Eli Lev
1) Listen to Music
Music is one of life’s greatest pleasures and can be an incredible creative outlet. If you’re having trouble writing a song, try listening to your favorite artist and get inspired by their lyrics. Don’t know any singers? Explore different genres until you find something that speaks to you, and once you do, listen to it all day.
2) Collect Lyrics
While songwriting is an intensely personal process, you might find it easier to get started if you brainstorm lyrics by writing down all of your thoughts and ideas. Once you’ve collected these lyrics, take some time to arrange them in a way that feels natural and lets your story flow. Then, pick your favorite lines and incorporate them into a full verse or chorus.
3) Use Apps
If you’re going to write lyrics, there are a ton of apps that can help—lyric websites or even your iPhone’s notes app. If you want an app that will let you experiment with lyrics while also having your music nearby, start with Soundtrap. There are other options out there if Soundtrap doesn’t suit your needs. You can also go old school and do everything in Word or Google Docs.
4) Take Notes
If you really want to get started writing songs, one of your best options is simply sitting down with an instrument or some recording software and making quick, short recordings. By recording yourself while doing it, you force yourself to think about lyrics and melody at the same time. If you have trouble coming up with lyrics at first, try singing nonsense syllables—it can get your creative juices flowing more quickly than just staring at a blank screen.
5) Record Yourself
One of my favorite ways to write music is by recording myself on my phone. I’ll sing into it, then listen back later and re-record anything that needs changing. When you can hear yourself singing (even if it’s recorded poorly), you can catch all those little melody tweaks you might not have noticed otherwise.
