Starting to play an instrument is one of the best things that an individual can do for themselves. But it’s about more than just playing and performing. While there’s certainly a fun aspect to it, as well as technical challenges that you’ll need to overcome, playing someone else’s music all the time might feel a bit discouraging in the long run. So, today’s article is on how to write songs on guitar. After all, wouldn’t it be great if you wrote your own music? Well, that’s exactly why some people get into this art form in the first place. And this is especially the case for those who play the guitar.
Why? Well, the guitar just has this reputation for being an awesome instrument to improvise on, playing solos, playing rhythm sections, and just being really fun and engaging. Additionally, the very nature of guitar (be it electric or an acoustic one) makes it really easy to implement music theory and songwriting in practice.
But you might be wondering, “where should I start?” Well, this is why we came up with this brief guide to help you write your first song on the guitar.
Remember: Becoming a Songwriter is a Long Process
Before we get into it, bear in mind that becoming a songwriter is a long process. In fact, if you get into it, you’ll notice that writing a particular song isn’t just about that song. It’s your accumulated experience in your preferred musical style and you’ll even use up old ideas for this brand new piece. So even if you write an entirely new piece in a couple of hours, it’s actually a culmination of your previous works in this area.
Knowing Music Theory Helps a Lot
Okay, we assume you’ve probably heard this at least a few times in the past. And as much as it seems boring and unnecessary at first, knowing the basics of music theory and implementing it all in practice can help you a lot. Proper knowledge of music theory can help you set the mood of a song and give you the general direction where you want to go. Knowing how to combine different chords with a particular melody can completely change reinvent it.
Start With a Melody
While we’re at it, it would be a good idea to build a song off of a melody. Play it on your guitar, and then see which chords can go from there. It may be a bit tricky though, so we’d advise that you ask your guitar teacher or anyone experienced for advice here.
…Or Start With a Chord Progression
On the other hand, an easier way would be to start with a chord progression. Coming up with a melody over a “standard” chord progression can be a great way to start learning about songwriting. Two of the most interesting chord progressions for this purpose are I-IV-V (in its different forms) and I-vi-IV-V.
For those who don’t know, the Roman numerals here present a chord, or a root note of a chord, in a given scale. For instance, if played in C major, your I-IV-V would consist of these chords: C major, F major, and G major. It’s the regular form often used in blues, folk, rock, pop, and many other genres.
Another interesting chord progression for this purpose would be I-vi-IV-V. In the key of C major, it goes C major, A minor, F major, G major. And what’s really great about it is that you can write a melody both in A minor and C major keys in mind.
Adding a melody in a given key over a chord progression is really easy. You can just keep within the boundaries of major or minor scales and positions and fingerings that you learned on your fretboard.
Read more on how to write songs on guitar below…
How to write songs on guitar: Start With Open Chords
If you’re writing your first song, it’s a good idea to keep things simple. This means you shouldn’t get lost in weird chord inversions just for the sake of being complex. Start with open chords first. This will be the basic “skeleton” of your song.
When you have your song idea done, you’re free to play around with different chord inversions and fretboard positions. The overall idea here is to keep things as simple as possible. You can start with those chord progressions mentioned above.
Try and Learn Music By Ear
Although it may seem very difficult, knowing how to play music by ear is what differentiates between a beginner and an advanced musician. Additionally, learning to do so will give you a completely different look into music and the theory behind it. By connecting what you hear and what you play on your instrument, new horizons will open and you’ll be inspired to do new stuff. Of course, as a beginner, you won’t be able to learn just any song by ear. But start with simpler melodies and chord progressions, and you’ll have a completely new perspective. It’s highly likely that you’ll also get an idea of your own.
Have a Structure In Mind
One of the most common mistakes young songwriters make is that they start writing something without knowing where they’re actually going. This is why you should have a song structure in mind. How does it start? How many verses are there? Does it have a chorus? Pre-chorus? Of course, some things will “unravel” by themselves as you go by, but it’s very useful to start with at least some basic structure guidelines.
Just Write Something From Start to Finish
If you’re feeling stuck, then just write anything. A random melody, a random nonsensical chord progression – anything. Firstly, it will get you from the dead spot. Secondly, finish the whole song. Even if it’s a 2-minute-long piece, it doesn’t matter. One of the newbie songwriters’ most common problems is having an idea that they don’t see through to the end. This will give you that gratifying feeling; especially if you record it all as a multi-track project in your home studio and listen to it. And if you don’t like it, then “recycle” the song for future ideas using the parts you liked.
If you want to really dive into this one, allow us to help you learn how to write songs on guitar right here.
