How to Compose a Song

Six Methods: Starting Out Creating a Basic Structure and Form Making Genre Considerations Adding Lyrics Adding Depth
Documenting and Recording

Do you want to write your own music? Do you dream of being a singer-songwriter? Follow this tutorial to start your musical
journey. Songs are (by definition) a piece of music which is meant to be sung, so this would normally mean that it includes
words. However, "song" tends to be used with a much broader meaning these days, so we will take an equally broad approach
and discuss methods which can be used to write a wide variety of musical styles and types.

Method
Starting Out
1

1 Consider what it is for. Before you begin composing your song, you will need to consider what it is for.
What the purpose of the song is, what type of song it is, will significantly impact the writing process. You
should plan accordingly.
If you will be writing a song with lyrics, you will need to consider that while you are writing the song.
There are many different ways to go about incorporating lyrics into a song. You can begin with lyrics or
words which you set the music to, write the lyrics after writing the melody, or you can try to write both
together. It will depend on your skill and style. You will also want to consider the style of music and be
sure that it fits the lyrics you are working with and vice versa.
If you will be writing background music, theme music, or some other type of instrumental music, you will
need to plan this accordingly as well. Think about what you are writing the music for and what mood you
want to convey. Appropriate instruments and music styles will be needed to create the necessary mood,
since words won’t be used.

2 Consider what instruments, if any, you will use to write it. Some people will compose entirely from their
own mind and will only sing or hum a part if they need to get an idea of how it sounds. Others, especially
when writing a piece to be played on a specific instrument, will use that instrument while composing in order to
try out how certain things sounds. Think about if you want or need an instrument with you in order to compose
and plan accordingly.
Common types of instruments used while composing songs include guitars and pianos, though some
people will use certain string or band instruments.

3 Consider your method of documentation. Consider how you will be writing the music down, in both final
format and while you are working. Those with more musical training will want to write sheet music, whereas
those who have less may want to write out tabs or chords. If you are writing only for yourself and have a very
good memory, it may be possible not to write anything at all (but this is not recommended).

Method
Creating a Basic Structure and Form
2

1 Create a starting tune. Before you can begin to compose a song, you will need to have a basic idea of
how the song should sound. This tune should be the essence of the song and will be what you build
everything else off of.
One starting point would be the melody. This is the basic line of music, usually thought of as the
“singable” part of a song. This is a tune which you can easily write lyrics to and build off of.
Another method would be to start with a chord progression. This is a series of chords which will give the
overall feel of the song. This may be a better place to start if you don’t have a very good idea of the
melody or are having trouble coming up with one.
 2 Create a hook or riff. A hook is a memorable line or series of lines in a song. Think of it as the part that
gets stuck in your head. This catchy bit of tune and lyrics is what will grab your listener's attention and
keep them thinking about the song later. A riff serves a similar purpose: it is a noticeable and memorable
instrumental piece which is separate from the melody.

3 Understand popular song structures. If you want to write song, it is important to understand the basic
song structures or forms which dominate popular music. Using these forms will give you a comfortable
model on which to build but it will also create a song more in keeping with what your audience is used to
hearing. A song too outside of the norm can be off-putting for the majority of audience members, even if it is
otherwise good or well performed.
AAAC: This is the title given to song forms in which each verse is musically the same but differs in lyrics.
Though uncommon in mainstream music, it can still be found readily elsewhere. A solid example of this
song structure is “Amazing Grace”, a common American traditional song.
AABA: This is considered the most common form for popular music today. It comes an a number of
variations and can be observed across most genres. In its most basic form, the AABA structure begins
with two musically similar verses, breaks for a bridge (the "B" in the formula), and then returns for
another verse. There are many examples of such a song but a good one is “Something” by The Beatles.
AABABA is probably the most common variant of the overall structure. ABAB, is another variant
but less common. ABCD (which is a progressive, non-repeating form) is also sometimes used.

Verse-Chorus: This form is not so common as it once was, but many songs from the first half of the 20th
century used it widely. It was still common well into the 1960s. With this form, the verse takes a
backseat to the chorus, which is repeated frequently. A perfect example would be “All You Need is Love”
by The Beatles.
There are two major variants of the form: simple and contrasting. In the contrasting form, the
music for the verse will be different from the music for the chorus. The simple form, then, is
obviously one in which the music is the same.
There is an additional variant, termed Verse-Chorus-Bridge, which adds two or more bars as a
small break between choruses. This bridge is always shorter than the verse, and often is
followed with a key or tempo change.

4 Understand classical song structures. For composing, it can also be helpful to understand classical
song forms. These can be used to inspire newer style songs, or they can be used as the basis for more
instrumental pieces.
A canon is a song form in which an imitation or repetition of the melody is played after the main melody
has begun. It makes use of several layered, echoing “voices” to create its unique sound. A canon in
which all of the voices are identical is called a round. An example of this is the song “Row, Row, Row
Your Boat”.
The sonata begins with the exposition, which is an introduction to the theme. It is then followed by a
section called the development, which explores the themes of the piece. The last section is called the
recapitulation, which returns to the theme (usually with a key change) and provides a sense of closure.

Method
Making Genre Considerations
3

1 Consider pop and rock music. Pop music is a complicated genre because it really isn’t a genre: it’s just
whatever is the predominant form of music at the time. For now, pop music is heavily influenced by rock. To
write songs like what we consider pop now, you will need to take certain things into consideration.
Form: Pop and rock songs are both very formulaic and put a heavy emphasis on the chorus, which will
usually be repeated several times. Choruses also tend to be shorter and catchier, so try to capture those
aspects.
Instrument choice: Many of the same instruments are popularly used in rock and pop. Examples would
include guitars (though many pop songs will make use of acoustic rather than or in addition to electric
guitars), synthesizers/keyboards (in pop music, they are a bit obvious while not commonly used in rock
music), bass, drums, and occasionally pianos. Some pop and rock songs will use classical string
instruments in the background to add dramatic effect.
 Tempo: The tempo associated with pop and rock music will largely depend on the emotion meant to be
conveyed in the song. Sadder or more heartfelt songs will need to use a slower tempo, while ones
meant to rouse your audience should be faster.

2 Consider country and folk music. Country and folk music are related genres which use very similar
instrumentation. These genres place a heavy importance on live shows, local musicians, and reasonably
low levels of audio editing (preferring the “acoustic” sound and using little autotuning).
Form: The song forms tend to be the same as with more popular music, with an emphasis on the AABA
structure. Folk music usually uses more complex, complicated lyrics, however.
Instrument choice: There are a number of instruments which are common to both genres. These include
the heavy use of acoustic guitar, dobro, mandolin, a single classical string instrument as backup (such
as a fiddle or bass), autoharps and pianos.
Tempo. As with pop and rock, the tempo will largely be determined by the mood of the song. Country
music tends to be faster than average while folk tends to be slower than average.

3 Consider rap and hip-hop music. These related genres are different from the previous ones in that they
tend to use different instrumentation and tempo. Forms vary widely, however. Be sure that you are taking
these things into consideration when writing this type of song.
Form: While hip-hop and rap both make use of the verse-chorus dynamic, it is much more common to
see the AAA structure in these genres than it is in the others. Emphasis is certainly placed on verse,
rather than any type of chorus which may be included.
Instruments: Both rap and hip-hop focus very heavily on percussion, rather than instruments like guitars.
Certainly, the emphasis is placed on digital methods of making the musical backup to the more central
focus on the lyrics. Turntables, samplers, and computers are frequently used, in addition to synths,
snares, cymbals, and drums.
Tempo: The tempo for rap and hip-hop music is generally in the range of 90-100 beats per minute.
Slower songs are generally categorized as more lyrical and is more commonly seen in hip-hop,
something to avoid is more than 4 cycles which is equivalent to 4 beats but should never repeat this 4
times, while faster songs are considered better for dancing and are more commonly played in clubs.

4 Consider jazz music. Jazz music is extremely complex to play, though technically simple to write. Tempos
tend to be slow and the form can vary widely. What is, however, definitive about the genre is the use of call
and response and improvisation. When writing a jazz song you will need to leave in room for both of these
aspects.
Instruments: Jazz makes more use of brass and wind instruments than the other genres do, often
soloing saxophones or oboes. It will also make use of pianos, bass, drums, and guitar.

5 Consider electronic and dance music.

Form: Usually hooks and riffs in this kind of genre are incredibly catchy but can cause a bit of earworm
so let's just skip that. Anyway, vocals are sometimes processed with phase vocoder effects to give a
robotic feel or some dance songs use samples.
Instruments: So basically the common used instruments are: Vocals, synthesizers, keyboards, and drum
machines. Sometimes guitars are used but only if the producer wants the dance song to start out as
folky and acoustic.
Tempo: The tempo for dance music is in the range of 90-140 beats per minute. The slow, low-tempo (90-
105 beats per minute) songs sometimes includes melancholy for it's lyrical content and is played for
happiness. The upbeat but midtempo (110-125 beats per minute) songs are danceable for some people
and includes little to no melancholy. And the fast and uptempo (125-140 beats per minute) songs are
played in raves, clubs, parties, and Coachella so basically anyone in the world could dance to it.

Method
Adding Lyrics
4

1
 Work with a lyricist. The easiest way to get lyrics for music you have written will be to work with a lyricist. You
can work with a friend or you can hire a professional, depending on what you’re trying to achieve. A lyricist can
put words to your song after you have written it, work with you while you are writing it, or give you lyrics to work
with before you begin.
You will want to ensure that their style meshes with your song. Someone who writes Shakespearean
love songs may not write the best heavy metal lyrics. Find someone who gets your song, style, and the
feelings associated with it.

2 Write lyrics yourself. You can write the lyrics yourself, as well. This may require some skill, as it is easy
for lyrics to sound cheesy, strange, or silly. Don’t be afraid to work hard at it and take your time.
Try to sing the lyrics as you’re writing them. This will make sure that they sound natural with the melody
and there are no strange pauses or mismatched syllables.
Before you begin writing the lyrics, try to determine if you want to use rhyming or non-rhyming words.
Knowing how you want the structure of your lyrics to work will go a long way towards helping you write
them. Rhyming words will need to be placed at reasonable intervals, which means planning ahead.

3 Set existing words to music. Another option would be to set existing words to music. This can be words
from a play, poem, a speech, or anything that you feel would make an excellent song. Choose something
that has meaning to you! Your audience will be able to tell when you’re expressing real emotion in your music.
The best way to start setting existing words to music is to find the natural rhythm of the words. Pay
attention to how they fit together. Natural speech contains pauses, emphasis, and rhythm. This is what
makes it sound natural. Exploit this natural rhythm to make your song.
If you’re having trouble or you want to give your song an edgier feel, experiment with breaking up
phrases to emphasize particular words. This can help you overcome awkwardly long sentences or a
melody that doesn’t entirely fit the text you’ve chosen.
Don’t forget that you can always omit words or phrases to preserve the flow of your song. If a particular
word is throwing off your syllable count and it isn’t necessary, just leave it out or rearrange the words if
necessary.

Method
Adding Depth
5

1 Improvise. You might want your song to be more than just your voice and a piano. If you do, you’ll need to
add depth to your song by elaborating on what you already have. The most basic way to do this is to
improvise. Listen to your song and add things where they seem to be needed.

2 Collaborate. If your own improvisation doesn’t seem to be enough, you can get friends and fellow
musicians together to see what a fresh set of eyes (and ears!) can bring to your work.

3 Introduce counter-melody and harmony. These are variations of the main melody which can be added to
give the melody a more fleshed-out feel. A counter-melody is best thought of as a separate melody which
fits between the gaps of the first, where a harmony is meant to work in conjunction with the main melody line.

4 Add percussion and embellishments. Add more instruments to the background to give your song more
depth. You can do this by adding percussion like drums, a small string quartet, chimes or flutes...the
possibilities are almost endless! You can even add in sound effects like wind, thunder, or street noise. Just be
sure that the style of the additional sound is in keeping with the style of song you have written.

Method
Documenting and Recording
6

1 Do your notation by hand. You will probably want to write down the music you are writing so that it can be
played again, especially if you want it to be played by other people. One way will be for you to write the
 music down by hand. You can write as little or as much as you want to. Doing this will require a certain
understanding of music theory, however.
Lead-sheets are a form of sheet music which include only the most basic notation, usually the melody
and harmony. These are common for jazz and improvisational music, as well as with popular musicians
who have little musical theory training.

2 Use a DAW (digital audio workstation). These are computer programs which are designed for music
composers and audio workers. They allow you to mix and record music and will also have a certain level of
music notation functionality. These can be expensive, however, and should only be considered by serious
musicians.

3 Record audio directly. Another way would be to record yourself playing and singing the music. From this
you can write down the notation or have someone else do so at a later date.

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Community Q&A New! Make a stranger's day. Answer a question.

Should I use the same chorus in each verse?

It depends. Sometimes you can repeat the melody but with different lyrics. It gives the sense that
Ricardo Enriquez something/everything is the same and at the same time it is different. It works as a kind of contradiction, if that
fits with the message of the song. It is like walking in circles, so you think you are escaping (for example) but
you arrive at the same place.
Not Helpful 0 Helpful 18

How do I make the background sounds fit appropriately?

 Try to think about the music as a whole. Think about a jungle: you can listen to the birds, a river, the wind
Ricardo Enriquez going through the leaves of the trees. So the idea is that your music can be a little world. Focus on the
message you want to express. The background sounds will fit appropriately if they fit with the message you
want to express.
Not Helpful 1 Helpful 29

What should I do first if this is my first time creating a song?

It's always good to find a topic first and then you can just start with what comes to your mind. You have a nice
wikiHow Contributor melody? Good. Write lyrics for it. You have a few phrases? Good. Write a melody or continue writing the lyrics.
But keep in mind that you need to have a basic structure. If you want to practice, just pick a poem and write
music for it. Or pick instrumental music and write lyrics. There is not just one way to success.
Not Helpful 1 Helpful 23

Words and rhymes occur to me, but I never know whether a lyric or rhyme is uniquely mine, or whether I have
subconsciously incorporated something I heard in the past. How can I be sure my lyrics are original?

In general, you shouldn't have to worry too much about your lyrics being the same as others. There are a
wikiHow Contributor couple things you can do the lower the possibility of accidental plagiarism, though. The best way is probably to
look up your lyrics and see if other sources have used them in the past. Also, make sure to avoid cliches and
common metaphors as much as possible.
Not Helpful 3 Helpful 29

How do I compose a melody?

If you have an instrument, just mess around and stick with the key signature. If you don't, use MuseScore for
wikiHow Contributor help.
Not Helpful 3 Helpful 26

How do I put lyrics in a song?

Write lyrics to the theme. It sounds good if they rhyme, but don't put a word there just because it rhymes. Also
wikiHow Contributor consider: is it a sad song? Heartbreak? Anger? Extreme joy? Also consider the musical genre (pop, rock, jazz,
etc.).
Not Helpful 6 Helpful 38

Can I write or compose a song that has a bass as the main instrument?

Of course. As long as the melodies fit in an excellent tune they will be perfect!
wikiHow Contributor
Not Helpful 2 Helpful 13

Do all singers compose their own tunes?

No. Some singers hire composers to do the work for them.

wikiHow Contributor
Not Helpful 4 Helpful 18

How do I compose a song for an instrument I have just started to learn?

It's probably too early to be composing your own songs. You could try composing a simple song using only the
wikiHow Contributor notes/techniques you have already learned. However, most people put in years of practice using existing
songs to master the instrument before they start composing their own music.
Not Helpful 2 Helpful 11

Can I compose a song even if I don't play an instrument?

Of course! You can even ask a friend to help or hire a professional if you want. But you must understand
wikiHow Contributor music to do so efficiently.
Not Helpful 0 Helpful 2

Make a stranger's day. Answer a question. Learn more

Things You'll Need

An instrument.

Some score paper or computer scoring software.

A MIDI keyboard (optional).

Sources and Citations

For anyone who wants to compose yet has little or no music theory experience, try using Hyperscore:
https://hyperscore.wordpress.com/
Sibelius has several versions for different purposes of composing: http://www.sibelius.com