Friday, August 01, 2003

You Can Write a Song!

Yes you can! Your brain was designed to make music - it's part of being human.

Sometimes people lose their music from not using it, but you are young, and you love music - I know because you're on my fan list!!

So you can write a song!!

Look at my daughter, Evalyn. When she was only one year old she started writing songs! Her first one went "Mmmm ba mmmm" over and over.

OK, so you're thinking "Mmmm ba mmmm" isn't exactly a million seller, and you're right. But Evalyn's song was a big hit around here. She loved singing it, and her mom and dad loved hearing it. And what better reason is there to sing your own songs than for the pure fun of it?

Am I saying that any old sound you make is a song? Well, no...

Songs have two parts, words and music. Music can be any sort of "organized sound." Usually music has rhythm and melody.

If you aren't sure what rhythm and melody are exactly, don't worry. They are both in you and they come out naturally when you sing.

So if you sing a few words, does that mean you wrote a song? Almost...

If you write down what you sing, record it, or remember it in your head so that you can sing it pretty much the same way every time, then congratulations, you wrote a song!

Songs can be short or long; they can repeat the same thing over and over and over or never repeat at all; they can be nonsense or they can tell a story. But all songs tell something - even if it's just a feeling.

Do you need a guitar or piano to write a song? No! Your voice is an instrument, so use it!

Do you need to be able to read or write music notation? No! Written music is just one way to remember how a song goes. Get a tape recorder and sing into it. That's what I do, and it's an easy way to remember your song!

When Evalyn sang "Mmmm ba mmmm," even though her "words" were nonsense, they were the same every time. They had a particular rhythm and melody. And she was telling us something with the way she sang it - she ways saying "I feel calm and happy." Her song was as sweet to my ears as anything I've heard on the radio!

If a one-year-old baby can do it, so can you!

So next time you feel happy, sad, angry, or silly, let the world know with your very own song!

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi
My name is Diggory Rush(age 10) I am starting a band called the CrAzY ApEs we have all the instruments and equitment but we dont have any thing to play with the songs.

p.s Please help

Anonymous said...

Hi. I'm Sarah. I have been attempting to write songs since I was about 9 or 10. It is hard but a lot of the stuff that I've come up with sounds the same. What can I do?

Anonymous said...

HI MY NAME IS MARISA SCHENKEL I AM 10. I ALWAYS DREAMED OF SIMING AND I STILL DO.I SING ALOT EVEN IN THE SHOWER!!! I HOPE TO BE FAMOUS SINGER WHEN I GROW UP!

Anonymous said...

hi.am lisa. i am finding it hard to compose a song.I can make up lyrics but i find it difficult to make up a melody that hasnt been used before to fit in with my lyrics. what can i do?

Monty Harper said...

Hi Lisa,

I covered writing melodies here: http://songguru.blogspot.com/2004/01/writing-melody.html

I hope it helps, but if you have any more specific questions or ways you get stuck, let me know.

Anonymous said...

hi my name is shelly-louise charlesworth and i love to write songs im doing one right now called "your alot like me" and im nearly finished where should i send it?? from shelly louise charlesworth 12

Anonymous said...

hi i'm wilson and i have always loved mucia i have trid 100000000 of time to write my own but it never work but u helped a lot thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

hi i'm 11 years old i like singing i can sing and i love music i wanna write songs but i can't come up with lyrics or beats that have not yet been used plzzz help me i really wanna become a singer

Monty Harper said...

Hi,
Right now singer/songwriters are pretty popular - people who write and sing their own songs. But, writing your own songs is definitely not the only way to go. There are plenty of genres in which singers usually or often sing songs written by somebody else. These include pop, country, folk, theater, and others. Either way, I'd advise you to start out by learning to sing existing songs. Even if you eventually want to write your own, learning others now will give you a good songwriter's sense to start from. Please explore the archives on this site as well, because almost any of the advise given will help you write original songs that don't sound like existing songs.

Anonymous said...

hi. i can write lyrics i just dont get the part about writing music. Can you help me???

Monty Harper said...

You can read my advice on writing melodies here: Posts about melody.

Anonymous said...

Im not aloud to put my name on the internet but i've always wrote songs but it all feels like its missing something Any advice???

Monty Harper said...

It's hard to say what might be missing from your songs without hearing them. Keep asking yourself why you like the songs you like - what about them really works for you? Try to do the same. Try to write lyrics that really mean something to you - that's more important than making them rhyme or anything else. Be patient with yourself and keep writing - if you keep writing new songs they will get better.

Anonymous said...

I'm Antonio, and I attend middle school. I like this one girl a lot, so I wrote her a love song and sand it to her to express my feelings for her.

Monty Harper said...

Hi Antonio,
Very cool! I hope she loved it!

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Thanks. Im 13 years old and I'm trying to write this song about a crush :)

Anonymous said...

I dream of becoming a Singer to a very famous Singer and you don't have to WAIT!! compose and compose and sing let it come from your HEART and hope your dreams come TRUE

Frances perez said...

I really need a song because I want to be a songwriter when I grow up







Age 10

Anonymous said...

Im age 13
I won't to right a song I can make some beatiful lyrics but not beats but its in me I got to find it

Unknown said...

Hi. Im bella im 7 years old and im trying to write a song about butterflies to sing for my class since we are learning about butterflies and I dont no how to start. Any advise?

Anonymous said...

Hi Bella,

I wrote an answer to your question here:
http://songguru.blogspot.com/2016/01/starting-song-on-given-topic.html"

I hope it helps! Have fun writing your song!

- Monty

Rabid Rabbit said...

Just start by playing together and getting in sync with each other after u find ur style and don't worry it WILL happen then u can add words and it will be like second nature

Rabid Rabbit said...

Where does ur heart take u? That's what word u should use regardless if it sounds repetitive

Rabid Rabbit said...

Its difficult to not let ur mind wonder off to songs u have heard before but try just turning off the radio have complete silence and writing ur song then find someone who can play a piano keyboard or something by ear sing to them and let them follow! A good keyboard or piano player can follow ur rhythm

Rabid Rabbit said...

Some people can write sing and play others can just do one or the other start with what ur good at if u are a writer then write let the instrumentation come from elsewhere till u can learn also always sing from the heart about something u know about or is important to u those usually make the best songs imo

Anonymous said...

hi i am 11 and have written 1 song and is in the middle of writing another one i just read what you have written and i have become very inspired. thanks
im also too scared to do anything that might be embarrassing can u help me be more confident
11 boy

Monty Harper said...

Dear Embarrassed,

It's normal to feel embarrassed about taking a creative risk, such as having other people hear a song you've written. And I can't say that it won't be embarrassing sometimes. But here's the deal - It's okay to feel embarrassed. I've been singing my songs in front of people for twenty years and I still feel embarrassed sometimes when I make a mistake or write a song that isn't the greatest. My secret is that I've learned it's not the end of the world to feel embarrassed. Just acknowledge to yourself that you're feeling that way and let the feeling pass. It's worth a little embarrassment sometimes to reach your goals. If had let that stop me I would never have found out how much people love and appreciate the songs I write!

Anonymous said...

Hey, I'm a 8 year old girl. I love music but all my songs end up in my trash can. I want to learn how to write a song or get inspiration. I love pop, rock, R&B, and electronic music. Can you help?


- Anonymous

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Monty Harper said...

Hi Anonymous 8 year old girl,

Just keep writing. Ask any great songwriter and they will tell you their first 100 songs or so were no good. But every time you write a song you learn something, and you will naturally get better if you just keep writing. Enjoy the process of writing and don't worry about whether it's any good or not. Eventually you'll write a song you don't want to throw in the trash can!

Here's a tip for getting there more quickly: Take a song you like and write out all the lyrics. Then change the title to a new title you make up yourself. Then change all the words to fit your new title. Keep the same number of lines and syllables. Make it rhyme in the same places. Just change all the words. Then make up your own melody for the new words. Patterning your song after one you like will help you learn more quickly what makes a song great!

Anonymous said...

Hi im elijah (age 16) and ive been trying to write a song for 4 years and i cant really think and im trying to write it for a girl ive been dating for the last 3 years is there a way you can help me think of somthing to write

Monty Harper said...

Hi Elijah, sounds like you are stuck. I recommend starting over with a blank page. Start with just plain truth. Think about how you feel about this girl and why. What are the specific details of your relationship? Write these things down in plain language, like a journal entry. Look for one unique combination of words that could only be about you and your girlfriend. That's the line to start writing a song around - it will become your hook, your chorus, your main idea. If you start with such a strong line, the rest will come more easily. If you don't find the line you need, then start over the next day with another blank page. Don't try to write a song based around words or ideas that don't quite fit. Hold out until you find that one simple, perfect line that says what you need to say, then write the rest of your song around that.

Anonymous said...

Hi i dream of becoming a singer one day and it is hard for me to write a song everytime i try the sound sounds like a song i have heard before and the words are hard to think of my songs always end up being bad

Please give me some advise

Monty Harper said...

Hi Anonymous,

Try writing words first. I find that easier. Start with something that makes you excited or happy or sad or angry. Write down the thought with as few words as possible. It could even be just one or two words repeated. Then find a way to sing those words that really fits well with the words. SAY the words out loud the way you would say them, with emotion. Listen to how your voice goes up and down. Now sing them the same way. The melody you come up with like this is very unlikely to sound like another song. Also, don't be too hard on yourself. It may take many tries before you like a song that you wrote. That's normal!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I know this wasn't your intention, and it's absolutely not what you were looking for (It's likely a song about real butterflies is what you need), but you've inspired me to write another song — more than the one I started and finished tonight. Thanks!

Kayli said...

Hi, im Kayli (10) and about two weeks ago I've been wanting to write music instead of just listening my whole life. I'm a pretty chill person so I want to write lo-fi music or just pretty chill indie. Girl in red and powfu inspire me towrite songs but I don't usually have my moms computer like I do now so that means I don't have anythings to record my music on. if anybody has something to say please give some advice or just normal ideas. PEACE OUT