how to write a song: a step by step process by sam kogon
part 2
(See Issue 21 for steps 1-5!) Step 6: What came first, the music or the lyrics? This is a question that many songwriters will ask themselves. Nine out of ten times, the music will come first. Don’t go by this rule all the time. You might just find yourself writing a poem and a year later writing an epic instrumental piece. Somehow, you get the strange idea to put the two together and, voila, musical perfection! Don’t go about songwriting like it’s a task. Don’t think that everything you write must become a song. You’ll feel it if it works and if it doesn’t work. It’s so easy to save the words or chords by writing them down or recording them. You could find yourself picking and choosing from things you have worked on in years past. Step 7: Wait a minute! We have been talking a lot about lyrics. Didn’t I just say that the music is the most important thing? If you skimmed that part, let me re-state myself: MUSIC IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN A SONG. Like lyrics, the simpler the music, the better. If you are willing to be viewed as a “sell out” by the hipster community, then why omit I - V - vi – IV? If you’re in the key of C, this is C - G - A minor - F. Those chords have been used in everything musical genre from The Beatles to Journey to Jason Mraz. There are far too many to list. A quick search on YouTube should show you just how many are in existence. With all of that being said, one would think that people are starting to get sick of this progression. If anything, mainstream music culture is welcoming songs with this as well as many other over-exploited chord sequences with open arms. If you’re not afraid to be judged by the audiophiles and music junkies, then what harm will adding one more to the list really cause? That’s the beauty of music. If you don’t like what you hear, you can change the radio station, click thumbs down on your Pandora app, leave the tiny, hole-inthe-wall venue where the walls appear to be sweating, or make a tortilla chip bowl out of the crappy record you bought for a quarter. If your song appeals to someone else besides yourself, great. If your song appeals to 10 people, great. If your song sells thousands of records, great. It’s all about what your goals are. Step 8: Mazel tov! You wrote your first song. It’s a true high, isn’t it? Now that you’ve got the first notch in your belt, it’s time to reflect on what you want to do with this song. Don’t be shy with sharing. Start simply by sharing the song with a friend. This will help get rid of the fear of sharing it with a stranger. Don’t listen to what your friend says, even if they tell you it’s the best song they’ve ever heard. They are probably lying. Say thank you and then, if you are feeling daring enough, go to a local coffee place that has open mic nights and play the song there. Tell people that it’s a song you wrote. Don’t tell them that it’s your first song because then they will say, “it was great, for your first song.” You never know who is going to be in the audience. There could even be a label scout or someone who knows someone who knows someone!!! For all they know, you’ve got a stock-pile of originals at home. Play your song and learn a few covers. Pick some easy songs that you like that are cohesive with your original. If you stole a riff from a Hendrix song, then maybe it’s best not to play your song and his back to back. Don’t close your eyes while you perform your original. Look, listen, and feel the audience’s response. If they are engaged just during the first minute of the song and then become uninterested, take note of that. If the audience starts to leave during the first few measures, really take note of that! If you have the audience’s attention throughout the whole song and receive a standing ovation, then you’ve got a potential hit on your hands.
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