Q&A for How to Write Your Own Lyrics

Return to Full Article

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I get people to listen to my song after I have written it?
    Community Answer
    Play your song for friends and family and ask them to do the same for their contacts. Share it on social media and get your local media sources and bloggers to cover it.
  • Question
    Can I use some lyrics from other songs, too?
    Community Answer
    Probably not. If people hear your song and recognize those stolen lyrics, you could get a copyright strike.
  • Question
    How can I remember a melody?
    Community Answer
    Record it using audio software. That way you'll have it archived.
  • Question
    What if you don't know how to use an instrument?
    Community Answer
    In this case, you could use a program such as Garage Band to replace physical instruments. The free version is a great place to start and if you find it works well for you, you can pay to expand it later.
  • Question
    Where can I find ideas for song lyrics?
    Community Answer
    Most songs are personal to the singer. Try writing down something that is memorable or special to you. You can also draw inspiration from something you saw or heard, such as a childhood friend, an old photograph, or even a big event on the news.
  • Question
    What if I have written a song and I do not have the voice for it?
    Community Answer
    You could take voice lessons, so you could do a better job singing your song, or you could fin somebody else to sing it. There are many famous songwriters who don't sing.
  • Question
    How do I come up with the chorus
    Community Answer
    Use chords. Use a guitar or piano to start finding chords that sound good with the lyrics. Play any instrument you like and start a beat and a melody. If you don't have an instrument, humming can be helpful. When you put all the pieces together for your new song, try to sing it! You will see if something is missing or needs to be changed.
  • Question
    How long does a song have to be?
    Community Answer
    Most songs are usually three to four minutes but depending on how slow or fast it is, this can vary. Sometimes is good to start with a simple one minute song.
  • Question
    Do lyrics need to rhyme?
    Community Answer
    Generally, they do, though you can take some liberties as to what rhyme scheme to use, how frequently to rhyme, and how precisely to rhyme; e.g., sometimes rhyming words that don't rhyme *exactly* but have a somewhat similar sound can be acceptable, or sometimes, repetition of a certain line can help make up for a shortage of rhyme. But you will pretty much always want to aim for *some* amount of rhyme. It's very hard for a song to sound coherent and have a good rhythm otherwise, unless you are a very sophisticated musician and can find a way to make it work.
  • Question
    Can I use any music to write a song?
    Community Answer
    You can write any music for your song, but it must be original. You can't use music that belongs to someone else without permission.
  • Question
    How can I write a song without taking years to do it?
    Community Answer
    When I write songs, I normally just sit and thinking about anything and everything. As I think, I write down whatever comes to mind. Then I try to piece together those thoughts into some kind of rhythmic set of lyrics. That usually takes an hour or two, so I would recommend trying that method.
  • Question
    How can I make a song without copying from the internet?
    Community Answer
    You can try writing a small poem on your own and then slowly expanding it over time into a song. That way you can be sure that your song is completely unique to you.
  • Question
    How can I get help with songwriting and playing guitar?
    Community Answer
    Look online or around your town for lessons. Learning theory while studying an instrument will help you create songs.
  • Question
    Can you use the same tune from another song for your song?
    Community Answer
    Well, you can take one small tune, but copying the whole song can get you a copyright strike. You may even get copyright infringement for using a small portion of the tune.
  • Question
    How do I make the beat?
    TheDerpyVillager
    Community Answer
    You can try just playing random notes on an instrument, or humming random notes, and then putting some together.
  • Question
    About how long does it take to write a song?
    Community Answer
    This varies. It can take half an hour or two months. You need to find lyrics that fit together and find the right rhythm and more, so it can take a while, especially if you're a beginner. Don't give up!
  • Question
    Can I use the lyrics that you had sampled?
    Community Answer
    You can take inspiration from them, but this is about creating lyrics of your own.
  • Question
    I don't have any instruments, how can I come up with some Melody?
    Community Answer
    You can download Garage Band on your phone or something like it or just hum it, or save up for a keyboard. There are many options that will cost nothing or very little.
  • Question
    How do I get a good rhythm for my lyrics?
    Community Answer
    Think about how many syllables each word has and make a pattern out of them. Then, just read it and sing it however it makes you feel.
  • Question
    How do I write lyrics online?
    Community Answer
    You can write lyrics using any kind of writing or blogging software or websites. You could use Word, Pages, Notepad, etc.
  • Question
    Are there apps that can generate melodies for songs?
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can use Pandora and Spotify.
  • Question
    How do I get started writing my lyrics?
    Community Answer
    Write what you are feeling. Choose something you have a strong feeling about.
  • Question
    Which notebook should I pick for my songwriting notebook; a moleskine, big fat, or regular?
    Community Answer
    You should use a regular, that way you can go back to other lyrics at any time.
Ask a Question

      Return to Full Article