Recently I was hit with a lot of hardships at one time. This was very hard for me because it felt like I was alone and powerless. That went on for a very long time until I found a way to cope. Music has always been a huge part of my life and something that has always brought me joy. During this tough time period, I was listening to a lot of music, but at the same time, it felt like I had already listened to all of the sad and relatable songs in middle school. Anyway, because of all of this, I was inspired to start writing music again. I had written some songs a few years prior but none of them were the best lyrically or even melodically. Okay, they weren’t very good in general but that’s okay. Now, I’m here to give you guys my songwriting process because it has helped me cope through this hard time and it might help you.

Inspiration

I take a lot of inspiration from my own life but you are able to take inspiration from literally anything. Whether that be your favorite musicians, a TV show, a movie, or even video games the possibilities are endless. In the specific song that I am writing about now, I am going to use a past relationship as inspiration. It’s something that happened to me so I am able to remember all my feelings and all my thoughts while the relationship was happening and after the relationship ended. 

Melodies and Lyrics

At the beginning of writing a song, I usually put melodies and lyrics together. It can totally be different for you, though, and there is nothing wrong with that. You might be better at coming up with lyrics first and writing them down or using voice memos to remember melodies. Either way is completely correct because this is your song and the ideas that you are trying to express. In my mind, it’s just easiest to put both of the ideas because it just naturally flows. Also, lyrics do not need to be complex at all, as well as melodies! All lyrics are thoughts you were able to put in musical sentences, and that in itself is so difficult for most people. Also, if you ever get stuck, something that helps me is looking up quotes relating to the situation I’m in or even using a random word generator to get your thoughts flowing again.  A melody is something that can also be very difficult especially if you can’t play an instrument, but don’t stress! There are so many programs out there that are able to create a melody for you and you don’t even have to learn what notes are. This song is something that is supposed to sound good to you and it shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Unless you plan to release it, then it matters a little bit but a  simple four-chord melody is what most music artists use today.

Voice Memos

I cannot stress it enough; voice memos are so helpful when creating a new song. They can help you remember ideas like lyrics and melodies. They also give you a chance to get all of your ideas out at once so later, when you go to write things down, you have all those pure and thoughtful feelings collected in one place for you to listen back and ponder over.  I have so many voice memos on my phone just because inspiration can strike at any time. I even have a voice memo of me singing a melody with some lyrics during a passing period at school. I listened back to it and I put it into one of my songs. 

Idea Place

I highly recommend having a place to write all your thoughts! Personally, I have a journal that I use and in that journal, I have about 18 songs and about 13 brainstorming pages. It’s also a confidence booster because as you continue writing more you start to fill up the journal, and to some people, that is very satisfying.  

Creative Outlet

Overall, music has offered me a way to cope and express my hardships in a creative and passionate way. I remember how hard it was for me when I didn’t have this outlet, but now that I do, I want to help others explore that option and encourage it.