Q&A for How to Write Gospel Music

Some of the most famous gospel songs include "This Little Light of Mine," "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," "Oh Happy Day," and "Joyful, Joyful." There are plenty more, but these are the first that come to mind.

The first thing to do is ask the Holy Spirit for inspiration and then keep an open mind. He can use everything and anything to inspire that great song. You should also create an inspiring environment (i.e keep distractions away, read the Bible, keep company with like-minded people, since iron sharpens iron).

Let it come out of the song afterwards. I have found that the title usually begins or ends and repeats itself through the song.

That's HORRIBLE and it happens to me all the time. If you remember anything, even a single note or word, then write down whatever you know and hopefully the rest will come in time. In the future, keep a dream journal by your bed so that you can write down your dreams immediately after waking up.

Yes. However, even knowing the basics of a simple instrument like guitar or piano could help immensely, as far as building melodies is concerned.

You don't ever do that. Gospel is meant to be written to praise God, not to entertain people. There is no such thing as hip hop gospel.

Bring a notebook with you to church. Then when you have a really awesome idea, you can just write it down!

It's better if you start with the lyrics first, because lyrics show melody. For example, if you wrote a happy song, then it would reflect to your future melody and chords.

Often the chorus will sing the same 3 words to 4 lines over and over again. They often sing the title with other lyrics.

You can get the melody if you connect the lyrics to the harmony or musical instrument. Tempo and the key is the answer.

That's not the point of gospel music. The point is to impact others and praise the Lord.

Let the verse be soft and low or mid tone and the chorus be a bit rough and fast with high tone according to your vocal range.

There is a difference between granting a license for a song you've written versus obtaining the license to a song that someone else has written. Either way, the process is called mechanical licensing. If someone else has written the song, find out who has written or recorded it by performing a search for that title on the official websites of any of the well-known performing rights organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. Get contact information and call the party responsible for the song, whether it be a publisher, label, or the artist themselves. Some publishers may have a department especially for copyright management. You can also try contacting a mechanical licensing agency.

There is a difference between granting a license for a song you've written versus obtaining the license to a song that someone else has written. Either way, the process is called mechanical licensing. If someone else has written the song, find out who has written or recorded it by performing a search for that title on the official websites of any of the well-known performing rights organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. Get contact information and call the party responsible for the song, whether it be a publisher, label, or the artist themselves. Some publishers may have a department especially for copyright management. You can also try contacting a licensing agency.

Start booking gigs with youth groups, churches, or anything of that sort. You could even probably play and mass events concerning religion, or other things.