How to Write a Song

In our third installment of how to write a song, understanding chords we will be looking at the 7th chord (also know as the dominant 7).

The Dominant 7 is based off of a major triad (1,3,5) with an added note 1 whole step below the root note.  In the C7 chord for example the notes of the chord would be:

C7 = C,E,G Bb

The Bb being the note below the root.

That is enough for now about the theory behind the chord, lets look at the feel of the chord, and how it sounds in regard to how to write a song.  The 7th chord has a very hard bluesy feel to it.  It can be used to give a song a blues or harder feel.  It can also be used as a transition chord when you are changing to another key.

So when you are looking to add the kind of a feel that this chord brings feel free to give it a try.  Keep in mind that in most modern music and blues, it is used in the I the IV and the V chord of a progression.  That is a general rule but as we know, rules are meant to broken and many times if you do something unexpected in your songwriting, it will stand out from the crowd.

As we continue on in our series on how to write a song, we will be looking into some other great chords to add different kinds of feel to our music.  So stay tuned!

If you have any comment feel free to post them.

As talked about in our first lesson on how to write a song. understanding the major chord.  "If you are going to learn how to write a song, it is critical to have a solid understanding of not only chord theory, but also the emotion and feeling that each chord has."

Minor chords a the same as a major chord with a Root 3rd and 5th notes.  The only difference being the 3rd is flat by a 1/2 tone so the notes of a minor chord would be Root b3rd and 5th.

Example:

C Major chord C,E,G
C Minor chord C,Eb,G

This subtle difference gives the minor chord a sad, melancholic or unhappy sound.  So if you were to write a song entirely with minor chords you would be emphasizing that sad or bluesy sound.

In the chord progression of most songs a combination of major and minor chords are used which adds variety and interest to the music.  A major or minor key would have an influence on the feel as well because of the chords used in a minor key.

So when you think about how to write a song, keep in mind the feel of the major and minor chords and keys as you create your chord progressions.

Any Comments?

There are times in songwriting when inspiration is dry and no thoughts of creativity are flowing.  Could it be that you don’t have anything interesting to talk about.  Maybe you need to get out of the house, and do nothing.

What I mean is don’t stress about it.  Go take a walk, do something else.  This post at songwriting zen talks more about it.
 

When Doing Nothing Is Doing Something « Songwriting Zen

Part 1

If you are going to learn how to write a song, it is critical to have a solid understanding of not only chord theory, but also the emotion and feeling that each chord has.  In music chords tends to have a connection to certain emotions or feelings.  It is critical to understand this emotional connection to chords when we are writing music.  Major chord tend to have a positive, happy or upbeat feel to them.  Though it is possible to express sadness with them as well, depending on the feel and the progression of chords.  They are the most flexible in portraying a wide range of moods.

To gain a better understand of the way chords are built we must first understand the major scale. Lets take the C major scale for example. The notes in a C major scale are C D E F G A B. Now that we know the notes of the major scale we can build the chords involved with the key of C by stacking thirds.  Stacking thirds is basically stacking every other note. To make a C major chord all we need is three notes. Starting on C we will go every other note until we get C E G. These are the three primary notes in the C major chord. C is called the root note, E is called the third an G is called the fifth. All of your major chords will be built from a root, third and fifth note.

A simple major chord is built from 3 notes called a major triad.  The first, the third and the fifth. The first being the root note of the chord.

Example: C Major Chord consist of the notes C/E/G First(root)/Third/Fifth.

In a future lesson of how to write a song, we will be looking at the minor chord and chords built from it.

Any comments?

I wrote an article for squidoo.com about How to write a song, the importance of keeping a notebook and taking notes in the songwriting process.  Check out the link below

 Any comments?

Ray Davies from that old classic rock band The Kinks, has found new inspiration for songwriting…..get yourself shot!!

Ok I am going to keep trying to get inspired, by more "traditional methods". Mkay?

"Davies dove for cover, but took a bullet in the leg, breaking it. Davies says he eventually came to look on the incident as another incentive to continue recording — though he doesn’t recommend getting shot to songwriters looking for source material."

P.S. The how to Write a song blog does not recommend nor condone the get yourself shot writing method nor any other form of personal abuse songwriting methods…that should appease the lawyers.

NPR Music: Ray Davies: Rock Legend Rocks On

Any comments? 

In the first installment of How to write a song, We will be looking at the very beginning of the writing process. There are several ways that people use to get the creative juices following.  Lets take a look at some of them.

The beginning of most songs start with one of the following, Lyrics, Harmony, (Chord progression) Melody, or a guitar lick or musical phrasing.  There are no right or wrong ways of starting to write.  Many great song have been started in all of these ways.  Most of us tend to lean towards one method naturally more then the others.  Myself I tend to be more of a guitar lick, or chord progression kind of a guy.  It is important for each of us to find the way that is most comfortable for us.

There are some good ideas and principles to keep in mind as you use these different methods.

Lyrics

Starting with a phrase or sentence is a great way to start writing.  A catchy lyrical phrase or a hook can make or brake a song, so if you get a catchy phrase in your head then run with it.

Music Harmony

Grabbing your instrument of choice and creating an interesting chord progression, can also be a great way to start the creative process.  Some times you can get a tune in your head and bring that to the instrument as well.  This method does work well just be aware that when writing this way on the guitar it your melody can tend to have a limited range when writing this way if you are not careful.

Music Melody

Creating a melody is also a great way to start a song, though I think it can be more difficult to do, (that may just be me) if you can do it with the melody first it can often make for a great song.  Melody tends to get lost in a lot of modern music, so if you can create a good melody it will stand out from the crowd.

Musical phrasing or lick

Finding a great sounding guitar lick can go a long way in making a great song.  There are some drawbacks to it though.   Even with a good sounding guitar part make sure the other aspects of the song like the melody are strong as well.

There is no wrong way to start writing a song, it really is a personal preference, that we develop.  It is all good as long as the song gets done.

One thing you can try if you are having a hard time starting a song, is to trying starting in a way that you usually don’t do.  Sometimes this can give things a jump start and get you on your way.  When you are stumped it is worth a try.

We will be looking further into how to write a song in our next lesson.