How to Write Songs

Writing songs is a craft that takes some time to learn. It's also not a narrowly defined craft. There are as many ways to write songs as there are songwriters. One thing that will always come in handy is a little knowledge of music theory. Read this basic primer and see if you don't write better songs.

There are 12 notes in music. Seven whole notes (going from A to G,) and five sharps (or flats.) The trick is to remember there are no sharps or flats between B and C, and also between E and F.

After learning that, knowing how to build out the major scale is necessary. What does all this have to do with writing songs? In the end, it will give you easy access to many chords, which can be thought of as colors, for your songs. Because this comes right out of a key, your chords will have connections, i.e., similar notes. They will sound good together.

The major scale is built by counting half-steps (one fret each on guitar, or all notes, including the black keys on the piano.) Use this pattern

2-2-1-2-2-2-1,

and count each from your starting point. So if you start with A, you then count up two half-steps and B is your second note in the scale.

From B you count two again, and since there is no sharp or flat between B and C, our two half-steps takes us to C#, the third note in the scale of A. Next is one step from C# to D, etc. After the final single step, your eighth note will be the same as the first. If not, you've probably gotten off track somewhere.

This information allows you to build out any scale (consider it a key signature that you're going to write in,) and we can get to the more useful progression theory.

Each of the seven different notes in the scale can be said to stand for a particular chord or family of chords. You normally see this written with roman numerals. Here it is in A.

I II III IV V VI VII
A B C# D E F# G#

Now you simply learn which types of chords go best with each step.

The I chord corresponds to major or major7 chords. You could extend that to more obscure major 9's or whatever.