can be either upbeat or soft or both in the same song. Sometimes, I like listening to soundtracks to help me focus and I end up loving a TV show or movie even more than I already did.

Grand Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker composed by Tchaikovsky

Mr. Turner’s Waltz – The Chamber Orchestra of London

Merry-Go-Round of Life by Joe Hisaishi

Ancient Airs and Dances: Siciliana and Primavera composed by Respighi

I hope that classes are going well, and all your essay writing is going smoothly. Happy writing and listening!

If you would like to write for Her Campus Mount Holyoke, or if you have any questions or comments for us, please email [email protected].

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The Best Music for Students While Writing an Essay

For several students, essay writing is a frustrating and burdensome task more so if they are tense, under a lot of stress, or struggling to complete an important essay that is due in a short while. So, the majority always look for ways through which they can focus and tap into their creative juices. Well, one of the things which move people all over the world is music. Listening to music while managing your academic assignments can help boost your creative thinking hence your writing skills. So, if you are wondering which the best music for focus is, consider the tips below.

Why music is useful in writing

As aforementioned, the benefit of listening to music while writing is that it helps enhance your creative thinking. You are able to come up with as many ideas as possible which you can include in your essay or use to write a perfect paper. Furthermore, writers from Edujungles.com tell that music is very useful in essay writing besides boosting your creativity.

Listening to music can also help increase your focus thereby enabling you to concentrate on your assignments and work to deliver it on time. Additionally, it helps to motivate you to manage your assignment despite the challenges that come along with it.

Choosing a genre

There are various genres of essays on music that you can listen to while managing your academic writing assignments. And according to research and other studies, it has been discovered music without lyrics is the most convenient and effective in enabling you to maintain focus while writing. Music with lyrics can distract you in that instead of concentrating on your assignment you may find it easy to sing along. Hence, this will make you focus on the lyrics rather than your task during the creative process.

White noise

White noise is vital in writing in that it breaks the boredom of silence which consumes many writers and weighs them down. Birds singing or crickets chirping while you work on your assignment can help you finish it on time and have some to spare for socializing or watching a movie. It is effective in helping you complete your assignments on time in that it puts an end to the dreariness of quietness which in an ironic manner can be a huge distraction.

A lot of writers choose music based on the mood of what they are writing

Some assignments are too complex to handle while others are easy. And, selecting the appropriate writing music on the basis of your mood can come in handy. If you are working on a difficult task, you cannot listen to rock music as it will distract you with ease. But a little classical music can help you come up with the points for your essay. So, choosing the music to listen to depending on the mood of your writing can help boost your focus.

More recommendations from the community

You can also find the ideal songs to listen to by getting recommendations from the community. While many people may recommend folk music, some writers may object because they find it hard to write when the lyrics are playing. So, they would prefer a list of classical or jazz music.

Try instrumentals, like jazz or classical

Instrumentals such as jazz or classical music are one of the good songs to listen to when managing your academic writing tasks. Such songs help create a picture of what you want to write about in your mind. All your focus will be on your assignment and it will be easy for you to work on it without any distractions coming your way. Additionally, these songs help motivate and inspire you to produce a perfect article as they enable you to develop passion and interest in what you are working on.

Electronic music

For some writers, classical or jazz music is not the ideal song for them. They prefer electronic music as they find it to put them in the right mood for a significant part of what they are writing. Electronic music has different styles that you can listen to. Additionally, it is lyrical. But, most of the songs distort or edit the vocals thereby making it hard for you to develop an attachment to the words. Furthermore, it is the ideal music to listen to when working on your task in a coffee shop, school cafeteria, or dorm room.

Music in a foreign language

This is also one of the best music to listen to while writing. It will not be easy for any distractions to come your way such as singing along because you do not comprehend the foreign language. So, choose any music style you prefer – if it is pop or folk and listen to it.

In conclusion, music is beneficial in various ways. Not only does it help to increase focus but also motivate and inspire people. Additionally, it helps boost productivity. As a student, listening to music can help you manage your academic writing assignments despite the challenges they come along with. And above, you can find the best music to listen to while writing.

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Songwriting Tips: How To Write Incredible Songs

Learn how to write a song with tips and tools from Soundtrap's in-house pros. In this article, we cover how to write chord progressions, melodies, and lyrics, and show you how to become a skilled songwriter in any genre.

Songwriting is the heart of music-making. It’s where the music creation process starts and ends, and is the most important factor in whether a song becomes a hit or flop. It’s also one of the most powerful art forms with the ability to express feelings, tell stories, influence politics, and connect people from around the world.

For beginners and seasoned pros alike, the songwriting process is a fulfilling and challenging task. Not only does it require creativity and inspiration, but you must also master the right songwriting tools and techniques to bring a song to life.

Whether you’re into writing rap songs, pop, country, or EDM, this blog post will guide you through the songwriting process, and provide tips and tactics for creating music that resonates with listeners.

What is songwriting?

Songwriting is the art of creating music through chord progressions, melodies, and lyrics. It also involves coming up with ideas for songs and working out a song structure, like how many verses to write, when should the chorus come in, etc.

If you want to become a great songwriter, you need to find sources of inspiration , such as real-life events, strong emotions, or abstract concepts. Great songs resonate with the audience because the listener can relate to them. Your goal should be to come up with songwriting ideas that engage, move, and inspire listeners, and be vulnerable, personal, and universal at the same time.

Songwriting in different genres

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all when it comes to songwriting. Depending on the genre and function of music-making, the methods will differ. Having said that, the basics still apply: You need a strong song idea, a moving melody, engaging lyrics, and a solid song structure. We’ve listed a few examples of songwriting and how they can differ depending on the genre.

Pop songwriting : Pop songs are designed to be catchy and easy to listen to. They attempt to draw the audience in with a standard song structure and a strong hook that’s easy to sing along to. Pop songs typically use simple chord progressions and cater to a broad audience.

Rock songwriting : Rock songs are often characterized by high energy, complex drum beats, and the use of electric guitars. Classic rock songs are usually personal and emotionally charged, covering topics such as love, rebellion, and social issues.

Hip-Hop & Rap songwriting : Hip-hop songs originally used spoken word poetry set to a beat. Today, blending singing and rapping is more common in mainstream Hip Hop. The lyrics are longer, typically divided into verses of 16 bars, and deal with issues such as social justice and inequality. Rags to riches, materialism, and drug use are also common topics in some sub-genres of Hip Hop.

Electronic music songwriting : Electronic music focuses more on beats and sounds than lyrical content. It includes a wide range of styles, from House music and Experimental to Trance and Techno. Common instruments in Electronic songs are synthesizers and drum machines to create unique and innovative sounds.

Watch songwriter AmaZane write an RnB break-up song in Soundtrap.

Songwriting professions

Not only does songwriting vary depending on genres. Working as a songwriter can look very different depending on the individual. Here are some examples of popular songwriting professions:

Artist songwriter - Many performing artists also write their own songs. This is a great way to have more creative control and also earn more royalties from both the recording and the publishing rights.

Writing for other artists - Probably the most common songwriting profession. It’s very common in pop music to have separate songwriters and artists on a song.

Film, TV, and commercials - Another popular job for songwriters is to write music for film and television. Considering how many TV shows and movies are produced these days, this profession can be a very lucrative business for songwriters.

Publishing - A songwriter working for a music publisher is like an artist working for a record label. Your job is to create songs that the publisher then licenses to record companies, TV & film, commercials, etc. This is a great way of getting your music in front of big artists and important industry players.

Tips on how to write a song in 10 Steps

Every songwriting journey is different, but these steps will give you a good insight into the different stages of writing a song.

1. Come up with a song idea

Every song starts with an idea and songwriting inspiration can really come from anywhere. A great way to come up with a topic for your song is to dig deep into yourself. What are some strong emotions that you have at the moment? Can you recall some memories that have affected your life? Any lost loves or old friendships that have impacted you? What is going on in the world?

Some of the best songs ever written are commentaries on social issues and the current zeitgeist. How you come up with a song idea is really individual and you need to figure out what works best for you.

Using songwriting prompts

A songwriting prompt is a great starting point that can help generate ideas. Some examples of songwriting prompts include picking an emotion or feeling, a location, a strong memory, or even a random word or phrase.

Start with any of these prompts and let your creativity flow. See where it takes you. Not every idea is going to be a hit song but using these songwriting techniques will give you good practice for becoming a better songwriter over time.

Soundtrap’s Studio App

Songwriting ideas usually come when you’re on the go. That’s why it’s super useful to have a music-making app on your phone. Soundtrap’s Studio App lets you create music on the go, recording song ideas directly on your phone.

So the next time you come up with some really awesome lyrics or a melody on your commute, just take out your phone and hit record.

With Soundtrap's Capture App, you can record song ideas on the go.

2. Give your song a name

Before you start working on any chords or lyrics, it’s a great idea to name your song. This gives you a clear framework to work around and helps you to stay on track. You should already have the song idea, so naming it should be the next step before you start crafting the actual building blocks of your song.

3. Create chord progressions

Once you have your song idea and name, it’s time to start creating the actual music. This usually starts with chord progressions. You can of course start composing chords without having a song idea or song name. Many songwriters do. But setting out with an idea of what you want to create is usually a great way to go if you’re a beginner in songwriting.

Read more: Chord Progressions Explained - How to Write a Song With Instruments

Using songwriting software and tools

To create compelling chord progressions, you should start by experimenting with different chord combinations. Set up your keyboard or guitar, or log in to the Soundtrap studio and open up the online piano or any other virtual instrument, and explore different keys. Combine them and discover what sounds good to you. Once you’ve laid out your chords over 2-4 bars, you should have a solid foundation for your song.

You can also take inspiration from other musicians or from songs you love. By developing an ear for chord progressions, songwriters can create one-of-a-kind progressions that lay the foundation for a unique and interesting sound.

So, the key takeaways are that you need both an artistic vision and musical creativity, and professional songwriting tools like Soundtrap’s online DAW , in order to write chord progressions that stand out.

4. Write a melody to your chords

Melody writing is supposed to complement the chord progression. The melody is also, arguably, the most important element of a song. It’s what grabs the listeners and makes them remember the song. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head for a day or two? Yup, that’s probably thanks to a well-composed melody.

Start by analyzing your basic chords to come up with a melody. You can try humming over your progression to come up with a melody that fits, or just play around with your instrument while your chord progression is playing in the background. Naturally, you should compose your melody in the same key and scale as your chord progression so that the two elements dance with each other, and don't compete.

Check out how Adam creates a melody with vocal chops in Soundtrap

5. Write a hook

Songwriting should start with a powerful hook, or chorus, that stands out from the rest of the song and has a memorable melody and lyrics. Keep it simple and repetitive. This way it’s easier for the listener to memorize the hook and appreciate it more.

The melody of the hook should be distinctive while still fitting in with the overall feel and sound. The lyrics in the hook should convey the key message of the song, bringing everything together at the end of each verse. It’s usually smart to include the song name in the hook.

By crafting a memorable and compelling hook, you can create a song that resonates with your audience and stays with them long after they hear to it.

6. Creating a song structure

Decide on a song structure that works best for the particular song you’re working on. For beginner songwriters, it can be helpful to follow a basic song structure to give the song a clear and straightforward feel.

A common way to structure a song is verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus . This allows for the verses and bridges to build up to the choruses, which should be the climax of the song. When writing a rap song, for example, it’s common to have an intro, 3 verses, and repeating hooks in between each verse.

Whichever structure your choose, the key is to create a sense of coherence and purpose in the song. It’s much like guiding the listener through a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. Keeping all this in mind will help you create a structure that resonates with the audience and keeps them coming back for more.

7. Write captivating verses

The verse is where you really flesh out the song and hone in on your lyrics writing skills. Verses are supposed to keep the listener engaged and interested between the choruses. Verses should also be longer than the choruses, and they should, in most cases, sound less busy than the hooks.

The purpose of this is to make the song dynamic and exciting. If the whole song was just the same loop on repeat, it wouldn’t be very engaging, unless maybe you’re writing electronic dance music. That’s why the song should have fewer things going on during the verses, to build up for a climactic chorus. With that said, the verses should of course be just as captivating as the chorus.

8. Create a song intro, outro, and bridges

No song would be complete without an intro and outro. Since music streaming services like Spotify entered the market, song intros have become significantly shorter. This is possibly due to the vast amount of songs available today. It’s harder than ever to hold the attention of today’s music listeners, and subsequently, intros have become shorter.

A good rule of thumb is to keep your intro to under 10 seconds. If you want people to discover your music through streaming platforms, something interesting should happen within 10 seconds so that you don’t risk having your listeners skip to the next song.

Outros can be longer, and they should close out the song beautifully. Try lowering the energy and amount of instruments playing after the last hook. You can also have the beginning of another verse playing as the outro, and then slowly fade out the volume.

You might have guessed what a song bridge does. It’s really in the name. It’s the song passage between a verse and a chorus, often placed between the last verse and the last hook. The purpose of a bridge is to build up the suspense going into the chorus. Try taking out the drums, or maybe some other instrument during the bridge, to give the chorus a stronger impact when every instrument comes back in.

Recording a demo in Soundtrap is easy and gives you instant access to your project on any device.

9. Record a demo

Once you have put the melody, lyrics, and song structure together, it’s time to record a demo of your song. A demo is a song sketch, a project to build on as more ideas come to mind or after you’ve received feedback on the song.

For recording a demo, or a finished song, you’ll need a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) like Soundtrap. A DAW lets you record, edit and mix your songs in studio software and gives you a clear overview of each element of your song.

The beauty of Soundtrap is that your project is stored online and can be accessed from anywhere, on any device. This is particularly helpful when working on demos. You can easily share your project with anyone for feedback or collabs. Maybe you need someone to add a baseline or strings to your project. Just send them the link to your project and they can access the same demo and add their touch to it.

And since Soundtrap is a multidevice DAW, you always have your latest demo projects right in your pocket, ready to be played at the next party or run-in with music industry A&Rs.

10. Revisit your song and make improvements

One thing you might notice as you go from beginner songwriter to more experienced is that your songs will never feel completely finished. Most songwriters always find something that they would like to change or improve in their songs, even years after the music has been released.

The cool thing about the demo stage of songwriting is that you do in fact have the chance to go back and make improvements to your song. So take this opportunity to go back to the song every other day and listen for something missing in the song, or that tweak that can take it from average to banger!

The songwriting journey should be fun and challenging. Make sure you explore different paths.

Songwriting is arguably the most important part of music creation. It requires creativity, inspiration, and digital tools and techniques to make songs come alive.

You need to master chord progressions, melodies, and lyrics, as well as idea generation and song structure. The art of songwriting varies depending on genres, each with different approaches and techniques, but the fundamentals of great songwriting stay the same. Hopefully, this article has given you some valuable tips and tricks on how to become a more skilled songwriter.

Follow us on social media for more day-to-day songwriting tips and don’t forget to share this blog post with other music lovers.

Try Soundtrap today! Your all-in-one DAW for music production on the go.

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10 Best Songs For Writers And About Writing: The Ultimate Writing Experience

Resistance is the number one enemy for most writers. Every writer knows that the hardest part about writing is not in writing itself but the ability to sit down and start. Some writers plan their work extremely well but they are big failures when it comes to execution.

Sitting down to write is not easy. And even if you manage to sit down, starting your task or project is daunting. Writers who don’t fight resistant never achieve anything worthwhile.

One of the best ways to fight resistance is listening to music while writing. Most of us listen to music during our leisure time. We listen to music so that we can feel good about ourselves. Listen to music when writing will make your mind associate writing with pleasure instead of pain. You’ll start looking forward to your amazing writing sessions.

Scientific researches show that listening to music while studying or reading has immense benefits to students. Writers can greatly improve their performance and productivity by listening to music while writing.

You want to do the best you can to improve your writing skills and performance. Therefore, it’s important to select the songs that will help you perform at your best. When you get a song that relates to what you do on a daily basis, you’ll be motivated to perform better.

Songs for writers about writing have greatly improved the performance of writers over the past few years. I am writing this article to help you improve your performance as well. Once you start listening to them, you’ll never want to pause when writing. Here are the ten best songs for writers.

1. Unwritten – Natasha Beddingfield

You might need to play this song and dance before sitting down and starting your session. This song is all about the possibilities you have as a writer. Just listening Natasha’s beautiful voice will spark your creativity and ignite your interest in writing. In the song Natasha says that nobody can speak words using your lips.

Natasha describes what writing is all about. She starts by encouraging writers who stare at the blank page or the blinking cursor on their computer screen. She tells them to open their windows and let the sun lighten up their minds and help them find the words they couldn’t so that they can accomplish their goals and do the best they can.

2. Every day I Write the Book – Elvis Costello

Similar to most songs on this list, Elvis claims in an interview that it took him about ten minutes to write this song. Initially, this song was to be played as a rock ballad however, Elvis was not pleased with the arrangement and he therefore chose the more lighthearted beat.

According to assignment help in Australia, the song is about a love story that’s similar to those we read in romantic novels. The one great thing about this song is that it chronologically follows the book structure in its lyrics. For instance, chapter one is about not getting along. Chapter is all about falling in love and chapter 3 is about standing by me and sticking to your promises. You should always play this song when you the story you are writing about and your life do not relate with each other.

3. I’m writing a Novel – John Misty

The artist John Misty was a drummer for the Fleet Foxes. His real name is Josh Tillman. He wrote this amazing song in ten minutes just like Elvis. The story he describes with is song is humorous in a good way.

In the song, he says that he’s writing a novel because no has done it before and he will never leave his canyon because he has been surrounded on all sides by people who write novels and live on amusement rides. You should play this song when you start taking your writing too seriously.

4. Open Book – Cake

This song tells a story about a woman who was very captivating and mysterious at the same time that it consumes “your” life. With trumpet solos and dissonant chords, you will focus more on your writing than the love story. In the song, Cake narrates how the woman is writing and creating a plot.

As it gets more interesting, she finds it difficult to put it away and “you” just think she is an open book however, you don’t know which page you should turn to. The best time to listen to this song is when you have hard to understand character in your piece of writing.

5. Losing it – Rush

This song captures what most writers go through from time to time. And that is the tragedy of the downward fall. Regardless of the level you are right now or your age, you will definitely relate to this amazing song by Rush. He describes how most writers feel after tumbling down.

He describes a male writer who now has a white beard and glassy eyes. His face is also lined. He is angry because thirty years ago, words would simply flow with great precision and passion. At the moment, his mind is dull and dark because indecision and sickness. You should play this song when you start feeling depressed about your writing.

6. Mr Writer – Stereophonics

Stereophonics is among the artists who wrote his song in less than ten minutes as he states in an interview. In this song, he targets the journalist who gave him a poor review however, most journalists started thinking that this song was targeting them.

Apart from personal issues, this song paints animosity either between the character and the author or the characters. You should play this song when your character reveals itself in your story.

7. If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot

If you’ve listened to this song, you are probably singing it right now in your head. What motivated Gordon to write such an amazing home? His broken marriage, an empty home in Toronto and being idle as he says in his song.

This love is about a love story that didn’t have a happy ending. The good thing about this song is how the artist conveys his thoughts and emotions through his lyrics. He blends together the art of writing and love in a fantastic way. You should definitely play this song when you are having a difficult time expressing your emotions when writing.

8. I Typed for Miles – Jets to Brazil

Every writer should always remember the first few lines of this song. The singer says that he lives in hotel and he must keep on writing if he wants to be better than everyone.

Very few people can live the writer’s life especially in the beginning. When starting out, most writers feel like they are out of order with themselves. Finding the right words is the most difficult thing. You should listen to this inspiring song regularly.

9. Oxford Comma – Vampire Weekend

This song is about writing the way you write without being obsessed about grammar. This song is based on a book and the lyrics describe the chapters clearly. You should play this song when you start thinking of using full stops and punctuation marks when writing.

10. Rewrite – Paul Simon

This song is based on the Vietnam war and how the author tries to rewrite his life . The writings do apply to your writing career especially when you need some motivation to revise and edit your work.

Did your favorite song appear on this list? Lucky you! Writers are faced with tons of problems every single day. The most surprising thing is that most of these problems are within. These songs will inspire because they remind you that you are not alone and there is always a way to solve your problems. Happy writing!

10 Best Songs For Writers And About Writing: The Ultimate Writing Experience

Reader Comments (2)

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45 Songwriting Tips, Techniques, & Ideas From Famous Songwriters

Songwriting tips, techniques, and ideas from famous songwriters

*This article may contain links to affiliate products & services. We have reviewed these services to try and ensure the highest quality recommendations*

Written by Omari & Larry Butler

I've heard from artists over and over again that it all starts with the music. I'd agree to a certain point with this notion. However, it's a completely subjective statement. I get hundreds of music submissions every week, and nearly ALL of these artists believe their music to be worthy of a feature.

However, if we look and what it's really all about, it's the SONG! Songs connect with different people in different ways. Some songs move a listener's emotions with their lyrics. Others just need catchy Hip Hop beats and instrumentals and it can stir up a whole whirlwind of feelings and pastimes.

But one thing is certain. A great songwriter makes an instrumental better! When and if they decide to bless a track, it adds a certain level of elegance that song didn't have before. So ask yourself, when you add lyrics to an instrumental, does the song sincerely sound BETTER than before?

As an aside, from what I’ve read and been told by publishing experts, the only things that are considered to comprise a SONG and are 100% COPYRIGHTABLE (if that’s a word) are MELODY and LYRICS. Attempts to copyright guitar lines, keyboard parts and beats (let alone chord progressions) are a gray area at best and should be considered questionable when confronted by those who claim otherwise. I’ve always sided with the practice that anything other than melody and lyrics belongs in the arrangement and/or in the master or sound recording copyright. Now let’s go back to classic songwriting - melody and lyrics.

How Do The Greats Do It?

So how do the greats do it? Well, it depends on the genre. If you're a singer-songwriter, then the instrumental often gives way to the songwriter. The focus is seldom on the beat itself. The songwriter will use techniques, runs, and the proper subtleties to connect with their listeners.

If you're an EDM songwriter, you're most likely going to be singing about a different subject than Adele would. Nonetheless, both of these songwriters take 12 notes and maybe a couple hundred words and turn them into a hit! In order to get inside these great writer's minds you must listen to their songs with excruciating intent. Along with your own life experiences, delving into someone else's past can bring light to a whole array of songwriting subjects.

I've scoured the internet to find some quotes from great songwriters. With the help of Larry Butler ( www.itallstartswiththemusic.com ) and Twitter, here are quotes, tips, and ideas from them. They are organized into six categories to help you write your own song:

The 6 Steps To Writing A Great Song

PREPARATION
INSPIRATION
CREATIVE DRAMA
WORDS FIRST OR MUSIC FIRST?
WRITERS ROOM

Please note that I’ve taken some editing and paraphrasing liberties from the original quotes in order to avoid the inevitable roundabout on the subject by the creative artists.

1. Preperation

Before the writing can begin, there’s got to be a certain amount of PREPARATION , which can vary wildly:

Don Henley – “I’m always jotting things down on pieces of paper. I’ve got pieces of paper all over my house.”

David Byrne – “I don’t have any agenda or plan when I start writing stuff.”

Lucinda Williams – “I write first for myself as a therapeutic process, to get stuff out and to deal with it.”

Jackson Browne – “I used to write extra verses to other people’s songs that I liked. That led to writing my own songs.”

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) – “At first we were waiting for a new sound. Then we got tired of waiting, so we did it ourselves.”

Bruce Springsteen – “I think you have everything you need by the time you’re 18 to do interesting writing. Maybe by 12.”

2. Inspiration

But then, where to start? At the point of INSPIRATION , of course:

Tom Waits –“Inspiration? It’s like nature photography. You sit there watching for three days. And then it happens!”

Billy Gibbons – “Inspiration can come from the most unlikely places. Keep your head on and your ears open.”

Melissa Etheridge – “My songs are inspired by my experiences. Sometimes they are more than my real life and, conversely, my life is more than just my songs.”

Mick Jagger – “A lot of times songs are very much of a moment. When they come to you, you write them down, no matter if you feel like it or not.”

Brandi Carlile – “Songwriting isn’t something that I do or command; it just happens. I can either choose to stop and acknowledge it, or put it off and hope that it won’t fade.”

Chris Martin - “I don’t expect people to understand where songs come from, because I don’t understand either. I have a song ‘A Sky Full of Stars’. I had the title for a long time. I had written seven other songs with this title but none of them were right. Then one day this song just came through in one go. I don’t know who or what inspired the song and I don’t really want to question it.”

3. Creative Drama

Once INSPIRED , then there’s the songwriter’s emotional mood, the CREATIVE DRAMA if you will, that comes into play. By and large, it would appear from the quotes I found that being upset and depressed is a great resource.

Adele – “ Heartbreak can definitely give you a deeper sensibility for writing songs. I drew on a lot of heartbreak when I was writing my first album. I didn’t mean to but I just did.”

Eminem – “ If there’s not drama and negativity in my life, all my songs would be really whack and boring.”

Gwen Stefani – “My songs are basically my diaries. Some of my best songwriting has come out of a time when I’ve been going through a personal nightmare.”

Joni Mitchell - “You could write a song about some kind of emotional problem you are having, but it would not be a good song, in my eyes, until it went through a period of sensitivity to a moment of clarity. Without that moment of clarity to contribute to the song, it’s just complaining.”

Taylor Swift – “I’ve only thought about songwriting as a way to help me get through love and loss and sadness and loneliness and growing up.”

Robert Smith – “I’ve always spent more time with a smile on my face than not, but the thing is, I don’t write about it.”

John Lennon – “Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me. It’s like being possessed. You try to go to sleep, but the song won’t let you. So you have to get up and make it into something, and then you’re allowed to sleep.”

4. Words or Music First?

So the INSPIRATION has struck and we’ve settled into our CREATIVE DRAMA. Now we must decide the age-old question of which comes first – THE WORDS OR THE MUSIC MELODY ?

Bob Dylan – “ I consider myself a poet first and a musician second.”

Hozier - “Sometimes you just kind of collect lyrical and musical ideas and don’t actually complete the song until you feel like they work together and have a home.”

Axl Rose – “I write the lyrics last, because I want to invent the music first and push the music to a level that I have to compete against it with the melody and lyric.”

Don Henley – “Sometimes songwriters and singers get a melody in their head and the notes will take precedence, so that they wind up forcing words onto a melody. It doesn’t ring true.”

Rod Stewart – “All of my songs are written with the same four chords. That says a lot about the value of musicianship in writing hit songs.”

Steven Tyler – “Great melody over great riffs is, to me, the secret of it all.”

Larry Butler - “Everybody loves a shuffle.”

5. Writers Room

Now it’s time to get down to the real business of songwriting – taking the inspiration and emotional largesse into the WRITERS ROOM . Here are some samples of that endeavor from those who should know how to make great new music :

Sheryl Crow – “The writing process for me is pretty much always the same - it’s a solitary experience.”

James Taylor – “There’ll come a writing phase where you have to spend the time, unplug the phone and put in the hours to get it done.”

Grace Potter – “ Every single song I write has to feel like it has a beginning, middle, and end, like a movie or a short story.”

Paul McCartney - “The trick is to go off on your own and finish it. Separate yourself from others. Toilets are good for that.”

Alanis Morissette – “When I start writing songs and it turns into an overly belabored intellectual process, I just throw it out.”

Chrissie Hynde – “ Songwriting is like working on a jigsaw puzzle, and it doesn’t make any sense until you find that last piece. It has to make sense or it doesn’t work.”

Jason Mraz – “The easiest songs to write are pure fiction. There is no limit to how you can tell the story.”

Neil Young – “ I have so many opinions about everything it just comes out during my music. It’s a battle for me. I try not to be preachy. That’s a real danger .”

Sting – “ I don’t write the first line of a song. I write backwards from the chorus line or hook to come up with it .”

Lady Gaga – “ If it takes you longer than, like, ten to thirty minutes to write a song, it’s probably not a good song.”

Smokey Robinson – “I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record.”

Wayne Coyne – “ Sometimes the song title comes with the songs, other times you just sorta make something up afterwards.”

Van Morrison – “ You take stuff from different places, and sometimes you stick a line in because it rhymes, not because it makes sense.”

Lily Allen – “ I think my songs are like nursery rhymes - little ditties that I write for myself.”

Prince – “Attention to detail – like the right words and notes in the right places – that makes the difference between a good song and a great song.”

Pete Townsend – “I’m not writing songs about me; I’m writing songs about YOU.”

6. Aftermath

And finally, there’s the AFTERMATH . How do songwriters live with the reactions to their creativity?

Stevie Nicks – “People try to find deep, hidden meanings in my songs. Actually, they’re just songs.”

Dave Grohl - “You can sing your song to 85,000 people and they’ll sing it back to you for 85,000 different reasons.”

Banks – “ I never judge my own songwriting. It’s just my heart. What’s there to judge about your own heart?”

Vince Gill – “The funny thing is, people’s perceptions of what a song is about is usually wrong a majority of the time. But they’re still going to read what they want to into it.”

Ed Sheeran – “ Writing a new song, finishing a new song, is the best feeling in the world. Nothing compares to it.”

So there you have it – THE SIX STEPS TO WRITING A GREAT SONG! Based with all of this insight, it shouldn’t be any problem for the reader to embark on a successful career in writing hit songs for the masses. Good luck!

When your song is ready to go, it's time to start promoting it to potential fans! Omari has the best organic promotion services money can buy. With packages for Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, we will get your music the traffic and attention it deserves! Click below for more information.

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How to Write a Song (Even If You’ve Never Written One Before and You Think You Suck)

by Ed Bell | Nov 16, 2020

This is article is based on my book How to Write a Song (Even If You’ve Never Written One Before and You Think You Suck) . You can also explore this process in even more detail in my new How to Write a Song Video Course .

How do you write a song? It’s a good question.

And like a lot of good questions, there isn’t a single, simple answer. In fact there’s a pretty much infinite number of great ways to write a song.

Still, in this article I’m going to focus on one powerful and reliable way to write a song – and one that you can use even if you’re completely new to songwriting.

In fact, the ten-step process in this article is based on the process in my book How to Write a Song (Even If You’ve Never Written One Before and You Think You Suck) . It’s a simple and reliable process that will help you write a song in virtually any genre time after time, whatever level of experience you’re at.

And best of all, all you need to continue is some basic experience on an instrument like piano or guitar, or with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) like GarageBand, Ableton or Logic.

Oh, and if the title got you wondering – no, you don’t suck. Even if this is your first song. See, songwriting is hard . It takes time to get good . But the only way to get better is to write – to get plenty of practice.

So if in doubt, just remember that in songwriting – or any kind of writing – to suck less, write more. That’s the only way to improve.

That said, let’s dive in. Here’s How to Write a Song (Even If You’ve Never Written One Before and You Think You Suck) .

Outro: Congrats and What’s Next

When it comes to figuring out how to write a song, there’s one question that comes up over and over again – should you write the music or the lyrics first? And the answer is that nine times out of ten, the best place to start is with an idea. That way, whether you start working on the music or the lyrics first, you help make sure that every part of your song fits together as one piece.

So how do you do that? What makes a song idea great?

The first thing to remember is that songs tell stories . The best songs are about people, they’re about situations, and they’re about what people say to other people because of the situation they’re in.

In a song, those stories are usually ultra-simple – two people in love, two people breaking up, somebody warning someone about someone else. But the power of thinking about songs this way is that it gives you a concrete concept to build the rest of your song around.

To come up with a solid song idea, you’re going to want to answer these three fundamental questions:

Who is singing the song?
Who are they singing to?
What are they trying to say?

So to find a good song idea, all you have to do is come up with a situation or story and use it to answer these three questions. That’s not as complicated as it sounds – your song might be a love song, sung from a guy to his girlfriend, and he’s trying to say ‘I’ve never met anyone as special as you’. Or your song might be sung by you to the world saying ‘war is bad, you guys’.

In fact, these are the two common song formats I recommend you stick with if you’re new to songwriting:

A song sung from one person to another (a ‘direct address’ song), and
A song sung from one person to anyone who’ll listen (a ‘to the world’ song).

These aren’t the only song formats, but they’re common, effective and beginner-friendly ones. So if in doubt, they’re always good to rely on.

So take some time to come up with a few different ideas you like – I recommend brainstorming at least five or six then picking out your favorite. You don’t want to rush this stage, because everything else you do in this process will come from your song’s big idea. You can write about anything you like, but if you’re totally stuck for good song ideas I have a handy list of 107 song ideas on the site you can use for inspiration.

Once you’ve settled on your song idea, make sure you write it down somewhere. On a notepad is good. In a note in your phone is also good. On a big piece of paper to put in front of you for the other nine steps is great .

Back to Contents

Next in your journey through time, space and how to write a song, you’re going to decide on your song’s lyrical hook .

In songwriting, the word ‘hook’ can describe pretty much any catchy or memorable part of a song. But a lyrical hook is something specific – a word or phrase that neatly captures what your song is about, and a word or phrase you’re going to use really prominent in your song’s chorus.

Your song’s lyrical hook is usually also its title – you’ve probably noticed how most songs repeat their title in their lyric a lot – but sometimes a song has a title that’s different from its lyrical hook, so we’ll use the phrase ‘lyrical hook’ here to be clear.

To come up with a good lyrical hook, you basically want to brainstorm a few words and/or phrases that encapsulates what your song says, from the perspective of the person singing it.

That last part is really important. There aren’t many love songs that say ‘Imagine being overwhelmed with amorous desire’, because nobody speaks like that. Instead, a good lyrical hook for a love song might be ‘I like the way you dance’ or ‘Your pretty eyes’ or ‘Damn, girl’ – because they’re all natural, human ways you might express or circle round the idea ‘I love you’.

As a general rule, a lyrical hook can be anything from a single word to a full sentence of maybe seven or eight words. And like with your song idea, it’s worth brainstorming a few different lyrical hook ideas because sometimes it takes four or five tries before you start coming up with your best ones.

So go ahead. Get thinking. Trying and get yourself inside the mind of the person singing your song, and figure out how they might express what your song is about.

Now that you’ve got a song idea and a lyrical hook, you can start work on your song’s lyric.

Again, there’s no law that says that when you try to write a song you have to start with your lyric , but that’s where we’re going to start in this process. (And if you were wondering, this how to write a song process is based around writing a verse-chorus structure – because that’s the most common and versatile song structure.)

Chorus lyrics come in different sizes, but for simplicity’s sake, I recommend you stick with the most common length – eight lines.

Next, your job is to write a chorus that does at least these three things:

States the central idea of your song really directly
Includes the lyrical hook in a prominent way
Incorporates your lyrical hook in a way that feels natural, not forced

In other words, in your chorus lyric you want to try to state your song’s main idea as directly as you can, while you make sure you repeat your lyrical hook a handful of times. (A lot of chorus lyrics basically just repeat the song’s main message over and over, only in different ways, using the lyrical hook somehow.)

To start, I recommend you try placing your lyrical hook – pencilling it in – in at least two spots in your chorus lyric. There are lots of ways to do this, but here are three of the best spots for planting your lyrical hook:

Lines 1 and 5
Lines 4 and 8
Lines 1, 3 and 7 (1, 3 and 8 can work well also)

If your lyrical hook is a complete sentence or phrase – like ‘I like the way you dance’ – then that’ll fill the whole line. And if your hook is something shorter – like ‘Damn, girl’ – then you’ll probably need to fit it into a longer line that makes that word or short phrase make sense. So you might write a line like ‘You got me saying “Damn, girl”’ or ‘Damn, girl, you really stole my heart’.

Then, from there you’re going to want to build a complete lyric around those lyrical hook repetitions you pencilled in. This, honestly, is a trial-and-error process. There’s no quick fix for it – only trying out a ton of different things that either extend the hook word or phrase or lead into it in a natural way.

At the same time, if you want to include some rhymes in your chorus – and it’s usually a good idea to do that – I recommend you stick to a really simple rhyme scheme . One of the simplest and best is a rhyme scheme notated as XAXAXBXB – where the ‘X’ lines don’t rhyme with anything and the ‘A’ and ‘B’ lines rhyme with each other. So the final words of lines 2 and 4 will rhyme, and the final words of lines 6 and 8 will rhyme, but with a different rhyme sound to the one you used in lines 2 and 4.

And when you’re done, you should end up with something like this Whitney Houston knockoff lyric from the book version of How to Write a Song (Even If You’ve Never Written One Before and You Think You Suck) :

I wanna dance with somebody ’Cos dancing’s what I love to do. I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna dance the whole night through. This week had me feeling down But now I’m feeling fine. Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody ’Cos it’s my time to shine.

As you’ll see, this version uses an XAXAXBXB rhyme scheme and places the lyrical hook – ‘I wanna dance with somebody’ – in lines 1, 3 and 7. (I also added a sneaky ‘Yeah’ in line 7 to keep things fresh.)

Don’t spend forever agonizing over the perfect chorus lyric – simple words and phrases work great. And if this is your first time trying to write a song, don’t worry if your first draft or two sounds awkward or weird, that’s normal. (There’s a reason this article is called How to Write a Song (Even If You’ve Never Written One Before and You Think You Suck) and not How to Write a Grammy Award-Winning Song on Your First Attempt (Because That Definitely Sounds Like a Thing That’s a Realistic and Achievable Goal ).

So try and come up with a lyric that works – that’s all it need to do for now. Then, when you’re ready to move on to the next part of how to write a song, let’s keep moving.

Now you’ve got your chorus’s lyric, it’s time to give it some music. There are three main parts to this step, and we’re going to tackle them in this order: writing your chorus chord progression, writing your chorus melody (or topline), and writing your chorus groove or accompaniment.

So let’s dive in.

Write Your Chorus Chord Progression

Your chorus’s chord progression – or harmonies – are the foundation of its music. So if in doubt, that’s often a good place to start writing.

Harmony in songwriting is a whole subject in itself , but truth be told, simple chord progressions are really common in songwriting and usually work great. So you don’t need to be a music theory expert to choose a good progression.

In fact, one of the best ways to come up with some chords for your song is to write a four-chord progression . These do pretty much what they say on the tin: they’re chord progressions that are four chords long, one chord per measure, that you can then repeat and repeat. And while all that repetition might sound boring or over-repetitive, in practice four-chord progressions are a really effective songwriting tool.

If you have a strong understanding of music theory, you can use whatever you know to choose a key and write your chorus chord progression. But otherwise, here’s the combination of chords – or chord palette – I recommend you stick with:

If you’re writing for a keyboard instrument or with a DAW: Write in C major. Focus on the chords C, G, F, Am and/or Dm.

If you’re writing for guitar: Write in G major. Focus on the chords G, D, C, Em and/or Am.

Download a printable chord palette summary here .

For starters, you’ll notice I’ve given you five chords when you only need four for your progression – so obviously you’re not going to use every chord. (You might even use the same chord twice in a progression.) I’ve also listed the chords in their rough order of importance in each key – most important to least important, left to right. So if you want to keep things easy on yourself, you’re welcome to stick with using just the first three chords in each key.

But whatever chord palette you choose, all you have to do is try out some four-chord combinations – try playing them – until you find one that sounds good to you, and voilà, that’s your chord progression.

Like with lyric lines, there are lots of different lengths a chorus’s music can be. But I recommend you stick with the most common length – at least for now – of 16 measures. (Especially if you wrote an 8-line chorus lyric – two measures of music for each lyric line is a good rule of thumb in songwriting.)

So, if you’ve got a four-chord progression, one chord per measure, and you want to repeat that so it fills 16 measures, you guessed it – you’re going to have to repeat your chord progression four times to fill your chorus, like this:

| C | F | Am | G |

Then just like that, that’s your chorus chord progression sorted.

Write the Chorus Melody

Now you’ve got the foundation of a chord progression, it’s a good time to add a vocal melody, or topline, over the top. And while I wish I could tell you there was some secret trick to writing an instantly good melody with basically no effort, there isn’t. Instead, the only way to write a song’s melodies is to get your hands dirty and try a bunch of stuff until you have something you like.

So that’s where you should start.

If it helps, try to figure out your chorus melody’s rhythm only first – create a rhythmic spoken version, without any pitches. This can really help you ‘map’ your chorus lyric onto the chord progression you just wrote. If you stuck to the 16-measure length I suggested, remember you’re aiming to fit each line of your chorus lyric to two measures of music.

Other than that, try and give your melody plenty of repetition – that’s what makes a melody catchy and memorable. So for starters, every time your lyrical hook comes up, you probably want to give it the same or a similar melody.

And finally, the way you fit a melody to a chord progression is that your melody is going to focus on one or more of the notes in the chord that’s currently active – so if your chorus’s first measure is a C chord, that means you’re probably going to want to focus your melody on either a C, E or G for that measure.

This is something you can do intellectually if you have the musical expertise, but it’s also something you can do instinctively, by ear, if you don’t – your ear will automatically gravitate to one of the notes in each chord if you let it.

And that, in a nutshell, is about it. So dive in and start playing around. The best way to write melodies is to play your chord progression and improvise a sung melody on top – even if you’re not really a singer. Melody writing can be hard, but it’s important to trust your instincts – they’re probably better than you think – and keep trying different ideas until you have something that works.

Write the Chorus Groove

Finally, you’re going to want to create the instrumental parts to your chorus. In songwriting, that really comes down to writing grooves – short accompaniment ideas that you can repeat and repeat over a changing chord sequence.

Most grooves are based on simple chord repetitions or figuration – sometimes called arpeggios or broken chords .

So one simple groove could be this:

And another could be this:

Of course, if you have the experience, you can create something more intricate and ambitious. But with grooves, more complicated isn’t always better.

In fact, the most important thing with grooves is always that you come up with a groove that fits the vibe or mood of your song . If you’re writing a gentle love song, you’re going to want a soft, gentle groove. If you’re writing an angry breakup song, you’re going to want an angrier, more dramatic groove. I call this songwriting’s Holy Trinity – the idea that you want the main three parts of your song (its idea, lyrical hook/title and main grooves) to work together towards the same overall effect.

So again, it’s time to get your hands dirty. Try brainstorming a few different groove styles that could work for this song. You can use whatever instruments or kit you have available – my examples were on piano, but you could easily create the same effect on a guitar, in a DAW or with any other instrument. Then, from the handful of ideas you came up with, try to pick the one you think suits your song’s mood or vibe best.

And again, simple is good. Most grooves are only one or two measures long – so focus on coming up with short ideas that capture the mood of the song you’re trying to create.

Then, once you’ve got a groove idea you’re happy with, all that’s left to do is to repeat it – or at least the feel of it – over your chord progression to create a complete chorus accompaniment:

You’ll notice in this example I didn’t repeat the idea exactly each time – I use a slightly different chord inversion , or spacing – on each chord, and that’s fine. As long as you keep the feel or vibe of your groove constant, you’ll create the uniform sound you’re looking for.

And that’s it. That’s the three elements of your chorus written. If you need to, take a moment to put them all together into a single project file, score or a rough recording. And then let’s keep going.

Nice work. Now you’ve cracked the chorus, that’s actually a decent chunk of your song written – since you’re going to be repeating it a lot throughout your song.

In fact, just to clarify, in this verse-chorus song , the six main song sections you’re going to write look like this:

Verse 1 – Chorus 1 – Verse 2 – Chorus 2 – Bridge – Chorus 3

So now let’s turn to the verses. Like with your choruses, I recommend you aim to write 8 lyric lines and 16 measures of music.

As you probably know, in a verse-chorus song, the verses usually have the same music but a fresh lyric each time. We’ll think about writing your verse lyrics next, but for now let’s start with the part of your verses that stays the same – it’s music.

Write the Verse Chord Progression

Writing a verse chord progression works in pretty much the same way as writing a chorus chord progression. While it’s true there are plenty of songs that use the same four-chord progression all the way through, my personal recommendation is to write fresh chords for the verses.

To do that, you’ll want to take up the same chord palette you used earlier, and use those chords to find a new four-chord progression you like the sound of.

If you’re writing for a keyboard instrument or with a DAW: Write in C major. Focus on the chords C, G, F, Am and/or Dm.

If you’re writing for guitar: Write in G major. Focus on the chords G, D, C, Em and/or Am.

And once you’ve done that, like before you’re going to repeat that chord progression four times to fill 16 measures. And that’s your verse chord progression done.

Write the Verse Groove

We’ll think about writing your verse melody in a later on once you’ve settled on a first verse lyric, but now is a great time to come up with a verse groove.

Again, this process is essentially the same as creating a chorus groove, only with a few extra subtleties.

First, it’s a good idea to keep your verse groove really simple and low key. As we’ll talk about later, one of the jobs of a verse is to grow in intensity and energy into your chorus – that’s one way you make sure your chorus really hits. And that means if you start your verse with too much energy, you’re going to have a hard time taking it anywhere.

So if you’re writing on piano or guitar, think about writing some kind of low-key chordal grooves – nothing too loud or busy rhythmically. In a DAW, it’s really common for verse grooves to be maybe just some held chords and a really simple drum track – maybe just some hi-hat and off-beat clicks .

Second, while it’s a good idea to make sure your verse groove is different from your chorus groove, you don’t want to make it too different – you want both of your grooves to feel like they belong to the same song.

One really neat way to do that is to take some element of your chorus groove and transform it into something else in your verse – so if your chorus groove has a really distinctive rhythm or a specific chord shape, you could use one or both of them in your verse groove.

That might sound like cheating, but it’s a really great way of making sure your song’s grooves feel like they belong together. (And it can often make the writing process much easier because it gives you a specific idea to start writing with.)

Then, once you’ve settled on a verse groove idea, you’ll want to expand it out to fill your entire verse section. This process works exactly the same as before – you want to take the essence of your groove idea and repeat it as your chords change. And like before, you don’t have to repeat it exactly every single measure – it’s enough just to keep the same vibe or feeling.

Next you’re going to go back to your song’s lyric and start tacking its first verse.

If your chorus lyric’s job is to state the big idea of your song in the clearest and most direct way, the job of the verse lyrics is to set the scene of your song, and give us plenty of details about who and what the song is about.

But before you start writing even a single word of your first verse lyric, there’s some important preparation to get out of the way first.

Create a Verse Masterplan

In songwriting there’s something known as ‘second verse curse’ – the situation where your first verse lyric comes out pretty easily, but you have no idea how to follow it up in your second. And if you’ve written more than, say, three songs, you’ll probably have experienced this first-hand.

But there’s good news – there’s a really simple solution. It’s something called a verse masterplan – a grand plan or outline for what you’re going to talk about in each of your two verses. It’s a way of giving yourself a specific starting point to begin each verse lyric from, as well as helping you make sure your verses stay on topic and help expand your song’s main idea.

To create your own verse masterplan, you just want to think of two related but different subtopics or focal points for each of your verses.

For example, in a love song, you could focus the first verse around a first date and the second verse around a second date. Or you could have the first verse focus on an ‘I’ perspective and the second verse on a ‘you’ perspective. Or you spend the first verse talking about the more superficial things you like about someone and the second verse talking about some deeper, more substantial things.

The possibilities are literally endless – but what matters is that you have a firm game plan for your verses before you start writing them. So spend some time now brainstorming a few different options. You’re looking for topics or subjects that are related to your song’s main idea somehow, but feel different enough that you can give each verse lyric its own character and content.

Write Your First Verse Lyric

If there’s one thing to know about lyric writing – it can be tough. Sure, writing any part of a song can be tough. But while writing music mostly feels like a fun exploration of what sounds, melodies and chords you can put together, writing lyrics can often feel like you’re just staring at a blank page or screen trying to get the English language – or any other language – to say exactly what you want, while rhyming, making sure it scans and fits the right number of syllables.

So to make things easier, as well as the verse masterplan you just came up with, I recommend you create a lyric idea brainstorm for each of your verses. This won’t write the lyrics for you, but it will help you dig up the raw material you can craft into a final, polished lyric later.

And luckily, doing that is really simple: all you have to do is to think up a ton of individual words and phrases that are related to the theme of your song’s first verse.

So if your song is sung by a woman and the theme is ‘first date’, you might brainstorm words like ‘nervous’, ‘long dress’, ‘lipstick’, ‘restaurant’, ‘high heels’. You could then take some of those words you brainstormed and find words that rhyme and are somehow related to the song situation too: like ‘dress’, ‘mess’, ‘confess’ and ‘stress’ – which you could use to set the scene of what’s going on in your song.

These specifics are really important, because they’re a big part of what makes a lyric clear and captivating . Your goal is to come up with more words and phrases than you can possibly ever use – maybe fifty to a hundred words – because the more words you come up with in the brainstorming stage, the easier the actual writing is going to be.

Then, when it comes to crafting those words and phrases into a complete lyric, it’s another trial-and-error process.

Like before, I recommend you use an XAXAXBXB rhyme scheme – so you’re looking for another pair of rhymes to end lines 2 and 4, then 6 and 8.

It can also help to start writing with a strong opening and/or final line. You generally want the first verse of each lyric to sound dramatic or attention-grabbing somehow, while it’s a good idea to finish each verse lyric with a ‘pivot’ line that feels like it sets up or points to the chorus somehow (like ‘I really need you to know…’).

And from there, all you’ve got to do is keep trying, keep writing and keep rewriting if necessary. And sooner or later you’ll have a complete first verse lyric you’re proud of.

I’d be lying if I said I was calm While I sat there waiting for you. ‘Dinner at eight, don’t be late…’ But then I’m waiting on you to come through. When I first heard all about you, I knew I had to know more, Still, I sat there counting the minutes Until you walked in the door…

Great work – you’re racing along.

Write the Verse Melody

Now it’s time to turn to your verse’s melody. Again, the good news is that this process is pretty much identical to the process you used to write your chorus’s melody: you want to improvise some melodic lines over your chord progression until you have something that works.

And again, if it helps, you can sketch out your verse melody rhythmically first – try to figure out how its rhythm fits over your chords – before you try and add any notes.

Other than that, it’s worth bearing in mind that verse melodies tend to be looser and more conversational than chorus melodies. In your chorus, you want to make a bit of a statement – so chorus melodies are often kind of declamatory or showy. But in your humble verses you just want to help us feel at home and get to know your singer and song, so you can try to come up with something that feels more chatty, and more rhythmic than melodic, here.

Create a Verse Build

Then, once you’ve written your first verse lyric, there’s one extra element to think about in your verses’ music, a kind of songwriting secret sauce – creating a verse build.

Like we touched on before, a verse build is an increase in energy and intensity in your verses that helps make your choruses feel extra important. In short, in pretty much every great song ever, each verse and chorus works together as a pair with a mini rise and fall, starting at low intensity at the start of the verse, and feeling like it really lands somewhere in each chorus.

One really simple way to do that is just to add a gradual crescendo – an increase in volume – in the second half of your verses. By increasing the dynamics – or volume – of the groove, that’ll help the end of your verse feel like it’s building into the chorus.

Still, there are a handful of more fun and more advanced ways of creating that kind of build effect in your verses. Here are a few of the best ones:

Making the grooves slightly busier rhythmically (giving them more rhythmic notes)
Writing thicker or fuller chords (more harmonic notes)
Adding extra tracks or layers in a DAW (like a held strings tracks or extra guitar parts)
Writing a busier and more intense percussion track

To see what I mean – or if you want some more inspiration and ideas – the best thing to do is to go listen to some of your favorite songs to figure out how they manage their own verse builds. If you look around you’ll find plenty of examples of these techniques – as well as others – in action.

But whatever you do, just make sure you’re happy with the way your song’s verse grooves grow – even just a bit – to get your audience excited for your chorus.

Alrighty. Now it’s time to cash in on that verse masterplan you came up with in Part 6 – it’s time to focus on your second verse lyric.

The process is pretty much identical to the process you used in your first verse lyric, only this time you have a slightly different subtopic or theme to start with. So like before, I recommend you take that theme and spend some time brainstorming key words, phrases and rhymes that are related to that idea. Like before, you want to fill at least a full page with words and ideas you could use – with something like fifty to a hundred in total.

Then, like before, you’re going to want to craft those raw ideas into a finished lyric.

Coming up with a verse masterplan should make figuring out what to talk about no harder than it was in your first verse lyric, but with your second verse there two extra things to bear in mind.

The first is that, as a rule, you want your second verse lyric to use exactly the same rhyme scheme and more-or-less exactly the same syllable patterns in each line.

The exact syllable patterns you use is a bit negotiable – you often find songwriters adding or taking away a syllable or two and adjusting their verse melody accordingly. But since you want your first and second verse to match melodically, it’s not ideal if your first and second verse lyrics have completely different syllable patterns.

Watch me as I use this exact process to write an original song in my How to Write a Song video course.

Find out more.

And the second thing to think about is that you can sometimes use this idea – structural repetition or matching between your verses – to your advantage.

So for example, sometimes it makes sense to write ‘parallel’ or related lyric lines in the same spot. So if your first verse’s first line is ‘I couldn’t believe my luck’, you could start your second verse with something parallel like ‘I didn’t believe it was true’ or ‘I wasn’t afraid to know’ – or something else with a similar sentence structure or shape.

Doing that can make the writing process easier, and it can help your audience understand the structure of your song, so those opportunities are worth looking out for.

Other than that, like before lyric writing is a trial and error process. So take some time to try different things out and see what sounds good to you. If you get stuck, you can always take some time away – sometimes coming back to a lyric after a break makes it much easier to finish.

And once you’ve done that, you’re nearly there. There’s only one major section and two smaller sections to think about to complete your verse-chorus structure song.

We’ll take some time at the end of this process to put your entire song together into a single file, score or recording. But if you want to spend a moment now putting everything you’ve written so far together into one place, that’s definitely a good idea.

Next, the only major song section to think about adding is a bridge .

If you include a bridge, you’ll want to put it in the classic spot right after the second chorus:

You can think of that as the moment that alternating between verses and choruses might get boring or predictable – so instead of going to a third verse, the song takes us somewhere unexpected and new.

And that’s the key to writing a good bridge – to give us something new, to go somewhere the song hasn’t gone already.

That means a good bridge lyric gives a new perspective – it could jump forward or back in time, it could talk about your song’s big idea from a new perspective, it could make a more philosophical or general comment on what your song is about.

Another good option is to create a ‘breakdown’ bridge, where the lyric stops giving us much new information and the song just does something fun or interesting. (A good example of that is Shawn Mendes’s ‘Stitches’ , where the bridge just starts repeating phrases like ‘Needle and the thread, gonna get you out of my head’.)

At the same time, you want to the music of your bridge to take us somewhere new also. That usually means a new melody and chord progression, though you could recycle or adapt one of the grooves from some other part of your song. But you’ll have to play around with different options to figure out what sounds best for your song. (And as usual, if you’re looking for ideas, go listen to the bridges of tons of your favorite songs and that’ll help.)

If you wrote 8-line, 16-measure sections for the rest of your song, you can do the same here. Or, if you like, bridges are good places to break that pattern up a bit. Some bridges are shorter – say, 4 lines and 8 measures – but they can also be longer, or even a more irregular number of measures (10, 12 or 18, for example).

But before you dive in, you might want to think about whether your song needs a bridge at all. Lots of songs have them but plenty don’t.

Like I said, a good bridge takes your song – and your audience – somewhere different. And like its name suggests, a good bridge helps us to cross over to somewhere new – it makes us appreciate your final chorus in some new way. So if your song feels like it would benefit from that, then put a bridge in. If it seems OK without out it, then you might be better just repeating your final chorus once or twice and keeping your song’s structure simple.

Finally, all that’s left to do is to figure out how you’re going to start and end your song.

There are tons of different ways of doing this, but if you’re new to songwriting, I’m going to suggest you stick to one of the simplest.

For your song’s intro – a short section that comes before the first verse – I recommend you just repeat the first four measures of your song’s verse groove an extra time before the first verse starts. To hear how this works, you can check out Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’ and Ariana Grande’s ‘thank u, next’ .

This is a really simple technique but it’s a really effective one – and it’s how maybe 80–90% of intros in pop songs are written.

For your song’s outro – or ending – there are two very common techniques.

The most common today is just to round off your song with brief ‘written’ outro. Sometimes that means adding a measure or two. Sometimes it just means adapting the end of your chorus so it finishes on a held note and/or chord – or finishes with a musical gesture that sounds final. You might have to try out a few different versions of this idea to figure out what works best for each particular song, but if you want to see how this works in practice, you can check out Rudimental’s ‘These Days’ or Train’s ‘Hey, Soul Sister’ .

Another way to finish a song – though it’s less common in pop music right now – is to create what’s called a repeat and fade . That’s where you repeat the final chorus an extra time and have it fade out. Obviously, that option works best for recorded or produced music – you can’t really fade to zero live – but it’s one option. (Check out Michael Jackson’s ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ for a classic example.)

And that’s basically it. That’s the end of this process.

Before you wrap up, it’s worth making sure you have a complete, official version of your song. At the very least, you’ll want a complete lyric sheet – but you could also add chord symbols to your lyric sheet, or even create a lead sheet or score if you know how. (If you want to know more about how to lay out all of these, check out this article .)

If you don’t read music, that’s fine too. Just make sure you have some kind of record or recording of everything you made – whether that’s a live recording, a score or a project file in your DAW. And then, at long last, that’s this process – and your song –done.

And that’s a wrap – congratulations!

Whether it took you a day or a month to complete, a finished song is a big deal. So take a bow. Pat yourself on the back. Treat yourself to a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage.

So what now?

Well, you could just repeat the process again with a different song idea. Or you could work through the process again with someone else to see how that affects your process.

You could also come back to the song you’ve just finished in a few days time to see if there’s any tweaks or rewrites you want to make.

If you want to know more about songwriting, you could check out one of the other free articles and videos on the site. And if you’re interested in working through this process in more depth, you’ll definitely enjoy the full book version of How to Write a Song (Even If You’ve Never Written One Before and You Think You Suck) .

Either way, what’s important is that you keep going . As you know, the way you become a better songwriter is to keep writing . Challenge yourself to something new . Or try mixing up this process by starting a song somewhere new.

But whatever’s next for you, happy writing. We can’t wait to see what you come up with.

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Header imaged adapted from a photo by Dark Rider on Unsplash .

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songwriting

10 Tips for Writing Great Songs | How to Write a Really Good Song

Categories songwriting , songwriting tips , tips
Date April 5, 2019
Comments 5 Comments

The Best Songwriting Tips

Have you ever sat down to write a song and instead of music you hear crickets?

We've all been there. Maybe you're new and just aren't sure where to start.

Maybe you have a serious case of writer's block, and you need something to help shake the cobwebs (check out our 7 Tips to Crush Writer's Block ).

Either way, sometimes all we need is a push in the right direction to get us started.

Below is a list of ten ideas and tips to help you write your next masterpiece.

Table Of Contents

Know Where To Start Writing
Study The Greats
Lose Your Ego
The Lyrics Matter
Join A Group For Songwriters
Record Whenever You Feel Inspired
Collaborate
Write From Experience
Atlanta Institute Of Music And Media

1. Know Where to Start Writing

Knowing where to start is often the hardest part of the entire process.

Most writers consider developing your song's main melody or central chorus as the best place to start writing your next song.

Once you've developed your hook or key chord progression, you're able to build the rest of your song around it.

If you can't find the perfect melody right away, don't worry.

There's not a one size fits all approach, and this method doesn't work for everyone.

Some songwriters prefer to start at the beginning of their song by writing an amazing intro, which will lead them naturally into the rest of the song.

Some writers get the lyrics down first and then worry about the tune afterward.

There are no hard rules when it comes to songwriting.

It comes down to each songwriter to determine their starting point.

-back to top

Songwriting Tips | Inspiring Music Tips that Work

2. Study the Greats

Some of the best songwriters are also huge music history nerds. They will listen to hit songs on repeat to figure out what made them great.

Was it a catchy melody? Relatable lyrics? An infectious beat?

There are so many things that will impact whether or not a song will be considered great.

Studying the singer songwriters who have come before you is an important step for every songwriter. Also, don't be afraid to look to your heroes and inspirations.

Look to what made you attach your ear to their songwriting.

3. Lose Your Ego

This is an important tip on various levels. All the other tips in this article will only work if you conquer this step first.

Losing your ego isn't as easy as it sounds.

You have to be willing to mess up and write a few awful songs while being able to keep coming back. The best things in life do not typically come easy.

As soon as the ego is out of the way, everything else will be much easier.

4. The Lyrics Matter

Unless all you do is write instrumentals, the lyrics are arguably the most important part of any song.

While music can elicit emotion and tone, the lyrics are commonly what listeners attach to. Lyrics are what people shout back at you when you're performing live.

The lyrics are what people write on their social media and tattoo on their body.

Writing lyrics can also be the most frustrating and difficult part of the entire songwriting process.

Knowing what you want to write about is a good start.

Jot down a few notes about what you'd like to talk about in your song, and then play around with the rhythm and cadence of your words to fit them to the melody.

A solid lyrical hook is important, while the verses and bridge can be built around your central message.

5. Experiment

Play around and have some fun.

There are so many different things you can do when writing songs. It's important to try mixing things up to find what works for you.

You need to find your style . Some writers only write the vocal parts of a song. Other writers will come up with amazing chords but don't touch the beat.

There are so many roles you can play across so many genres.

You need to take the time to experiment and see where your passion lies.

6. Join a Group for Songwriters

There's only so much your family and friends can do for you, especially if they aren't songwriters.

There's an old saying that says you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with.

So, it's in your best interest to not only hang around with songwriters but to hang around with songwriters that are better than you.

Sharing your work with other songwriters will help you see where you're at in terms of:

Development

Most groups are very welcoming, so don't be intimidated.

7. Record Whenever You Feel Inspired

One of the worst things that can happen as a songwriter is to come up with amazing lyrics or a riff and then completely forget about it an hour later.

Forgetting ideas can be frustrating, so it's important to take a note of it while it's still fresh in your mind.

Use your smartphone, people!

Everyone has a smartphone in their pocket with a note-taking app, so pull it out whenever inspiration strikes.

The note app is fantastic for jotting down quick lyrical inspirations and the voice recording app is great for a quick snippet of melody.

Even if you just record a 10-second chord progression or riff, it could prove to be all the trigger your memory needs down the road.

When you're ready to record later, you'll be thankful you took the note.

8. Collaborate

If you pay attention, most hit songs these days have multiple songwriters .

Collaboration is key to the writing process.

Sometimes all you need is someone else in the room you can bounce ideas off of. Because of the internet, finding a collaborator is easier than it's ever been before.

A great place to look is Facebook groups.

Seek out songwriters, DIY Music, or genre-specific groups in your neck of the woods on the social media platform.

You don't even have to be in the same room; you can collaborate remotely over a video chat.

Tip : If you're looking for other musicians to join you in your songwriting journey and want to become a band or musical group, check out How to Find Your Next Bandmate in 5 Steps .

Just like learning any other new skill, you need to study .

Read as many books about songwriting as you can; there are plenty available.

You'll also want to read books about the music industry as a whole, so you get a good idea of how everything works. You just don't need to read about songwriting, either.

If you enjoy reading, read as many books as you can about whatever you want.

The more information you take in, the more you'll have to write about.

10. Write from Experience

Think of Eminem or Taylor Swift. They wrote about what they've been through and the things they knew.

It seems obvious, but some of history's greatest songs are about personal experiences. Great songwriters draw inspiration from real life events and traumas to spark their creativity.

Whether you've been through hard times or great times, you can use your life experiences to great effect.

Put your feelings into a song you can be proud of. That doesn't mean you can't write a narrative/story-type song or project your thoughts on a situation you haven't experienced yourself.

You just have to consider your songwriting well isn't quite as deep as topics you have experienced and lived through personally.

Start Writing Songs Today

There you go. Now you should have enough ideas to get you started. No one becomes a great songwriter without writing their first song.

So, grab a pen and paper, your computer, or an instrument and get to work.

Think you might want to write songs for a living?

Contact The Atlanta Institute For Music And Media . AIMM is an accredited Music School with the following:

Exclusive Studios
Industry-Leading Instructors
Certificate and Degree Programs
The opportunity to become Pro Tools Certified

AIMM will get you started down the right path.

Click the button below to learn more about AIMM today!

Keith O'Neill

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Song Ideas: 20 Tips for Songwriting Inspiration

As someone who never misses a meal, I take pleasure in the daily routines that offer comfort and a sense of familiarity. My songwriting process is like that. When I write song ideas, I predictably follow a writing process that is most comfortable and familiar to me.

Let me explain: Lyrics come first, along with melody, due to years of piano practice within a classical environment. Left to pure inspiration, I tend to gravitate towards melodies that accommodate longer, lyric-heavy lines. My harmonic ideas tend to be derived from my melodic ideas, and remain more conservative if I do nothing to push them outside the box. All I ever knew about groove I got from Mozart, which is to say, not much. Aside from a chord on a downbeat or an arpeggio, groove is the last thing on my mind.

If I write only on inspiration according to the process that feels most natural to me, I overlook elements that can grow my style and result in new songs. I write, in fact, the same song over and over again. In fact I’ve even written an article about that to remind myself to stop doing it! The alternative is to think consciously about doing something different. For me, I have to put effort into writing a melody that is more driven by its rhythms than its pitches. I have to get inspiration from the grooves of other songs and productions, (and yes, by “get inspiration” you could probably also say “steal”) to write songs that are groove-oriented. I have to use the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and lyrical tools that seem comfortable and familiar to other songwriters when I want to do something experimental with my own writing.

I’m going to suggest 20 activities to help push outside the writing process that may be familiar to you. Some of these activities will be things you already do. Some will not. The power of a new approach is that though unfamiliar or even uncomfortable at first, it results in new musical and lyrical possibilities.

Write a Verse and Chorus over a ‘New’ Chord Progression

Try copying a chord progression from a song you enjoy. If you feel you can’t shake the old song, change the strumming pattern or groove by slowing the tempo way down, or speeding it up. Or, try taking a chord progression you like and inserting a borrowed chord in place of only one of the chords. Another idea is to keep it simple and try writing over a chord progression that is just two chords. The more minimal the chord progression in the verse, the easier it can be to write a contrasting progression in the chorus.

Give yourself 10 minutes to find the progression, and 20 minutes to write the section. Then, give yourself another 10 minutes to find the progression for the contrasting section, and 20 minutes to finish it off with melody and lyric. Remember that repetition and simplicity can be the key to finishing songs. Over-complication can lead to paralysis.

Jam for 15 Minutes while Recording

You don’t jam, you say? Now you do. Play around on your instrument while recording. Set the mood in the room if you like: dim the lights, light a candle, throw on your favorite pajamas. The key here is to find a space where you can enjoy the sound of your instrument, voice, and feel free enough to hum and sing nonsense words. When you’re finished, listen back to your recording and pick out a few moments that carry some weight, musically, lyrically, or both. Spend another 15 sketching out some more song ideas around that moment.

Start (and End) with a Two-Page Free-Write

Free-write with sensory language in mind: Use taste, touch, sight, sound, smell, and movement to generate images around a keyword or concept. You might choose an object like “waterfall,” a place like “jail cell,” or a person like “cashier on Tuesdays at check-out station 5,” or a concept like pulling an all-nighter for the boss. Lock into any images that pop up, and write with abandon. The key here is to write without judgment, and simply allow whatever flows to make it onto the paper or screen. End your day with another two-page free-write. The next day, sift through every line and phrase. Circle the words and phrases that could be titles to a song.

Find a Beat on YouTube or GarageBand

There’s nothing novel about this idea, but it’s amazing how much pressure we put on ourselves to come up with every part of a song on our own. Painters don’t design their own paint colors before painting. Neither should we make ourselves responsible for innovating on a groove or tried-and-true chord progression. Give yourself a break and start with a foundation that works, so you can layer your strengths and talents on top. Write the whole verse-chorus in just 45 minutes. To do so, you’ll need to commit to your ideas instead of doubt them as you move further through the song.

Record 15 Minutes of Melodies

Press record and start singing! Even if you don’t sing. Play a simple chord progression and experiment with all the things you can do with your melody. Start singing phrases on the downbeat of the measure. Then wait a few beats and try singing the same lyric phrase late in the measure.

Try it as short high pitches. Or as low, longer pitches. Try using internal repetition where you repeat portions of the lyric before finishing out the phrase. Try using lots of rest space or very little between your lines. Sing nonsense words or sing lines of lyrics that pop up as you go. Try starting on the root, then the 3rd, then the 5th, experimenting with the starting tone of the melody. Then try starting on pitches that aren’t part of your chords underneath: these are the passing tones, and they can bring wonderful tension.

Listen intently to how the message of the lyric changes, and the overall emotion that results (or doesn’t result) with every new choice you make. Finally, speed up or slow the tempo you’re playing within to arrive at new melodic feels.

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One Title, Different Tempos

Think of a song title or draw a title-worthy phrase from a book, article, or leaky conversation. Try setting it to melody over a very slow tempo. Close your eyes and sing it several times at that tempo. Really taste the words and hear what they mean as you sing it. Now, choose a much faster tempo and sing the same melody and title lyric again several times. Listen to how the message of the title changes. Draft an outline of the song at both tempos, exploring what the verses and choruses would say in just a few sentences based on the message of the title.

Poetic Rhythm

If you’ve done object writing before, this activity will sound familiar. Today you’re going to write stream-of-conscious, sensory-based material from a keyword such as “teacup,” “jumbo jet,” or “pocket knife.” But instead of writing in paragraph form, you’ll write with a rhythm in mind. Speak the lyrics of “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” It goes “MAR-y HAD a LIT-tle LAMB,” with every other syllable being a strongly stressed sound. You might notice your voice rises in pitch and intensity on those strong stresses. The syllables in-between are weak stresses.

One major difference between lyrics and poetry is that lyrics carry a rhythm in each line that is defined by our melody. Melody has a repeating rhythmic pattern we call a motif . So when you write about a song concept to generate lyric ideas, try writing using a repeating rhythmic pattern. It will enable you to set the lyric to melody with greater ease.

You might use the pattern of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” or you might try another pattern, using triplets like this:

DUM da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM

Here is an example, written from the keyword “Hot Air Balloon”: Billowing colors aloft in the sky floating as light as the breeze Lit with a flame as it rises and falls circling the world in a dream

You can vary the lengths of the lines, while maintaining the triplet pattern. Don’t concern yourself with rhyme unless a great rhyme surfaces. And make sure to let the inspiration flow without assessing the value of what you’ve written until long after it’s down on paper or screen.

Creative Collisions

We use metaphors every day, many times without even knowing it. A metaphor is what we get when we collide one word against another that don’t literally belong together. “Dark clouds” is no metaphor, but “marshmallow clouds” is. The more familiar the metaphor, (think “broken heart”), the more cliché the collision sounds.

To make your own metaphors, try making a list of interesting nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

Nouns	Verbs	Adjectives
lips	flutter	ruffled
carousel	whistle	rusty
pavement	shield	friendly

When you’re finished, simply try thrusting two or three of them together at random. Make a short sentence, exploring their collision.

Her ruffled lips fluttered gossip The friendly carousel whistled around and around The friendly pavement shielded an even worse accident The pavement fluttered in the heat Her rusty lips kept telling the same old story

Take the collisions wherever you feel them going, building full sentences from the metaphors that arise. Great metaphors can be excellent first lines of lyric, immediately drawing the listener in.

Pick up a Different Instrument

Remember switching instruments with your friends back in band class on a substitute teacher day? Okay, maybe that’s not a shared memory. All the same, try picking up an instrument you can’t play or one that you rarely play. Strum a chord and find some notes you think sound pretty. Let the pressure to be skilled simply fall off of you. Then write a verse and chorus.

Write Something ‘Bad’

That’s no idiom. I’m talking about the bass lick that everyone recognizes from the Michael Jackson song “Bad.” Coming up with a one- or two-measure instrumental riff as the basis for your song can be a great way to immediately hook the listener. It gives our song a fingerprint all its own. To write this way, pay special attention to rhythm. Rhythm, even more than pitch, defines our motifs, and these kinds of instrumental riffs are built on a strong rhythmic identity.

After all these exercises, take a day or two to rest. If you must write, go ahead, but give yourself the opportunity to re-energize doing things you enjoy. You’ve earned it.

TAKE ‘COMMERCIAL SONGWRITING TECHNIQUES’ WITH ANDREA STOLPE

Four By Four

Some of the simplest songs have a structure of a four-line verse moving into a four-line chorus. The chorus often carries the title in the first line, last line, or even all four lines. Instead of going down the rabbit hole with intricate melodies, chords, and lengthy lyrics, try writing a verse that uses a simple little melody repeated four times for a total of four lines of lyric. Follow it with a chorus that starts with the title, sung over a new, simple little motif. Try repeating the title again, and if you must, write a new third line before repeating the title one last time for line four. Simple and effective songs that do this are Tom Petty’s “Free Falling” and “Say” by John Mayer.

Repeat the Chord Progression

Some of my favorite songs utilize a simple three- or four-chord progression all the way through the verse and chorus. All the contrast between sections comes from other areas like the melody, lyrics, and production. Using the same chord progression all the way through provides a solid framework, and knowing that some great songwriters have written legendary songs this way can help us “buy into” our own ideas even more. Try writing a simple verse and chorus with the same chorus progression. For listening examples, check out John Mayer’s “I Don’t Trust Myself with Loving You” and John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.”

Get Real with Real Lyrics

When we listen to our favorite songs, we hear the lyric in context of the musical landscape. The music informs us how to emotionally interpret the lyric. A great production or performance can bump up the perceived quality of a lyric. Take away the music, and you might find the lyrics to songs you like are quite ordinary. Read the lyrics aloud of three songs you like. Notice your response to different lines. Is there cliché language? Is the message clear? Is the title strong? Does the language flow in a conversational manner? How does the lyric stand up apart from the music? Finally, how is the language you’re reading out loud any different than the language you use in your own lyrics? Recognizing that it’s not that different from our own can be a powerful motivator.

Write for Fun

Take a break from pushing forward towards that artist or writing career, and write something you’d like to dance to, fall asleep to, hike to, roller-skate to, paint to, or cook to. Instead of thinking about what genre or mainstream artist your song might fit, write a verse and chorus you’d enjoy listening to while doing anything else you enjoy. You might start by grabbing a beat at a particular tempo that suits the mood of the activity. Or, model your song after another song, using the intro to set the mood and tempo.

Take A Hike … or a Drive

Walking takes my mind off things, removing the pressure to “do” and allowing me to simply “be.” Maybe walking isn’t your thing, and there is another activity such as driving that allows your mind to wander. Whatever it is, try writing a half of a song while you’re doing it. Start with a title: a title that immediately brings lyrical concepts to your mind. The goal here is to let your mind breathe, and to follow the song ideas wherever they lead without judgement.

I like to record my thoughts using the microphone in notes on my phone. That way I can speak in conversational language the song ideas that will eventually become the lyric itself. Walking enables me to key into a particular rhythm as well. As I feel the pulse of my shoes on the pavement, my song ideas tend to fall out in rhymed couplets. Pretty soon, if I’m lenient enough with my ideas, I have a half-song when I arrive back home. As long as I stay true to “what” I want to say rather than “what rhymes with door,” I end up with some great song ideas I didn’t have before my trek around the neighborhood.

Give yourself a pat on the back for digging in each day and doing the work of writing. As a wise professor once told me, 90 percent of what I write won’t be my best 10 percent. When I write nearly every day, I can take heart that I’m doing my part to allow the best song ideas onto the page.

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Recycle What You Read

Pick up a short story, memoir, or novel, and read the first few pages. Jot down every interesting phrase that could be a title. Look for phrases that have tangible nouns in them. Tangible nouns bring a more sensory, concrete quality to the language, and are unlike many of the titles we choose when we’re simply brainstorming for song ideas. Give yourself 30 minutes and then choose one title to brainstorm around. If you must, let lyric ideas come out. But don’t get sidetracked with writing rhymes. Instead, jot down rough song ideas in response to the bolts of inspiration you might be feeling.

Free-Write over a Loop

Take a drum track in Logic, GarageBand, or grab one from YouTube and journal or stream-of-consciousness write over it. Key into the mood of the track, jotting down images, smells, tastes, sounds, and anything else that comes to mind. Limit yourself to just 30 minutes with your writer’s cap on before allowing yourself to move over into building a production or guitar riffs.

Reach out to a Collaborator

Consider local instrumentalists, poets, screen writers, guitar or piano teachers or students, short story writers, or anyone else you think might be open to spending an afternoon writing with you. Think of producers you may know in your area, or folks teaching or attending courses at a university or community college. Imagine your goal is to contribute something of value, and you’re inviting another to participate in that journey. Who would you approach? Make a list of people, and send a few emails or make a few calls. There’s nothing to lose here, only to gain.

Write Happy

Write a verse and a chorus of a song that celebrates a happy, content, or hopeful feeling. Try to avoid dramatic, gloomy, or complicated dark feelings, particularly if your typical songwriting involves these characteristics. Start by choosing a perky tempo with your metronome, or stealing a groove from another light-hearted song. Then, make up two melodic hooks or motifs: one for the verse, and one for the chorus. Repeat these motifs often within each section, anchoring your melodic theme on just those two ideas. If you’re getting hung up on a cliché lyric, tell your internal judge that it’s not time to edit yet. Allow the cliché lines to sit on the page, not dwelling on them, but simply moving past them. Decide on a title from one of your lyric ideas, allowing the whole process to take no more than 45 minutes.

Adopt a Process That Works

If I could, I’d only write when inspired. But the fact is, I’m not inspired with any predictability. So I use process to become more prolific and practiced. We songwriters approach songwriting from different starting points, so it’s natural to adopt a process and then find we need to tweak it to fit our style. I recommend choosing a two-week period in your schedule and blocking off about 40 minutes each day to establish a few good habits. Here is how my process looks each day as I work on songs in progress, and make space for generating new song ideas as well:

5 Minutes of Lyric Free-Writing

Think Object Writing or Destination Writing. If you’re not familiar with those brainstorming tools, check out my Berklee Online videos on sensory writing . You’ll be brainstorming tons of song ideas each day as you employ stream-of-consciousness writing into your process).

15 Minutes of Music Writing with or without My Instrument

I push record , and I play. Instead of worrying about getting just the right groove or melody, I simply try to enjoy the music I’m playing and singing. I try different grooves, moods, tempos, and vocal ranges. I try short punchy notes, and long legato notes. I try melodies with lots of rest space over a descending chord progression, and a moving melody over a static chord. I try anything that comes to mind, recording all of it to listen back later and choose what I like best.

30 Minutes of Songwriting

Whenever possible, I resist the urge to start actually writing this new song or songs that might be surfacing. Instead, I bring out a song or songs I’ve been developing, and try to move them a little further with fresh eyes. As soon as I feel the inspiration leave, I flip over to another unfinished idea. I always have several songs in the works at once, making no particular song precious. If I find a new direction, I follow it, letting this part of the process extend to several hours if I’ve got the time to spend.

5 Minutes of New Lyric Free-Writing

To end the writing session, I’ll open up a new screen on my computer, and start free-writing on another idea. This helps me to resurface from my songwriting, affirming to myself that I’ve got many more song ideas than those I’ve been trying to develop.

I hope you’ve enjoyed some of the daily writing activities. If you find a process that works for you, use it. When that process stops working, change it. The more flexible and willing to engage in new habits each day, the more we get out of our artistic way. In a little corner of LA beneath a light layer of smog and close to the ocean, I’ll be trying to do the same.

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17 Songwriting Tips from the Pros: How to Write a Song That Stands Out

There’s no one way to write a song that stands out from the rest. Songwriting, a creative process of writing your own songs is very subjective and personal.

However, there are certain techniques and songwriting tips that can help make your next song shine.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at 17 best songwriting tips from the music industry pros that will help you when writing your own songs. Each of these tips is backed up by quotes from some of the world’s most successful songwriters.

So whether you’re just starting out your musical journey or you’ve been writing songs for years, read on for some helpful advice on how to write a hit song!

How to start writing a song

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to starting the songwriting process. Different methods work for different people, and it often depends on the type of song you’re trying to write.

If you’re struggling to get started, here are a few ways that might help:

1. Start with the melody line

Songwriting can be a daunting task. Where do you start? What the song structure will be? Do you begin with the lyrics or the melody?

The answer is that most songwriters start with composing melodies.

If you have a strong melody in your head, start by humming or singing it into a voice recorder. This will help you to develop the song further and come up with the chords and lyrics that fit with the melody. Once you have the basics of your song down, it’s time to start fine-tuning it.

Experiment with different chord progressions and lyric ideas until you find something that feels right. And don’t be afraid to make changes along the way – even the greatest songwriters revise their work as they go. With a little practice and perseverance, you’ll be penning hits in no time.

2. Writing lyrics first

If you’re struggling to come up with a melody or musical ideas, start by writing lyrics for your song. This can be a great way to get the creative juices flowing and develop a direction for your song.

Once you have some lyrics written, try setting them to a simple chord progression and see if any melodies come to mind. If not, don’t worry – there are plenty of other ways to write a song.

You can also start keeping the list of lyrical ideas, so you will never run out of topics to write about.

“There’s no wrong way to write a song. You can do it by the numbers or you can just follow your heart.” – Lionel Richie

3. Work from a chord progression

If you have a basic chord progression in mind, start by working out which chords fit best with your song structure or lyrics. This can be a great way to develop your song and find new ideas.

Once you have your chord progressions that sound good, you are halfway through. This will help to bring your song to life and make it more interesting to listen to.

“Chords are the colors of a painting; rhythm is the brushstrokes.” – Billy Joel

4. Start at the beginning

If you want to write an intro for your track, start by brainstorming some ideas for an opening riff or hook. This can be a great way to set the tone for your entire song and get listeners interested from the get-go.

Some of the biggest hits started from just one line or a few chord progressions. Once you got chords you can continue with the rhyme scheme or lyrics.

Many artists have their preferred writing process. With time you will find your own process but you can always experiment with a different approach for your new song. Keep an open mind!

As you can see, there are many different ways to start songwriting. The exact songwriting process often depends on what type of song you’re trying to write, and what works best for you.

Experiment with different approaches and see what works best for you. This will help you to develop your song further and come up with a final tune.

Write About What You Know

One of the best songwriting tips for songwriters is to write about what they know.

This doesn’t mean that you can only write songs about your own life, but it does mean that your lyrics should be based on personal experience. Use your own life as inspiration for your songwriting process, and you’ll be sure to create something special.

One of the main benefits of songwriting based on personal experience is that it allows you to connect with your audience in a deeper way.

When your lyrics are based on your own life, they come from a place of authenticity and honesty. This makes it easier for listeners to relate to your music and to feel connected to you as an artist.

Another benefit of writing from personal experience is that it can help you process difficult emotions. If you’ve gone through a tough experience, writing a song about it can be a powerful way to work through those feelings.

By putting your thoughts and feelings into words, you can start to make sense of them and move on from the experience.

Finally, writing songs based on personal experience can be a great way to learn more about yourself. As you explore the different aspects of your life, you’ll gain a better understanding of who you are as a person. This self-awareness can be valuable both personally and professionally.

“Songwriting is all about being honest with yourself and writing from the heart. It doesn’t matter what style of music you write, if it’s coming from a real place then people will connect with it.” – Ed Sheeran

Tell a Story

When songwriting storytelling is a powerful tool because it allows the listener to connect with the music on a deeper level.

When the lyrics are imbued with storytelling, it becomes easier for the listener to imagine themselves in the song’s world and feel the emotions that the singer is experiencing. This can make the listener feel more connected to the song and ultimately more engaged with the music itself.

A great song tells a story that listeners can relate to. Whether you’re writing about your own life or someone else’s, focus on creating a narrative that will resonate with your audience.

One of the best ways to write a song with a strong narrative is to start by brainstorming some ideas. Write down everything that comes to mind, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. Once you have a list of potential topics, start narrow them down until you find one that feels right for your song.

Once you’ve decided on a story, start fleshing out the details. What happened in the beginning? What’s happening now? What will happen in the end? The more specific you can be, the better. Try to include sensory details in your lyrics so listeners can really visualize what’s going on in the story.

“I always start with characters or a situation, and then I try to find a song that would fit that particular story. – Taylor Swift

Create Memorable Melodies

A great melody is one of the most important parts of a successful song. If your melody is catchy and easy to remember, listeners will be more likely to enjoy your track and want to listen to it again.

There are a few different songwriting tips you can use to create a memorable melody. First, start by coming up with a strong hook or opening riff. This will be the part of your song that listeners remember the most, so make sure it’s catchy and unique.

Once you have your opening riff, start creating the rest of your melody. Pay attention to the overall shape of the melody and how it flows from one note to the next. Try to create a melody that has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Finally, make sure your lyrics fit well with your melody. The two should complement each other and work together to create a memorable song.

Always have your voice recorder ready when inspiration hits so you don’t forget your melody ideas.

“A lot of times I’ll just sing something over and over again until I can nail down a good melody for it… ” – Lady Gaga

Find Your Own Voice

One of the most important aspects for any songwriter to do is find their own voice. Great songwriters and grammy winners are the ones who have found their own unique sound and style.

One way to find your voice is to experiment with different genres and styles of music. Don’t be afraid to try something new – you never know what you might like. As you explore different genres, pay attention to the elements that you enjoy the most. What kind of melodies do you like? What kind of lyrics? What kind of production?

Once you’ve identified the elements you enjoy, start incorporating them into your own music. Over time, you’ll develop your own unique sound that will set you apart from other songwriters.

Finding your own voice is a key component of your creative process.

This means writing songs that are true to who you are as an artist, and not trying to copy someone else’s style. Be yourself, and don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd.

It’s not something you can do with just one song, you will need to harness your style with practice.

Remember to always write music from your heart, and stay true to yourself, no matter what others consider common practice or “normal” in the music business.

Here are some other practical tips you can follow on your journey to find your own voice:

1. Write what you feel.

The first step to finding your creative voice is to write what you feel. Don’t censor yourself or try to second-guess what might be popular in today’s music business – just write what comes naturally to you. This is your music, so it should reflect your unique perspective and style.

2. Experiment with different genres and styles.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different genres and styles. You may find that some styles come more naturally to you than others, but it’s important to explore all possibilities if you want to find your true creative voice.

3. Find inspiration in other music.

It’s always helpful to find inspiration in other music. Listen to as many different types of music as possible and see what grabs your attention. Once you figure out what styles you like, try emulating some of the techniques that you like best.

4. Write often.

The more you write, the better you’ll get at tapping into your creative voice. It’s important to make writing a regular habit, so set aside time each day (or week) to work on new songs.

“To find your voice, you have to be willing to use it.” – Bruce Springsteen

Keep It Simple

One of the biggest mistakes songwriters make is trying to cram too much into their songs. Keep your lyrics simple and focused on one main idea or emotion. The same goes for your melody- try to create something that’s catchy and easy to remember.

If you can say what you need to say in a few words, that’s usually better than using a lot of flowery language. Be direct and concise, and let your words speak for themselves.

General guidelines to consider:

Use simple words and phrases.
Avoid using complex metaphors or lyrics that are difficult to understand.
Stick to one main idea or emotion per song.
Keep your song structure simple and easy to follow.

“I try to keep my lyrics pretty simple. I want people to be able to understand them and relate to them.” – Jason Mraz

Use Powerful Imagery

One of the best ways to make your lyrics stand out is to use powerful imagery. All big hits have one thing in common – they evoke emotion in the listener.

Paint a picture in your listener’s mind with your words, and take them on a journey through your song.

To create vivid images in your lyrics, focus on using concrete language and specific details. The more specific you can be, the better. For example, rather than saying “I’m feeling sad,” try something like “I’m feeling like a dark cloud is hanging over me.”

You can also use simple metaphors and similes to enhance your imagery. Just be careful not to overdo it. A few well-placed metaphors can make your lyrics more interesting and memorable, but too many can make them feel forced or contrived.

“I try to write pictures with my words so that people can see what I’m saying.” – Garth Brooks

End on a High Note

When you’re writing a song, it’s important to keep the energy level up until the very end. The last few lines of your song will be stick in listeners’ heads the most, so make sure they’re memorable.

One way to do this is to save your best melody or riff for the end of the song. This will give listeners something to remember and leave them wanting more.

You can also try ending your song with a powerful message or emotional moment. This can be a great way to connect with listeners and leave them thinking about your lyrics long after the song is over.

“I always try to end the song on a strong note, something that people will remember.” -Beyonce

Step away from your instrument to write.

Among the songwriting tips we’are sharing today this one is quite counterintuitive but actually is one of the best and often overlooked.

It’s easy to get comfortable when seated at the piano or with a guitar in your hands. However, this can lead to complacency and hinder your songwriting process. By sitting down at your instrument, you may be limiting yourself to your usual tropes. This can lead to stagnation and prevent you from expanding your repertoire.

Write a song you can play live

Your Digital audio workstation (DAW) software is a remarkable tool and it does wonders. But when you’re writing your music, keep in mind how it will sound when played live.

This doesn’t mean you should avoid using DAWs altogether. They’re still a great tool for songwriting and can help you flesh out your ideas. But it’s important to make sure your songs will translate well to a live setting.

One way to do this is to keep your arrangements simple. A complex arrangement with a lot of moving parts can be hard to recreate live, so try to focus on the essentials.

Another thing to keep in mind is your instrumentation. If you’re using a lot of synths and samples in your song, consider how you’ll replace them live. It’s often best to stick with acoustic instruments that can be easily replicated onstage.

You may need to adjust your arrangements or performance style to make sure the songs are as powerful and engaging in a live setting as they are in the recording studio. Remember that your audience wants to feel engaged and entertained, so make sure your music is up to the task!

Take Your Time

There’s no rush when it comes to writing a song. There is no time limit on finishing your next track. If you need a few days, weeks, or even months to come up with a final product you’re happy with, that’s completely normal.

Don’t force yourself to write if you’re not feeling it. The more pressure you put on yourself, the harder it will be to come up with something good. Just relax and let the ideas flow when they come.

Take your time and really think about what you want to say. The best songs are usually the ones that are well-thought-out and carefully crafted.

“It takes time. You might write a hundred bad songs before you write one good one.” – John Lennon

Get Feedback from Others

One of the best ways to improve your songwriting is to get feedback from others. Ask your friends or family members what they think of your new song, and see if there are any areas you can improve.

You can also join a songwriting group or workshop, where you can receive constructive feedback from other writers. This can be a great way to get new perspectives on your songs and learn from other writers.

“I’m always looking for feedback, whether it’s from my friends, family, or fellow songwriters. It’s so important to get different perspectives on your work.” – Taylor Swift

Some other things you may want to consider doing:

-Submit your music to online forums or communities specifically for feedback.

-Attend live performances and talk to the audience after the show to get feedback on your music.

-Work with a music teacher or coach to get feedback on your songs and techniques.

Keep Writing

The more you write, the better you’ll become at songwriting. It’s as simple as that.

The more songs you write, the more experience you’ll have, and the easier it will be to come up with new ideas and improve your craft. So don’t be afraid to keep writing, even if not all of your songs are hits.

“I just kept writing and writing, and eventually, I got better at it. The more songs you write, the better you’ll become.” – Ed Sheeran

Steal from the Best

It’s no secret that many of the world’s greatest songwriters have borrowed ideas from other artists. If you’re struggling to come up with something new, try looking at other songs for inspiration.

Listen to your favorite songs and see what makes them special. What is it about the melody, lyrics, or chords that you like? Once you identify what it is, try incorporating those elements into your own song.

Of course, you don’t want to plagiarize someone else’s work. But if you’re inspired by your favorite songs, there’s nothing wrong with using that as a starting point for writing your own track.

You can also try watching movies or reading books – anything that might give you a spark of creativity.

“I’ve always stolen from the best. I steal from every single person that I ever liked.” – John Lennon

Find inspiration

So how do we find inspiration? There’s no one answer to that question. It can come from anywhere – a piece of music, a painting, a conversation with a friend, nature, even our own thoughts and experiences. The key is to stay open to it and be ready to seize the moment when it comes.

When we’re in a slump, there are things we can do to help get us out of it. Some might call these “inspiration boosters.” They can include things like taking a walk in nature, listening to music, reading poetry or other works of literature, or simply spending time in silence and contemplation.

“Inspiration is hard to come by. You have to keep your mind open and be ready for it. It can come from anywhere – a piece of music, a painting, a conversation with a friend, nature, even our own thoughts and experiences.” – Alicia Keys

In the end, finding inspiration is an individual journey that each of us must take for ourselves. It’s something that comes in different forms for different people and at different times. The important thing is to stay open to it and let it flow whenever and wherever it may arise.

“You have to be open to inspiration when it comes. It’s like a lightbulb going off in your head. When it happens, you have to be ready to seize the moment.” – Lady Gaga

Learn to break through writer’s block

No one in the music industry or any creative industry for that matter is immune to writer’s block, all artists experience it. When writing music you will face it too from time to time. Even the most successful songwriters go through periods where they can’t seem to come up with anything new.

The good news is that there are ways to break through it. The first step is to understand that having difficulties when songwriting is normal and happens to everyone. It’s not a sign that you’re not good enough or that you should give up songwriting.

Once you accept that writer’s block is a part of the creative songwriting process, it becomes easier to deal with.

What is writer’s block? For many people, it’s a fancy word to describe an elusive condition that seems to strike at random. One minute you’re on a roll, cranking out song after song with ease. The next, you can’t seem to string two words together.

Difficulties with songwriting can be caused by a lack of inspiration or ideas. But it can also be the result of perfectionism, fear, or even fatigue. If you’re struggling to overcome them, here are a few things that might help:

– Take a break: Sometimes the best way to get out of a rut is to take a break. Get up and walk around, go outside, listen to music, or do something completely unrelated to songwriting. Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery or some time to clear your head before the ideas start flowing again.

– Try a different approach: If you’re stuck, it might be time to try a different songwriting method. If you typically write alone, try co-writing with someone else. Or if you’re used to writing lyrics first, try starting with the melody. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to jumpstart your creativity.

– Set some parameters: One way to overcome writer’s block is to set some parameters for your song. This can be anything from a word count or time limit to a specific genre or style you want to write in. Having constraints can actually help you be more creative because it forces you to work within a specific framework.

– Draw inspiration from other sources: If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, try looking to other sources for inspiration. This could be anything from other songs or pieces of music to books, movies, or art. Sometimes all it takes is a spark of inspiration from another source to get your own creative juices flowing.

Believe in Yourself

One of the most important things for songwriters is to believe in themselves.

It can be easy to doubt your abilities, especially when you’re just starting out. But it’s important to remember that everyone has to start somewhere.

If you don’t believe in your songs, no one else will. So keep writing, and eventually, you’ll find success.

So have faith in yourself and your abilities – you can write great songs! Just keep writing, and eventually, you’ll find success.

“I think the most important thing for a songwriter is to believe in themselves, because it’s easy to get discouraged.” – Carrie Underwood

Bonus tip: Have Fun!

Writing songs should be fun, so make sure to enjoy yourself! So relax and let the music flow – if you’re having fun in your writing process, it will show in your songwriting.

“The best songs come from a place of just having fun and not overthinking it too much.” – Bruno Mars

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How to write better lyrics: 8 tips for your songwriting

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Illustration: Laura Bee

Have you ever tried writing your own lyrics?

I like to think that music fans fall into one of two camps: those who listen to songs without paying much attention to the lyrics, and those for whom lyrics can make or break a song. I personally fit in with the latter – I think songwriting is an art, and one that takes skill, dedication, practice, and constant improvement.

Established songwriters make it look easy, but if you’ve ever tried to write your own song, you’ll know that great lyrics don’t just pour out of you (not at first, anyway). There needs to be thought, intention, cohesiveness, and a certain level of skill behind them.

In this article, let’s go over a few of my favorite tips for writing better lyrics. Keep these in mind as you write, and you’ll quickly go from writing cheesy and repetitive lyrics to lyrics that evoke emotion and help your audience better understand and relate to your music.

Let’s dive in!

1. Show, don’t tell

Songwriting is a form of storytelling, and as with any story, it can be tempting to simply describe to your audience what happened and how you felt about it.

Imagine you’re telling a story about a relationship that has ended, and you’d like to convey how much you miss that person. You can, of course, just write lyrics like “I loved you and now you’re gone” or “I miss you with all my heart.” But, what if instead of telling us how you feel, you showed us?

Think of a person who clearly misses a former love. How do they act? How do they spend their time? Give us a glimpse of their day-to-day life and their thoughts. This will lead to a story that’s much more realistic and, therefore, relatable.

To help you do this, try treating your songwriting like a game of Taboo. Talk about love without ever including the word “love” in your song. Talk about missing someone without including the word “miss.”

As an example, in Bruno Major’s “Just the Same,” instead of saying “Get angry with me,” he says, “Smash all the pictures where I am in the frame.” Both convey the same emotion, but the latter is much more powerful and memorable.

2. Make use of imagery

A big reason why the idea of “show, don’t tell” works so well is because it gives us an opportunity to use our imagination and picture a scene in our minds. Being able to imagine the lyrics of a song engages more than just our listening skills – it creates an immersive experience, allowing us to feel the song more deeply, remember it better, and associate our own emotions with it.

When you have the chance, try to embellish your song with something the listener can visualize – this can be the room that the main character is in, the clothes they’re wearing, or an action they’re in the middle of. It doesn’t even have to be realistic; in fact, our minds are so powerful, they can imagine things that don’t exist in real life. Sometimes, creating a scene that one would normally never see in reality is the best way to convey a message in a unique and memorable way.

Take the second verse of JP Cooper’s “All This Love,” for example. He sings about an old relationship and how that person’s things are still all over his house, making it hard for him to move on. Of course, instead of putting it so simply, he says:

Water’s getting rough, swimming in your stuff, I just wanna get to the shore I’m drowning in memories of you that I try to ignore Still, I’m playing host hanging with the ghosts, telling them the story of you They always laugh at my jokes as we dance through the room

I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but picture JP Cooper literally swimming in an ocean of clothes and then having a dance party with a few friendly ghosts. It’s whimsical, but it works – I can imagine myself there, remember what it’s like to miss someone, and relate to what he’s feeling.

3. Don’t overuse metaphors

Another great technique in songwriting, and one you’re probably very familiar with, is using metaphors. However, there’s a difference between a cheesy metaphor that was thrown in for the sake of having a metaphor, and one that’s more subtle and intentional.

When it comes to metaphors, the key is to not overdo it. They’re a great tool for comparing one thing to another in order to explain its meaning or highlight its significance, but it’s too easy to rely on metaphors to make a song seem interesting.

If you’re going to use metaphors, stick to just a few, and make sure they fit the same theme or relate to each other somehow. When you use too many unrelated metaphors, the song can quickly become too confusing to decipher and your intended meaning can get lost.

The best way to avoid overusing metaphors is to make sure that you’re also doing the opposite – balance them with lines that are simple, to-the-point, and, again, show an emotion rather than describe it with fancy words and comparisons.

Here’s an example from Luca Fogale’s “I Don’t Want To Lose You.” First, he subtly compares his love interest to a bird:

And there’s a darkness in the way you sing And something curious in how you walk, as if you got a broken wing That makes me wanna help you find a way to throw your shadow We can even sing songs about your past loves at my piano

Note the last line here – there are no metaphors; it’s just an invitation for them to sing together. But underneath the simplicity, he’s saying, “share your pain with me – I won’t judge or get jealous; your wellbeing is my priority.” No metaphor can achieve the depth that a simple, literal line does here.

4. Avoid lyrics that are clichés

One of the worst things you can do for your song is fill it with overused lyrics. How many times have you heard the phrases “set me free,” “my broken heart,” “hold me close,” or “never let you go?” These (and many others) are used so often in songs that they’re considered too easy, and are usually a sign of poor songwriting.

You may ask, “Then why do we hear them so often on the radio?” Well, the artists we hear on the radio already have a reputation, a signature sound, and an established fanbase – they don’t need to impress anyone with their writing skills. However, if you’re less known or just breaking into the music industry, it’s absolutely crucial that your songs are unique and creative, and have the ability to stand out among the noise.

Here’s a good rule of thumb to follow to help you avoid using cliché phrases: if it sounds familiar, don’t use it. Of course, there are always exceptions; one or two of these phrases is usually okay, especially if you surround them with creative details or put your own spin on them. But whatever you do, don’t stuff your song with cliché lyrics in every line.

If you find yourself gravitating towards easy, familiar lyrics, challenge yourself to come up with a way to say the same thing using different words. Revisit the first two tips and use imagery to show the listener what you’re trying to convey, instead of just telling them.

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5. Find new ways to say the same thing

Finding different ways to say the same thing doesn’t just come in handy when you’re trying to save your song from having too many clichés. It’s also just a great technique to use whenever you want your lyrics to be more interesting or captivating.

Saying something in a way that people don’t normally hear in everyday conversation grabs the listener’s attention and helps them relate to your song in a unique way. When done correctly, it can make the listener think, “No one has ever put it this way before, but this is exactly how I feel.” Lines like this are what help the listener form a unique bond with your song, and can even lead to them becoming a lifelong fan.

One of my favorite songwriters is Kevin Garrett. He does this quite a lot in his songwriting, but here’s a quick example from his song “Never Knock:”

You are in my head When my heart’s a war And if I’m ever scared I’ll breathe the air in front of your door

He could have said, “I’ll stand in front of your door,” but the way he put it is so much more vulnerable and packs so much more emotion. It’s easily one of my favorite lyrics of all time.

6. Try new rhyming schemes

Common rhyming schemes in songwriting are ABAB or AABB, but there are so many more options out there. If you’re feeling uninspired, look to poetry to see what rhyming schemes are used and what effect they help achieve.

You can even create your own rhyming scheme by altering or combining the schemes you already know. Take AABB and turn it into ABCC, for example. The first two lines don’t even have to rhyme, as long as the last two do. Or take the ABCC structure and repeat it in the next stanza (a group of four lines) to create ABCC ABCC. Here, the first line of the first stanza rhymes with the first line of the second stanza, and so on. Not everyone might notice this, but those who do will absolutely give a nod to your creativity. There are really no rules to rhyming schemes, and the more you deviate from what’s expected, the more interesting your song will be.

Another thing you can try is playing around with the placement of your rhymes. Most rhymes are placed at the ends of lines for maximum effect, but there’s nothing that says rhymes can’t exist anywhere else. You can create internal rhymes, where words rhyme in the middle of the line. You can place two or three rhyming words next to each other.

Here’s a classic example of an internal rhyme from The Beatles:

Hey Jude, don’t be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, Then you begin to make it better.

You can even make two lines end with the same word, and make the second-to-last words rhyme instead.

7. Don’t force rhymes

While we’re on the subject of rhymes, one of the biggest signs of poor songwriting is forced rhymes. This happens when you set your heart on a perfect rhyme and come up with the rest of the line to help make that rhyme make sense. What you end up with is a cheesy, overused rhyme like “make up” and “break up,” and lyrics that were thrown together with no intention.

To overcome the tendency to force rhymes, let go of the idea that rhymes have to be perfect. Sure, this may be a must in certain genres of poetry, but in songwriting, there’s so much more to a song than perfect rhymes.

Rather than focusing on coming up with the best word to place at the end of your line, focus more on following the previous six tips – they’ll carry most of the weight in making your song more interesting and more meaningful.

If you can find a perfect rhyme and still say exactly what you wanted to say, great – but don’t spend too much time on it. You can always get away with a relatively loose rhyme because more often than not, the melody and the rhythm of the song will help trick the listener’s mind into hearing it as a perfect rhyme anyway.

If you can’t find even a loose rhyme, let go of the idea that lines have to rhyme at all! There are plenty of great songs that don’t have a single rhyme.

Take a look at Beyoncé’s “Pray You Catch Me” (another shoutout to Kevin Garrett for writing this one):

You can taste the dishonesty, it’s all over your breath As you pass it off so cavalier But even that’s a test Constantly aware of it all My lonely ear Pressed against the walls of your world

It can be hard to notice at first, but this verse has an ABACBC rhyming scheme, where the rhyming words are “breath / test,” “cavalier / ear,” “all / world.” These words barely rhyme, but the lyrics, melody, arrangement, and performance more than make up for it, coming together to create an achingly beautiful piece of music.

8. Prioritize your message

Whether it’s with rhymes, structure, the number of syllables in a line, or rhythm, it’s common to create rules for yourself and try to force your songwriting to fit those rules. We come up with a first verse, and then lose our minds trying to write a second verse that matches.

My personal philosophy when it comes to songwriting is to always prioritize the message. I like to sit down and write in prose what my story is going to be about, or write a few lines I know I definitely want to include. Then, I build the song around those lines, and use all of the above techniques to turn the prose into lyrics.

If things don’t quite rhyme, or if I can’t maintain the same structure or rhythm, I don’t stress over it. I let the story lead the way and trust that the message is more important than anything else.

That’s all the tips I have for now! Of course, there are other things you can do to improve your songwriting – habits, exercises, and prompts you can try. If you struggle with writing lyrics and would be interested in learning more, let us know in the comments below!

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March 12, 2021

SAYANA is a contemporary R&B singer-songwriter based in Toronto, Canada. She’s currently releasing a new song every month for a year. Check out her latest release, “Favourite Day” anywhere where you listen to music.

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Veteran singer-songwriter Alex Winston (The Knocks, Ryn Weaver) shares three invaluable songwriting lessons she’s gathered across her career.

In this article, let’s break down how you can use your dreams as inspiration for your songwriting.

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30+ Resume Objective Examples (Plus, Tips on How to Write Yours)

Resume objectives are a bit controversial. Some career experts see them as outdated, while others believe job seekers can still use them to their advantage. Although resume objective statements have slowly been replaced by resume summaries, they remain useful in certain situations—and that's why you should know how to write one, just in case.

For instance, if you're changing careers and your previous work experience doesn't quite match the new role you're after, an objective statement could help communicate your professional goals to the hiring manager. Likewise, if you're a recent graduate or looking to relocate, you could use this section of your resume to highlight these intentions.

We've gathered 32 resume objective examples—plus, some tips on how to craft one that grabs the hiring manager's attention.

What is a resume objective

A resume objective is a brief statement outlining your short-term career goals, usually one to two sentences long. It should be tailored to the specific job or industry you're pursuing and is placed at the top of your resume, just below the header.

What is a good objective for a resume, and when are they welcomed? That's what we'll show you in a moment.

When you should use a resume objective

Resume objectives aren't quite the norm these days, so they should be only used when you need to clarify why you're applying for that particular role or company. Here are three situations where using an objective statement is a good idea:

If you're doing a career pivot: A resume objective can guide recruiters on your career goals and prevent you from being disqualified when transitioning to a new field.
If you're changing locations: Applying for jobs outside your current state or city can leave recruiters uncertain about your location; a resume objective can clearly express your willingness to relocate.
If you're a recent graduate: Since you likely have little to no work experience to show, a resume objective can give a glimpse into who you are and what you aim to achieve.
If you've worked in a variety of roles: When your work history is all over the place, a resume objective statement can be a helpful tool to highlight your most relevant skills, experiences, and what you're looking for in your next role .

Resume objective vs. resume summary

A resume objective outlines your career goals and what you aim to achieve in a position, while a resume summary focuses on skills, accomplishments, education, and relevant experiences for the role.

“Think of the resume objective as your career aspiration and the summary as your professional snapshot,” says Angela Tait, People Operations Specialist and Founder of Tait Consulting . “The objective sets your sights forward, while the summary looks at your past and present achievements.”

How to write a resume objective

If you decide to write a resume objective, it'll be the first thing recruiters see on your resume, right after your name and contact information. This means their first impression will be based on how well-written your objective statement is. Here are key tips to do it right:

1. Mention your area of expertise

“Start by mentioning your area of expertise and the role you are applying for,” Tait says. This way, you let the employer know right away about your background and what you want to achieve professionally.

2. Show how you can add value to the company

Your objective statement—and your whole resume, actually—should be tailored to each job opening. “Personalize your resume objective by stating how you can add value to the company you're applying to,” Tait says. “For instance, ‘ Seeking to leverage my expertise in digital marketing to drive brand growth and engagement at XYZ Corp.’”

3. Highlight skills relevant to the role

Once again, to write an effective resume objective, keep in mind the role you're going for. “Focus on how your skills and interests align with that specific job opportunity,” says Conor Hughes, certified in Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) and HR Consultant at SMB Guide .

For example, for a software developer, skills in programming with languages like Java, C++, and Python are pretty important. Meanwhile, a graphic designer should highlight technical skills in creating and editing visual projects using tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma.

4. Optimize your statement for ATS machines

These days, most resumes get scanned by an ATS robot before reaching human recruiters. So, it's crucial to optimize your objective statement for these ATS machines. How? “Use keywords from the job description to show you have the relevant abilities they're looking for,” Hughes says.

If a job posting specifies “experience in copywriting” and “SEO optimization” as requirements, you should incorporate these exact keywords in your objective statement—and wherever else they fit on your resume. Using just “SEO” or only “copywriting” might not be enough; precision is key.

Need some help? Here's how to read the job description the right way —so you can stop sending resumes into the void.

5. Make it as concise as possible

Recruiters go through resumes really fast—that's one of the reasons two-page resumes aren't usually recommended. When writing your resume objective, keep it concise. “To one or two sentences max,” Hughes says. Remember, the goal is to give enough information about why you're applying for that role, not to share your whole life history.

32 resume objective examples to guide you

Now that we've covered the basics, here are 32 good examples of objectives for resumes categorized by job title and different professional situations, like career pivoting and entry-level positions. Use these examples as a guide, and don't forget to inject your own personality and core information.

General resume objectives examples

1. career change.

Copywriter with five years of experience, now transitioning into the UX Writing field, looking to leverage my writing and content creation skills to create digital experiences that drive business growth. Strong background in content strategy and data-driven decision making.

Find UX writer jobs on The Muse »

2. Relocation

Experienced customer service representative relocating to New York in July, seeking employment with an established customer support agency. I bring my strong communication skills , conflict resolution and customer retention ability developed in seven years working in the industry.

Find customer service jobs on The Muse »

3. Entry-level

Creative marketing graduate seeking a social media assistant entry-level position at a fast-growing marketing agency. My goal is to apply my strong storytelling and creative writing skills to create impactful content for clients and foster professional development.

Find marketing jobs on The Muse »

Compassionate and enthusiastic elementary school teacher with four years of experience teaching young students. Seeking to leverage my creative ideas, multitasking and organizational skills to create a safe and stimulating environment where children can play and learn.

Find teacher jobs on The Muse »

Registered nurse with three years of experience in patient care , currently specializing in pediatric nursing. Seeking to join the Grey Hospital nursing team and bring my knowledge of patient care and my critical thinking skills to foster a safe and empathic environment for patients.

Find registered nurse jobs on The Muse »

6. Journalist

Seasoned journalist seeking a News Reporter position at the USPN channel. I bring my five years of experience working on live television, interviewing sources, gathering and reporting information in fast-paced environments.

Find journalist jobs on The Muse »

Seeking a litigation paralegal position at The Law Group. I bring my three years of experience in conducting legal research, processing legal documents, and witness preparation for deposition and trial.

Find lawyer jobs on The Muse »

8. Architect

Experienced architect relocating to Houston, Texas in August. In my 10 years of experience in the architecture industry I was able to work both in industrial and residential projects, holding high proficiency in AutoCAD and Photoshop.

Find architect jobs on The Muse »

9. Real estate specialist

Passionate and proactive real estate specialist with solid experience in lease negotiation and facility management. Looking for a similar role to manage a real estate portfolio, implementing strategies to improve profitability and cost effectiveness.

Find real estate jobs on The Muse »

10. Waiter/Waitress

Seeking a waitress position at a local, family-led restaurant where my two years of experience in customer service and hospitality industry would contribute to create an exceptional experience to customers, guests, and clients.

Find waiter/waitress jobs on The Muse »

Resume objective examples for tech professionals

11. software engineer.

Software engineer with 5 years of experience in the banking industry, pivoting to the customer service industry to foster professional growth. Deep knowledge of object oriented programming, experienced with Java, C++, C#, Ruby, Python, and relational database schema design.

Find software engineer jobs on The Muse »

12. Software developer

Computer science graduate seeking an entry-level position as software developer. I bring my experience with Git, Java, and Python, as well as strong documentation abilities and communication skills .

Find software developer jobs on The Muse »

13. Data scientist

Experienced data scientist, seeking a senior position in the e-commerce industry. My goal is to leverage my ability to write complex and efficient SQL queries to extract data and translate business needs into analytical frameworks.

Find data scientist jobs on The Muse »

14. SEO analyst

SEO analyst, passionate about SEO and digital audience growth. 7 years of experience with site migrations, SEO analytics tools (Google Search Console, Chartbeat, Google Analytics, and SEMRush), reporting and sharing data insights, and making data-driven decisions.

Find SEO analyst jobs on The Muse »

15. UI/UX Designer

Mid level UI/UX Designer, seeking employment in a fast-growing tech startup. Solid experience with user-centered design principles, knowledge of responsive design, strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Find UI/UX Designer jobs on The Muse »

Examples of resume objectives for creative jobs

16. content writer.

Results-driven content writer with two years of experience writing for blogs and websites. Skilled in SEO, creative copywriting, and storytelling, looking forward to applying my skills and creative ideas to help XYZ build an engaged audience.

Find content writer jobs on The Muse »

17. Graphic designer

Creative graphic designer seeking an entry level-position in the education industry. Proficient with InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma, and After Effects, quick learner with strong time management skills.

Find graphic designer jobs on The Muse »

18. Video editor

Outcome-oriented video editor, proficient with Final Cut, After Effects, Adobe Premiere, and Photoshop. Seeking employment in the entertainment industry where I intend to apply my extensive experience in storytelling and project management to create engaging stories.

Find video editor jobs on The Muse »

19. Social media manager

Experienced social media professional, seeking a manager position at a high-growth company. I bring my in-depth knowledge of social media strategy and five years of agency experience creating content that is engaging and exciting to the community.

Find social media manager jobs on The Muse »

Resume objective examples for administrative roles

20. front desk.

Highly energetic tourism and hospitality graduate, looking for a front desk clerk position. 1.5 years of experience in customer service. Strong time management and organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to learn quick and adapt in fast paced environments.

Find front desk jobs on The Muse »

21. Receptionist

Looking for a receptionist position in the real estate industry. Three years experience in customer-facing roles, communication and leadership skills, ability to work with tight deadlines focusing on all aspects of a task or project.

Find receptionist jobs on The Muse »

22. Administrative assistant

Seeking an administrative assistant role in the healthcare industry. I bring five years of experience in customer service, advanced Excel skills, and ability to multitask to perform my duties in a timely and efficient manner.

Find administrative assistant jobs on The Muse »

23. Human resources

Human resources graduate, looking for an entry level human resources generalist position with ABC company to apply my strong verbal and written communication skills , analytical abilities, and proficiency in Microsoft applications to provide hands-on assistance to the HR team.

Find human resources jobs on The Muse »

24. Logistics

Logistics supervisor seeking a manager position at AABB company. I bring my extensive experience in global logistics operations and project management to enhance supply chain and logistics efficiency and achieve cost-effectiveness.

Find logistics jobs on The Muse »

25. Executive assistant

Seeking an executive assistant role at XYZ company. I'm an experienced professional with strong interpersonal skills, ability to multitask, and attention to detail to provide timely and high quality administrative office support to senior level leaders.

Find executive assistant jobs on The Muse »

26. Office manager

Experienced administrative assistant seeking an office manager position in a fast-paced work environment to apply my written communication skills, time management, prioritization, and planning abilities and provide exceptional service and foster professional growth.

Find office manager jobs on The Muse »

Resume objective examples for sales jobs

27. sales assistant.

Problem solver and team player sales professional, seeking a sales assistant position in a challenging work environment. I bring my experience supporting high acquisition organizations, willingness to learn, and winning team spirit to support sales teams.

Find sales assistant jobs on The Muse »

28. Sales manager

Dynamic sales manager seeking employment in the pharmaceutical industry to develop strategic sales plans and achieve revenue and market share objectives. Two years of experience in pharmaceutical sales plus three years of experience in general sales, excellent communication and leadership skills.

Find sales manager jobs on The Muse »

29. Cashier

Recent high school graduate looking for a cashier position at a company with a culture of recognition and excellence. One year of experience in retail sales, strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills to represent the company in a professional manner.

Find cashier jobs on The Muse »

Examples of resume objectives for finance careers

30. banking.

Seasoned relationship banker looking to secure an investment banking analyst position at Bank of America. 15 years of experience in the banking industry, advanced knowledge of banking transactions, strong interpersonal skills, and ability to develop and expand relationships with stakeholders.

Find banking jobs on The Muse »

31. Accounting

B.S. graduate in accounting seeking an entry-level accounting associate position to use my growth mindset, desire to learn, and organizational skills to ensure financial goals are achieved and foster professional development.

Find accounting jobs on The Muse »

32. Financial analyst

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) looking to secure a senior position in a competitive and results-driven work environment. 10 years of experience in financial analysis in banking and technology industries, advanced Excel and SQL skills, and ability to articulate analysis outcomes and relevant insights.

Find financial analyst jobs on The Muse »

Key takeaways

Resume objectives aren't the favorite of most recruiters, but they still serve a purpose. If you're career pivoting, relocating, applying for your first job, or have a diverse professional background, an objective statement can help the hiring manager understand your career goals and how they align with the job opportunity.

However, in other circumstances, using a resume summary might be more appropriate. (Here are 20 resume summary examples to make writing your own easier .)

The 35 greatest songs made for movies

They're cheesy, they're catchy, they're what make us love our favorite movies even more

Sometimes, another way to enjoy a movie has nothing to do with sitting in a theater. Instead, it might have you sitting in traffic, singing along with the radio on full blast. But which songs written for movies are truly the greatest of all time?

Almost as long as there have been movies, music has played a critical role in making a movie feel bigger than any screen could contain. By the pop music revolution of the 1960s, there came a reoccurring synergy between the movie and music industries, with pop artists writing and recording songs inspired by the stories told in movies. In some extreme cases, it’s musicians themselves who appear in the movies too.

Below, we rank the greatest songs made for movies. To be clear on the parameters: We’re excluding songs written independent of the movie and only added to the movie’s soundtrack after their creation. (Believe it or not, Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” wasn’t actually made for Batman Forever!) We’re also excluding songs from movie musicals, because not only do many songs originate for the stage but it’s also kind of cheating when you think about it. With that in mind, these are the songs that made some of our favorite movies so unforgettable.

35. Aaliyah, “Try Again” (Romeo Must Die, 2000)

When the late pop/R&B singer Aaliyah landed her first movie role, opposite kung fu star Jet Li in the romantic action-drama Romeo Must Die, she got to work right away on the soundtrack before even shooting the movie. Originally conceived as an inspirational anthem, “Try Again” was rewritten to be a love song to better suit the film, which tells of star-crossed lovers who hail from warring crime families. Innovative in its blend of hip-hop and R&B with electronic instrumentation, “Try Again” is both far ahead of its time and the encapsulation of Aaliyah’s woefully short career.

34. Queen, “Princes of the Universe” (Highlander, 1986)

In the epic fantasy film Highlander, Christopher Lambert plays an immortal swordsman who battles his rival for centuries, their blood feud climaxing in late 20th century New York City. Queen frontman Freddie Mercury wrote the movie’s theme song “Princes of the Universe” (lifted from its original working title), and though it never charted in any market anywhere, it retains notoriety as one of the few times Queen ever flirted with heavy metal artistry. At the very least, it makes you want to pick up a sword and look into the eyes of your sworn enemy and declare: There can only be one.

33. Lustra, “Scotty Doesn’t Know” (EuroTrip, 2004)

Rollicking as it is embarrassing for anyone named Scotty, “Scotty Doesn’t Know” suits the Mountain Dew-fueled juvenalia of the early 2000s with vulgar lyrics about the exploits of some poor guy’s cheating girlfriend. In the raunchy sex comedy EuroTrip, high school graduate Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz) finds out his girlfriend Fiona (Kristin Kreuk) has been sleeping with the lead singer of a punk band (played by Matt Damon, in a surprise cameo). His heartbreak kicks off a vacation to Europe, with Scotty trying to make amends with his hot German pen pal. While EuroTrip bombed in theaters, the slow-burn popularity of “Scotty Doesn’t Know” helped make the movie a cult classic when it later released on DVD and cable TV.

32. The Wonders, “That Thing You Do!” (That Thing You Do!, 1996)

In the alternate 1960s of Tom Hanks’ directorial debut film That Thing You Do!, The Wonders rise and fall from rock music stardom through the awesome power of their hit single “That Thing You Do.” (In reality, the song was written by the late Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, with singer Mike Viola on lead vocals.) Conceived as an amalgamation of bands like The Beatles and The Beach Boys and their formative role shaping modern pop music, “That Thing You Do!” is like hearing the greatest American rock band that never lived. Fun fact: The movie’s actors, many of whom were not real musicians themselves, practiced their instruments so much that on-set extras believed they were actually playing the song live during filming.

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31. Chad Kroeger, “Hero” (Spider-Man, 2002)

When superhero movies first rose to power in the early 21st century, post-grunge was still the rock subgenre du jour. That’s how Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger and Saliva’s Josey Scott teamed up for “Hero,” written and recorded for Sam Raimi’s 2002 superhero smash hit Spider-Man. In defiance to expectations, the song’s lyrics avoid explicit mention of spiders and webs (leave it to emo band Dashboard Confessional to pick up this slack in the sequel) and instead emphasize on more old school heroics, in its military drumming and invocation of flying eagles. Though memorable for being a Spider-Man song, “Hero” is universal as the anthem for anyone who understands what it means to sacrifice for a greater good.

30. Matt Monro, “On Days Like These” (The Italian Job, 1969)

If you ever have the luxury of driving an exotic sports car through the winding roads of the Swiss Alps – as Rossano Brazzi does in the opening of the 1969 comedy caper The Italian Job – “On Days Like These” is just the kind of song you want to hear. Composed by Quincy Jones and sung by renowned crooner Matt Monro, the song’s painterly lyrics of carefree leisure clash with regretful yearning for a long-lost lover. Listen closely for the ethereal backup vocalists, who help give the song a daydream-esque texture.

29. Billie Eilish, “What Was I Made For?” (Barbie, 2023)

After a period of writer’s block, Billie Eilish was invited by Barbie director Greta Gerwig to see a rough cut of her soon-to-be summer blockbuster. With the movie’s probing of existence and worth, Eilish wrote a slow ballad with unexpected autobiographical qualities where she takes on the point-of-view of Barbie and asks what it means to be alive. In doing so, Eilish wrestles with her own status as a modern icon. The song is heard at the end of the film, when Barbie glimpses the totality of the human experience and decides for herself to be part of it. In a Billboard interview, Eilish said: “I was purely inspired by this movie and this character and the way I thought she would feel, and wrote about that. And then, over the next couple days, I was listening and I was like … I'm writing for myself and I don't even know it.”

28. Jackie Chan, “Hero Story” (Police Story, 1985)

It may surprise anyone outside Asia to learn this fact, but Jackie Chan is a celebrated actor and singer in his native Hong Kong who releases music for almost all his movies. Among his most famous songs is still “Hero Story,” a Cantonese-language pop rock tune about fearless heroism against overwhelming odds. It’s an appropriate song for his immortal action blockbuster Police Story, which stars Chan as a death-defying Hong Kong policeman who seeks to arrest a major crime boss. If you ever need to foot chase after gangsters in highway traffic, “Hero Story” is the song you want to queue up.

27. Will Smith, “Men in Black” (Men in Black, 1997)

Before he became a movie star, Will Smith came to fame as a rapper alongside producer DJ Jazzy Jeff. But in 1997, the “Fresh Prince” went solo with his stupid catchy theme song for the sci-fi summer blockbuster Men in Black, which Smith co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones. With buttery-smooth lyrics (sung in character as his Agent J) and inspired riffing over Patrice Rushen’s “Forget Me Nots,” Smith makes the job of policing space aliens sound like the coolest gig in the galaxy. “Men in Black” makes you want to put on a black suit and Ray-Bans and walk, and dance, like you own the place.

26. Karen O and Ezra Koenig, “The Moon Song” (Her, 2013)

At the 86th Academy Awards, “Let It Go” from Disney ’s Frozen was just too much of a powerhouse not to award the Oscar for Best Original Song. But in contention was the tender acoustic song “The Moon Song,” for Spike Jonze’s romantic sci-fi Her. Co-written by Jonze and Karen O (the latter singing in duet with Ezra Koenig), “The Moon Song” tells of two lovers whose hearts are together despite being so far apart. It’s a feeling shared by the movie’s characters, played by Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, with Phoenix playing a human man deep in love with a cutting-edge A.I. assistant (voiced by Johassnon).

25. Dolly Parton, “9 to 5” (9 to 5, 1980)

While Dolly Parton was shooting the celebrated workplace comedy 9 to 5 (which also stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin), she found that her long acrylic fingernails could simulate the clacky sounds of a typewriter. She promptly began penning what would become one of her biggest hits of the 1980s: “9 to 5,” an uptempo anthem about taking on the daily grind with a resentful smile. Featuring an unforgettable piano melody and its evergreen lyrics of women being taken for granted in professional spaces, “9 to 5” helped give the movie true cultural staying power, expanding into other mediums including a Broadway stage version in 2008. In 2017, the song was certified platinum by the RIAA.

24. Aimee Man, “Save Me” (Magnolia, 1999)

In the making of his 1999 ensemble drama Magnolia, which tells of various lost souls living in California’s San Fernando Valley, writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson was inspired by the music of his close friend, musician Aimee Man. So it was more than fitting that Aimee Man wrote songs just for the movie including the Oscar-nominated “Save Me.” With the film’s predominant themes of regret and loneliness, Man’s wistful song about dependency invites audiences to meditate over their own crushing disappointments as the movie’s credits crawl upwards.

23. Huey Lewis & The News, “The Power of Love” (Back to the Future, 1985)

When Huey Lewis was approached by Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg to write a song for their movie Back to the Future, Lewis passed, believing he didn’t have it in him to write one. But when Zemeckis invited Lewis to sing about anything he wanted, he agreed by submitting whatever song came out of him next. That next song was “The Power of Love,” an energetic mid-’80s pop rock song about the allure of love – and nothing about time-traveling DeLoreans. Through the buoyant power of Zemeckis’ sci-fi adventure, “The Power of Love” enjoys ongoing relevance as a Gen-X staple, even if the movie and the song have little to do with each other.

22. Coolio feat. LV, “Gangsta’s Paradise” (Dangerous Minds, 1995)

In an instance of a movie’s song eclipsing the movie itself, Coolio and LV’s collab track “Gangsta’s Paradise” is anything but a pleasant escape. In the song, Coolio laments life in rough urban neighborhoods, being “the kind of G that little homies wanna be like” despite the reality that he maybe won’t live to see 25. (Coolio actually died in 2022, at age 59.) As for the movie, it stars Michelle Pfeiffer playing LouAnne Johnson, a real-life U.S. Navy veteran who worked as an inner-city high school teacher and used her military background to straighten up her students. The song’s ghostly vocals and overall brutality has afforded it lasting life in the mainstream consciousness, while Dangerous Minds has faded from memory as a footnote in Pfeiffer’s filmography.

21. Bee Gees, “Stayin’ Alive” (Saturday Night Fever, 1977)

Easily the Bee Gees’ most popular song and one of the greatest disco anthems of all time, “Stayin’ Alive” was written and recorded for the John Travolta vehicle Saturday Night Fever. Despite its ubiquitous presence in wedding party playlists, the song is not actually about celebration but survival in crime-ridden New York City. (Funny enough, the Bee Gees were far away in a Parisian village when they wrote it.) Still, nothing about its grim contents have stopped “Staying Alive’” from summoning everyone in earshot to boogie down on the dance floor, its upbeat tempo and groovy guitar funk inviting all to do their best Travolta impersonations.

20. Barbara Streisand, “The Way We Were” (The Way We Were, 1973)

Good love songs don’t have to be happy. Sometimes the best ones are about love that’s lost forever. Barbara Streisand’s Oscar-winner “The Way We Were,” made for the 1973 Sydney Pollack movie is about such love – a love that didn’t last despite everyone’s best efforts. Sung from the perspective of her character Katie Morosky, a political activist in a strained marriage with a writer (Robert Redford), “The Way We Were” turned around Streisand’s career and later defined it, being one of her most successful songs in her entire career.

19. Elvis Presley, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (Blue Hawaii, 1961)

At the apex of his career, actor/rock star Elvis Presley made music for his own movies with the most famous being “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Written and recorded for the 1961 romantic-comedy Blue Hawaii, where Presley stars as an ex-soldier eager to start a chill life surfing all day, Presley belts out this immortal tribute to love and its irresistible grasp over the narrator. With angelic backup vocalists, lyrics that paint Hawaii’s stunning natural scenery, and an easygoing sound that feels like a dream, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” shows how much true love can feel like paradise.

18. Ray Parker Jr., “Ghostbusters” (Ghostbusters, 1984)

A Halloween staple, Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” is as goofy as it is catchy, and more impressive when you consider the constraints Parker Jr. had to make it. When Parker Jr. was approached by the producers to write a song for the movie, he had only a few days to deliver a final version. (That’s on top of other major factors to consider, like a potential title change to “Ghostbreakers.”) Still, Parker Jr. found inspiration late one night watching television infomercials, and the Ghostbusters’ existence as a small business serving as an ideal starting point. “Ghostbusters” has since become Parker Jr.’s biggest hit and the theme song for the whole franchise. Who you gonna call? We know who, thanks to this song.

17. Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, “See You Again” (Furious 7, 2015)

The Fast & Furious is known for fist-pumping soundtracks featuring raggaeton and phonk, but the sentimental pop-rap song “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth defies tradition to bid farewell to Paul Walker, who died during filming Furious 7. (The song is heard at the end of the movie, when Walker’s Brian drives off into the sunset forever.) “See You Again” has a tearful yet hopeful tone, with a tinge of triumph commemorating the roads traveled together and assured belief that all roads eventually lead back home.

16. The Goo Goo Dolls, “Iris” (City of Angels, 1998)

Imagine being so in love with someone that you’re willing to give up everything about yourself. That’s the idea that drove Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik after he saw an early cut of City of Angels, a romantic-fantasy where Nicholas Cage plays an angel who falls in love with a mortal woman (played by Meg Ryan). In a 2013 interview with Songfacts, Rzeznik reflected: “This guy is completely willing to give up his own immortality, just to be able to feel something very human.” “Iris” wound up one of the most famous songs by The Goo Goo Dolls, celebrated for its hazy and airy songwriting about love and its spellbinding powers.

15. Bruce Springsteen, “Streets of Philadelphia” (Philadelphia, 1993)

Leave it to New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen to compose one of the greatest tributes to the Pennsylvania city. Underscored by the devastation of the AIDS crisis, “Streets of Philadelphia” is a somber yet sentimental portrait of the good people whose footsteps echo on the pavement. The song was custom-made for Jonathan Demme’s legal drama Philadelphia, in which Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington co-star as a gay man stricken with AIDS (Hanks) who hires a bigoted lawyer (Washington) to take on his anti-discrimination case. With lyrics like “Saw my reflection in a window and I didn’t know my own face” and “Oh brother, are you gonna leave me wastin’ away,” Springsteen stirs deep-rooted empathy for the most vulnerable among us to test how much we honor what it means to be from a city of brotherly love.

14. B.J. Thompson, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969)

While audiences of a certain age may know it best from Spider-Man 2, B.J. Thompson’s “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” actually comes from the iconic 1969 Western epic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. With its vaudeville-style instrumentation, many people – including movie co-star Robert Redford – thought the song was the wrong choice for a gritty gunslinger picture. But director George Roy Hill clearly saw something in the juxtaposition, and he was right. Playing during a break in the film, the song is heard when Paul Newman’s Butch takes the beautiful Etta (Katharine Ross) on an afternoon bicycle ride, creating one of the most romantic scenes of all time – and a point of tragedy when the outlaw lifestyle inevitably catches up with him.

13. Simple Minds, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (The Breakfast Club, 1985)

Originally, Simple Minds passed on the chance to record “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” The band were even invited to watch the revolutionary teen movie from John Hughes before anyone else, and still felt the job wasn’t for them. It took further convincing by the label and The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde (then the wife of Jim Kerr, Simple Minds’ lead singer) to agree, with Kerr adding the now-iconic “Hey, hey, hey” that kicks off the song. For such a small, intimate movie about a fateful Saturday in high school detention, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is outsized in its stadium rock scope. But its placement at the beginning and end of this beautiful movie inspires all of us to find friendship, or something more, in the unlikeliest of places.

12. Liza Minelli/Frank Sinatra, “New York, New York” (New York, New York, 1977)

It just makes all sense in the world that a Martin Scorsese movie would give New York City its own theme song. Written and recorded for Scorsese’s romantic drama of the same name with Robert De Niro and Liza Minelli, “New York, New York” was first performed by Minelli whose version is heard in the movie. Two years later, Frank Sinatra covered it for his 55th album Trilogy, subsequently becoming a prominent song played in celebration of the “city that never sleeps.” From Yankees games to New Year’s Eve in Times Square, “New York, New York” is musical short-hand for the five boroughs.

11. R.E.M., “The Great Beyond” (Man on the Moon, 1999)

Made for the Andy Kaufman biopic starring Jim Carrey, R.E.M.'s alt-rock tune “The Great Beyond” is all about untouchable genius and the alienation it fosters in a person’s life. With loose references to Kaufman’s comedy career mixed with impossible and even cosmic imagery (“There’s a new planet in the solar system/There is nothing up my sleeve”), “The Great Beyond” is a song that strives to imagine what it takes to reach for the stars – even if it comes at the cost of human understanding.

10. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, “Shallow” (A Star is Born, 2018)

There have been many film versions of A Star is Born, but there is only one “Shallow.” A unique blend of rock, country, and folk, the acclaimed song contains the thoughts and feelings of the movie’s main characters – Jack (Bradley Cooper), a major musician, and his wife Ally (Lady Gaga), an aspiring singer – who interrogate if they’re actually happy and if they’re prepared to go somewhere deeper. A monster hit that collected trophies from both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes, “Shallow” showed the combined artistry of Cooper as a filmmaker and Gaga as a musician were anything but.

9. Adele, “Skyfall” (Skyfall, 2012)

The James Bond franchise boasts its own library of original songs, but few are worthy of singular recognition as “Skyfall.” Written and performed by Adele for the 23rd James Bond film and the fourth starring Daniel Craig, “Skyfall” is a maximalist dramatic ballad characterized by a gloomy tone, which speaks to Bond’s fear in confronting his own past. Rather ironically, its timeless quality to sound like it could have been made for any other Bond film, from Connery to Brosnan, makes it one of the more unique songs in the whole 007 series. “Skyfall” just sounds like Bond, an astonishing feat when some 20 other artists have tried to do the same before.

8. Kendrick Lamar and SZA, “All the Stars” (Black Panther, 2018)

When Marvel Studios was in production of its monumental superhero epic Black Panther, director Ryan Coogler worked with Grammy-winner Kendrick Lamar to produce a unique soundtrack experience. In an album jam-packed with incredible bangers, one stands tall: “All the Stars,” which plays at the movie’s end credits. Lamar, along with SZA, draw upon the cosmic origins of Wakanda’s rich blessings to stargaze, to question their place in the multiverse as they ask the ancestors for guidance. Though the song contains autobiographical allusions to Lamar’s career in the music industry, the lines blur to also tell of T’Challa, the king of Wakanda and the Black Panther, whose noble duty to represent his people can overwhelm even the mightiest avenger. Heavy is the head that wears the vibranium crown.

7. Survivor, “Eye of the Tiger” (Rocky III, 1982)

We have Queen to thank for Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” As the story goes, Sylvester Stallone hoped to use Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” for Rocky III. But after they denied his request, Stallone turned to another band, Survivor, to make something gritty and pulsating for Rocky’s vengeful bout against Clubber Lang (Mr. T). After receiving an early copy of the movie’s training montages, Survivor guitarist Frankie Sullivan and keyboardist Jim Peterik sourced their lyrics from the movie’s dialogue and delivered an all-time banger that has inspired countless people to get out of bed and hit the gym.

6. Simon & Garfunkel, “Mrs. Robinson” (The Graduate, 1967)

While director Mike Nichols was making his landmark comedy-drama The Graduate, he was obsessed with the music of Simon & Garfunkel and personally asked them to make songs for the movie. After he passed on “Punky’s Dilemma” and “Overs,” the band offered a work-in-progress song tentatively titled “Mrs. Roosevelt.” When they started calling it “Mrs. Robinson,” based on Anne Bancroft’s character (who sleeps with the movie’s protagonist, played by Dustin Hoffman), Nichols was immediately interested. When he heard it, he was floored. The song was finished and fine-tuned, and included in a movie that has come to totally define youthful malaise.

5. Eminem, “Lose Yourself” (8 Mile, 2002)

Just for a second, forget all those “mom’s spaghetti” memes. With its aggressive instrumentation and Eminem’s palpable fury heard in every bar, “Lose Yourself” – the first hip-hop song to ever win the Oscar for Best Original Song – is both a sublime summary of Eminem himself and the movie it was written for: 8 Mile, itself loosely based on the rapper’s life growing up in Detroit. An inspirational track sans cartoonish mawkishness, “Lose Yourself” is a song deserving of ear-bleeding decibels to fire up the fighting spirit and awaken the B-Rabbit in all of us.

4. Kenny Loggins, “Danger Zone” (Top Gun, 1986)

A song for daredevils everywhere, Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” perfectly captures the thrill of flirting with death and surviving through 90 percent skill and 10 percent luck. Conceived out of necessity when the producers of Top Gun failed to find the right music for its opening sequence, “Danger Zone” was first composed by electronic music legend Giorgio Moroder; Columbia Records then asked Moroder to hire any artist under contract to record vocals. Toto and Jefferson Starship were among the first to be asked before the gig went to Kenny Loggins, who had already experienced some movie-related fame from Footloose. While Loggins had nothing to do with its creation, it’s his passionate vocals that are a sort of finishing touch, allowing the song to hit mach speed levels of intensity.

3. Bob Dylan, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, 1973)

Folk music titan Bob Dylan has rarely involved himself with the movie business, not including a few Martin Scorsese documentaries of which he’s the focus. But once in 1973, Dylan acted in Sam Peckinpah’s Western movie Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, and even recorded its soundtrack. The album includes his mournful ballad “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” which even in a robust catalog as Bob Dylan’s still comes out as one of his best songs of all time. Remarkably simple in its compositions, the song underscores a specific scene where a dying lawman (played by Slim Pickens) is comforted by his wife by a riverbed. While shootouts happen all the time in Western movies, few end with the delicate touch of sadness that Dylan imbues with his songwriting.

2. Aerosmith, “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” (Armageddon, 1998)

Aerosmith recorded several songs for the Michael Bay-directed hit Armageddon. But none of them sweep you off your feet like “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” its epic romanticism taking off like a rocket and hitting like a meteor. Written by award-winning songwriter Diane Warren, the song was inspired by a TV interview with actor James Brolin where he admitted that he missed his wife Barbara Streisand when they fell asleep; she wrote down the words “I don’t wanna miss a thing” on paper. Though Warren expected someone like Celine Dion to sing it, it eventually went to Aerosmith – frontman Steven Tyler’s daughter Liv Tyler stars in the movie – who gave the piece rock star stank, creating a high-voltage ballad that is still unstoppable after all these years.

1. Céline Dion, "My Heart Will Go On" (Titanic, 1997)

In a way, Céline Dion’s tender hit “My Heart Will Go On” was made for the most cynical of reasons. For Titanic writer/director James Cameron , he resisted ending his movie (which tells a fictional love story set against the real-world tragedy of the Titanic disaster) with a pop song, believing it to be inappropriate. He only agreed when he realized it would calm down anxious studio executives who wanted more guarantees that his expensive movie could be a hit. For singer Celine Dion, she was weary at doing yet another movie song (after Beauty and the Beast and Falling Into You) until her husband convinced her to do it anyway.

Despite these misgivings, there was clearly something in its rich, nostalgic lyricism (by Will Jennings) and James Horner-inspired melodies that led everyone to get on board. They’re probably glad they did, as the song wound up being a hit worthy of crushing icebergs. “My Heart Will Go On” is now one of Dion’s most recognizable and successful songs in her storied career, and the thing that made James Cameron’s 1997 film one of the most unsinkable films of the 20th century. Even if the song hasn’t retained all of its allure in the intervening years – outlets like Rolling Stone and The Atlantic wrote about it negatively in retrospective pieces – there’s no denying the irresistible appeal the song once had, and still might.

Eric Francisco is a freelance entertainment journalist and graduate of Rutgers University. If a movie or TV show has superheroes, spaceships, kung fu, or John Cena, he's your guy to make sense of it. A former senior writer at Inverse, his byline has also appeared at Vulture, The Daily Beast, Observer, and The Mary Sue. You can find him screaming at Devils hockey games or dodging enemy fire in Call of Duty: Warzone.

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Elin Hilderbrand Steps into New Waters After Retiring from Writing Beach Reads (Exclusive)

The bestselling author, known for her Nantucket-based novels, published her final summer book, 'Swan Song,' on June 11

Carly Tagen-Dye is the Books editorial assistant at PEOPLE, where she writes for both print and digital platforms.

Beowulf Sheehan; 2024 Hachette Book Group, Inc.

At the June 11 book signing for author Elin Hilderbrand’s new novel, Swan Song , the line of devoted readers, who call themselves the "Hilderbabes," wraps around Books and Greetings in Northvale, NJ. The majority of the event’s attendees are women of all ages, all waiting in anticipation of the author who has long been a meaningful part of their own lives. “My first book, I read on my 50th birthday on a ferry to Nantucket,” one fan tells PEOPLE of Hilderbrand’s novels. “I was like, ‘This is it for me. I love it.’” “I save [Hilderbrand’s books] for the summers,” another reader says. “That's the only time I read them, because I feel like they just transport me to Nantucket … If you read one of her books, you've gotten a grasp of a lot of them.” For Hilderbrand, who arrives at the event dressed in a striped, sunset-esque dress — it’s a tradition for each of her book signings to have a theme color — this new novel is both bittersweet and something of a relief. After writing 27 books based on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket, Swan Song , out now, is the last of Hilderbrand's summer-themed novels before she steps away from the genre . “My retirement, really, is for them,” Hilderbrand, 54, tells PEOPLE, of her fans. “I never want anybody to pick up my book and say, ‘It just wasn't as good as the last one.’ That is not going to happen. I've been watching a lot of people's careers and it's so important how you dismount.”

A beachy beginning

Paul Marotta/Getty

Hilderbrand still remembers the first time she saw Nantucket. It was 1993, and she was on the ferry into town for a visit. People began to stir on the top deck, and as the author looked out onto the water, she saw the island’s two church steeples and sailboats in the harbor come into view. It was infatuation at first sight. “I was like, ‘I love it here,’” she recalls. “‘I love it here, and I'm never leaving.’” At the time, Hilderbrand, who grew up in Pennsylvania, was living in New York. Soon, she would quit her job in book publishing and follow a childhood love of writing (she won Best Author of her second grade class) to study at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Hilderbrand still remembers her first published pieces as budding writer — her debut publication, a short story called "Misdirection" in Seventeen Magazine, brought in $800.

“The rest, it just didn't end up being that easy,” she says. Her 2000 debut novel, The Beach Club , boosted by a mention in PEOPLE, sold out its first run of 2,500 copies, but success came more gradually with her other titles. Her first #1 New York Times bestseller was the 2019 historical fiction novel Summer of ‘69 . As a local on Nantucket, where she moved permanently in 1994, Hilderbrand often references real places, and runs into readers on the daily. Pulling fiction from fact, however, is a delicate dance. Her novel, The Rumor , was inspired by a real experience. When Hilderbrand went to receive a biopsy prior to a breast cancer diagnosis (she is now cancer free, per her website ), someone saw her at the hospital. Rumors spread about her having cancer before she even got her results, Hilderbrand says.

"I'm like, 'Okay, I'm writing a novel about all these people who gossip and I'm going to put all these real gossippers in the book, which I did," she says. "But you have to change them so much so that they fit the narrative, [so] that nobody knew who they were except for me."

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now ! When she can, Hilderbrand writes her drafts longhand by the ocean. She didn’t change anything about her process for Swan Song – less out of superstition and more out of knowing what works. “Every book, successively for the last four or five years, has gotten harder for me to write, because Nantucket is small and I have to have fresh takes,” she says. “And it's hard to get fresh takes on number 27.” The novel, which chronicles the arrival of a mysterious couple on Nantucket, brings back some of Hilderbrand’s most beloved characters for one last adventure on the island. Though Hilderbrand ended her Nantucket novels on her own terms, it was still an emotional milestone. “I was okay until I wrote the last chapter,” she says. “I cried, and then every time I read it, I cried.”

Stepping into fresh waters

Elin Hilderbrand/Instagram

For such a longtime literary icon, it’s only natural that Hilderbrand is turning her sights on becoming a book influencer — both through social media, where she often takes to Instagram to promote new authors, and on her podcast, Books, Beach & Beyond , which she cohosts with Nantucket Book Foundation president Tim Ehrenberg. “I never wanted the listener to feel like they had to go read a book,” Hilderbrand says of the podcast. “I wanted it to be a person [who] they've already read the books.” To date, Hilderbrand has chatted with everyone from Colleen Hoover to Jake Tapper on the program. Sarah Jessica Parker, a dedicated reader who launched her book imprint, SJP Lit, in 2022, recently kicked off season two.

Hilderbrand, a mother of three, is also writing a book series with her daughter, Shelby. The novels are set in an academy, based upon the boarding school that Shelby attended. Both mother and daughter were fascinated by some of the school’s traditions, including an annual dance that Hilderbrand describes as more akin to a rave. “At some point in her second semester of her first year, I'm like, ‘We are writing a book about this,’” Hilderbrand says. The two brainstormed characters together, as well as “a universe that's not unlike the Hotel Nantucket.” Hilderbrand recently finished a draft of the first book, and is sending it to Shelby so she can rewrite the dialogue. “I'm in a new genre world here,’” Hilderbrand says. “It does not sound even remotely realistic if you're not just using the language that the kids use.”

“My kind of novel matters”

Long ago dubbed the “Queen of the Beach Read,” the forthcoming novel series marks a new period in Hilderbrand's career. The author admits that she’s had some quibbles with how the beach read genre, and her Nantucket novels in particular, have been received over the years. “The [words] ‘easy’ and ‘breezy’ or ‘easy breezy’ just drive me crazy,” she says. “I know what they mean. They mean it's not dark, it's not depressing, it's not gritty … It might not even be construed as important, but if you don't connect with the characters, you're not going to turn the pages.”

Hilderbrand, who prefers to read literary fiction in her free time, takes the tools she learned in graduate school and applies them to a beach setting. It’s the reason why her stories are both an escape and, occasionally, an emotional reading experience. Amongst the sun and sand, her characters face death, illness and other tough life factors. Because of this, Hilderbrand has had many meaningful interactions with fans over the years. A mother whose daughter was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting told Hilderbrand that her novels got her through that difficult period. A woman revealed that she was reading the author’s 2017 novel, The Identicals , to her aunt when she died from breast cancer in hospice care. Hilderbrand even carries a letter in her bag from a reader who kept her novels close after experiencing multiple miscarriages and postpartum depression, and who was later inspired to join a book club. “My books got her back out into the world,” Hilderbrand says. “I read that [letter] because it's so inspiring, but it's also proof that my kind of novel matters, and it has purpose and it has value.”

Looking toward the horizon

Beowulf Sheehan

As she welcomes fans in the children’s section of Books and Greetings — taking pictures, complimenting summer outfits and giving her own thanks right back — Hilderbrand is indeed at the end of an era. It’s striking to hear the stories her readers share with her as they come up to her table to have their books signed, and to witness the subtle (and occasionally outright) sadness of one last summer novel event together. “People have been bringing me presents, which they always sort of brought me presents, but now [they bring] retirement cards, which is so funny because I feel so young,” the author says.

But Hilderbrand isn't leaving the Hilderbabes behind just yet. Following her book tour, she will hold weekly signings at Mitchell’s Book Corner on Nantucket throughout the fall for her local devotees. So many show up, however, that the author has had to cap each signing at 135 tickets, in order for her to get out on time. The author is paring down her other events too, like her famous Bucket List weekends, where she joins readers around the island to explore the setting of her books. “As soon as I get home on June 21, the summer should be very mellow,” the author says. “I do some fun things with my friends and with the kids.” In addition to some much-needed rest, she's also looking forward to the long-awaited TV adaptation of her 2018 novel, The Perfect Couple . The show is set to head to Netflix before the end of the year, and stars Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber .

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. For Hilderbrand, this last book is also an opportunity to reflect. She thinks back on words of wisdom given to her by a college professor before graduation. “He said, ‘You got to go out in the world and live,’” she says. “And it is that advice that I give people, and it is that advice that has served me.” Swan Song is now available, wherever books are sold.

CollaNote: Notes & PDF Markup 4+

Note with 25+ pens & pencils, zauberberg lab company limited, designed for ipad.

4.8 • 12.5K Ratings
Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

CollaNote : Powerful Note-Taking, PDF Markup, and Digital Planning - All-in-One - Versatile Toolset: Experience an extensive collection of 25 pens and brushes, surpassing other note-taking apps in options for creativity - Enhanced Writing Perfection: Elevate your writing experience with CollaNote's cutting-edge ink engine and stabilizer, surpassing pen and paper in precision and stability - Smart Dark Mode: Write your notes once and enjoy optimal visibility in both dark and light modes, ensuring comfort for your eyes. - Calming Writing ASMR: Immerse yourself in a calming note-taking ambiance with soothing writing sound, creating a serene environment while you write. - Audio Recording and Playback: Record audio while taking notes and watch as your handwritten words animate in sync with the audio playback, akin to karaoke text. - Note Security: Safeguard your notes with password protection, ensuring the utmost security and privacy. - PDF Integration: Seamlessly import PDFs, annotate or sign them, and effortlessly export your notes back to PDF format. - Real-Time Collaboration: Collaborate with unlimited participants in real time, experiencing zero delays for smooth and efficient teamwork. - Extensive Paper Selection: Choose from over 150 stunning paper designs and beautiful templates - Media-Rich Notes: Personalize your notes with images, text, stickers, web widgets, and links, creating dynamic and interactive content. - AI Shape Detection: Utilize CollaNote's AI-powered technology to effortlessly detect and draw perfect shapes with unmatched precision. - Effortless Note Storage: CollaNote securely stores all your notes in the System Files app, providing seamless options for syncing, backing up, and restoring your valuable content - Discover Countless Surprises: Delve into CollaNote and uncover a plethora of delightful surprises that await your exploration. CollaNote's journey began with a student at Hamburg University, who now leads a dedicated team of individuals devoted to delivering the finest digital paper experience. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our users for their unwavering support since the early days of CollaNote.

Version 2.1.6

Minor bugs fixed and preparations made for the next major update

Ratings and Reviews

12.5K Ratings

Best note taking experience

I don’t like to leave reviews. But this app truly provides the best features for both handwritten and typed notes so much so that I want to thank the developer with a monetary donation. Not sure where to do that yet, though. You can really tell that the person who developed this app did so with students in mind—there are so many useful, convenient features that make note-taking and studying very easy, and all of it is FREE, which is one of the biggest factors that makes this app even more underrated. I’m actually surprised it doesn’t have more reviews, but I’m so glad I found it. I usually take non-digital handwritten notes, but as a masters student, it’s easier to erase, re-write, and upload everything as a PDF. There are a ton of little details that make life as a student easier. You have to take a small amount of time to go through the different features and customize certain things, but that’s part of the reason I love it. Once I set everything up, it’s so quick to change the font, size, color, utensil-type, page background and it soon becomes part of your motor memory. I encourage everyone to utilize this note-taking app, especially if you rely on hand-written notes. Please keep up the good work, man! We really appreciate all the hard work you’ve put into continually improving this app.

Saved me from losing school work

This app has a lot more applications and freedom then most paid apps I’ve used in the past. It also saved me from loosing school work. My previous school had me download a different note app. For the most part the prior app was fine, except for the amount of notes I lost to hungry void. Eventually ditching the prior app in search of a new one. CollaNote has a small learning curb but that’s what the beginners tips are there for, despite that it can be a little bit of a struggle sometimes to find things in settings. For example, the dark interfaces are not seen in the settings icon next to all the other options in the all notes area. You have to enter a note and these options can only be accessed while in a note. There isn’t many export file options at the moment but does have your universal pdf file, so it’s much easier for other apps to accept your notes. Would definitely recommend as theirs so many people who are contributing to this app who are helping making the app more accessible for other languages. There are public notes that allow for a unique way of interaction with users. Notes are also ridiculously easy to organize once u get over that learning curb.

An incredible note taking app, definitely a competitor

TL;DR: this wildly good free app will make you question why anyone would pay for a note taking app. This app offers many of the same incredible features that paid apps such as Notability and GoodNotes use to justify price points. I downloaded it out of curiosity and now I am reconsidering making the jump to primarily use it. I am just flabbergasted that it is completely free with no micro transactions or ads. Some of the features do come out a little less polished than the other big names apps, but I have looked at the developer’s update history on their published forum and it is incredible how responsive, timely and involved the individual is. I have no doubt that in less than a few months, those polishes will be more than completed AND even more new features will be implemented. I would be more than happy to send a few $$ to the developer because they seem to actually care about improving their app and implementing feedback, vs the once very few months minor “update” provided by expensive, big name note taking apps (which sometimes include new micro transactions). Note taking apps everywhere better watch themselves on what they charge for in the future and on how fast they get features out there.

Developer Response ,

Thank you very much for writing the first review of CollaNote, that's very kind of you - it has given me so many motivations. Reading this first review makes me remember the moment 10 months ago, when I released the first version of app in the App Store. I look back, and I'm so glad that the app has become so much better, so many features has been added and so many people love using it. I achieved things that I thought I could never do, thanks to your motivations. I will try my best, so you can keep enjoy the app. Love

App Privacy

The developer, Zauberberg Lab Company Limited , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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COMMENTS

20 Best Songs for Writers and About Writing: The Ultimate Writing
Sure, there are many other great songs about the subject, and please share them in the comments below. But this is the mix I'm going to start rocking on my way to and from writer conferences, open mics, and writing retreats. 20 Best Songs for Writers and About Writing Mixtape. Track 1: " I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter ," by ...
107 Song Prompts for When You're Really Stuck
Go write some songs, live your dream, change the world. And remember: these ideas aren't gospel. You can use the song prompts as is. You can make changes to the song prompts. You can ignore the song prompts entirely and go where your curiosity takes you. Do what's right for you, compadre. Life is yours for the taking.
200 Things to Write a Song About: Lyric Ideas and Inspiration
I want you to do other housework as well. You put the lowercase "o" in love. I loved you the moment I met you ... But now that I've seen you in person, I'm not too sure. (Internet love song) Let me Google your noodle. All I want from you is love and money. Money can't buy love, but I'll love you if you give me money.
101 Songwriting Prompts: Quick Ideas for Writing Hit Songs!
Sadness Song Prompts. When your heart is broken, it's raining on your head, and your ice cream falls off the cone, you're dealing with sadness. Putting that feeling to music can be cathartic for you and your audience. A thousand careers have been launched on the backs of sad songs. 1) Lost love.
44 Perfect Songs To Listen To While You Write
44 Perfect Songs To Listen To While You Write. As suggested by you. 1. "Prelude - The Atlas March" - Cloud Atlas, Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil.
Music for Writing: 8 Styles to Listen to
Here are more mood-setting music for writers recommended by the community: Zaki Ibrahim (especially the album "Eclectica") "Sunshine" by Floetry. Dave Matthews Band. Beck. "A Serbian Film" soundtrack. "Watch Me" by Labi Siffre. 3. Folk, Americana and folky pop music.
10 Songs For Writers About Writing
Chapter Two: I think I fell in love with you. You said you'd stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three. But you were up to your old tricks. In Chapters Four, Five and Six.". Play This Song When you're trying to find a parallel between your life and the story you want to write.
100 Songwriting Prompts to get you in the Zone
Get a stopwatch or timer ready and set it to just ten minutes - write a song in full, with two verses, and a hook. If you manage it, time another five minutes and write a middle 8. No cheating - when the timer stops, the song is over! Write a song about the most pointless food you've ever tried.
How to Write a Song
8. Keep it simple and build on it. Keeping your track as simple as possible at first is an excellent way to accelerate the. songwriting process and work out the structure of your song. Many complex songs from 5 or 6-piece bands started life as a few chords strummed on an acoustic guitar.
Songwriting Tips: 10 Techniques for Writing Memorable Songs
Songwriting Tips: 10 Techniques for Writing Memorable Songs. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Dec 10, 2021 • 4 min read. By understanding the elements of songwriting, you can learn to write great songs that are moving and memorable. Use these songwriting tips to jumpstart your own musical journey.
Simple Songwriting Guide: How to Write a Song in 5 Steps
5 Elements of a Good Song. A well-written song generally has five major elements: 1. Melody: A melody is a tune that defines a vocal line or instrumental riff. If you want your song to be catchy, you'll need a memorable melody. 2. Harmony: In songwriting, harmony generally takes the form of a chord progression.
The Best Songs to Write an Essay to
Grand Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker composed by Tchaikovsky. Mr. Turner's Waltz - The Chamber Orchestra of London. Merry-Go-Round of Life by Joe Hisaishi. Ancient Airs and Dances: Siciliana and Primavera composed by Respighi. I hope that classes are going well, and all your essay writing is going smoothly.
The Best Music for Students While Writing an Essay
For several students, essay writing is a frustrating and burdensome task more so if they are tense, under a lot of stress, or struggling to complete an important essay that is due in a short while. ... Instrumentals such as jazz or classical music are one of the good songs to listen to when managing your academic writing tasks. Such songs help ...
Songwriting Tips
Tips on how to write a song in 10 Steps. Every songwriting journey is different, but these steps will give you a good insight into the different stages of writing a song. 1. Come up with a song idea. Every song starts with an idea and songwriting inspiration can really come from anywhere.
10 Best Songs For Writers And About Writing: The Ultimate Writing
Songs for writers about writing have greatly improved the performance of writers over the past few years. I am writing this article to help you improve your performance as well. Once you start listening to them, you'll never want to pause when writing. Here are the ten best songs for writers. 1. Unwritten - Natasha Beddingfield
LyricStudio
It is well-known that professional songwriters work in teams. LyricStudio is much like a co-writer - giving you ideas for getting started and helping you whenever you're stuck. This will really get your creative juices flowing! Just as important, you can always ignore the suggestions and write your own lyrics, using LyricStudio's suggestions ...
45 Songwriting Tips, Techniques, & Ideas From Famous Songwriters
Rod Stewart - "All of my songs are written with the same four chords. That says a lot about the value of musicianship in writing hit songs.". Steven Tyler - "Great melody over great riffs is, to me, the secret of it all.". Larry Butler - "Everybody loves a shuffle.". 5.
How to Write a Song (Even If You've Never Written One Before and You
You can write about anything you like, but if you're totally stuck for good song ideas I have a handy list of 107 song ideas on the site you can use for inspiration. Once you've settled on your song idea, make sure you write it down somewhere.
10 Tips for Writing Great Songs
As soon as the ego is out of the way, everything else will be much easier. -back to top. 4. The Lyrics Matter. Unless all you do is write instrumentals, the lyrics are arguably the most important part of any song. While music can elicit emotion and tone, the lyrics are commonly what listeners attach to.
Song Ideas: 20 Tips for Songwriting Inspiration
Another idea is to keep it simple and try writing over a chord progression that is just two chords. The more minimal the chord progression in the verse, the easier it can be to write a contrasting progression in the chorus. Give yourself 10 minutes to find the progression, and 20 minutes to write the section.
17 Songwriting Tips from the Pros: How to Write a Song That Stands Out
3. Work from a chord progression. If you have a basic chord progression in mind, start by working out which chords fit best with your song structure or lyrics. This can be a great way to develop your song and find new ideas. Once you have your chord progressions that sound good, you are halfway through.
How to write better lyrics: 8 tips for your songwriting
The minute you let her under your skin, Then you begin to make it better. You can even make two lines end with the same word, and make the second-to-last words rhyme instead. 7. Don't force rhymes. While we're on the subject of rhymes, one of the biggest signs of poor songwriting is forced rhymes.
Best songs to listen to while writing essays : r/ApplyingToCollege
for essay writing i like to turn on soundscapes and pretend im in a submarine doing my daily records (i like "dreaming nautilus", but theres a bunch of other ones like forest scenes and buddhist temples to fit whatever paper ur writing) ... if you're open to Hindi songs, there are a lot of good songs. My personal favorite playlist to use while ...
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