How To Write Songs Like A Pro – Part 1

One of the questions my readers frequently ask is, “How can I learn to write songs if I don’t play an instrument and have no musical experience.” I usually answer that question with another question. “Do you like music and haven’t you been listening to music all your life? Then of course you can.

But before you start emptying your pockets on songwriting courses and e-books, I’d like to show you the cheapest, easiest, and most effective way by far to get your songwriting on the right track so you can learn how to write songs like a pro!

If you like music, the only thing that’ll hold you back from reaching your goal of becoming a darn good   songwriter  is lack of information and desire, not necessarily in that order. You’re in luck! I’m going to give you the information but you have to provide the desire.

Like any other career or vocation, in songwriting, what you put in is what you get out! There is no easy shortcut but the good news is you can actually be running up in no time creating songs worthy enough to sing in front of your mirror with the blow dryer as your microphone. Just keep the vocal belting to a minimum until you read the following tips on how to write songs, even if you have no musical background other than listening:

1. Understand there are two main parts of actual songwriting: writing lyrics, and writing music.

2. The first thing you should do if you’re serious about songwriting, is buy “The Craft Of Lyric Writing” by Sheila Davis. It is super-cheap through Amazon.com and hands down, the bible of lyric writing, and it is one of two books you’ll probably ever need for developing your “lyrics” chops.

While you’re studying this book, start experimenting by writing lyrics and inventing your own melodies no matter how silly you think they may appear to someone outside your comfort zone. To become a great lyricist, you need to know the basics first, and you need to start practicing consistently by applying what you’ve learned. Soon enough your ideas and lyrics will come straight from your heart! Boy, that sounds cheesy, but it’s true.

3. Next, if you haven’t already, consider learning how to play either guitar or piano. Although there are a few highly successful  songwriters  in music history who never played an instrument, the majority of  songwriters  do. The good news is there are a handful of good software and e-courses available on the market to give you a shortcut to success in this area. Jamorama and Guitar Alliance are great for learning guitar and are the closest thing to having a real guitar teacher for a fraction of the cost, and Piano Wizard does the trick for learning piano/keyboards.

4. Realistically, after a month or so, if you’re serious about it, you will have probably written the lyrics to your very first song! Imagine the shock and delight on your Chihuahua’s face when you sing it! At this point you should have finished reading “The Craft Of Lyric Writing”, so take some time to look at your lyrics and run it through the principles you have learned in the book, and you may be able to determine some of what works and what doesn’t. By reading and re-reading this book from time to time, songwriting basics will eventually become second-nature to you, and you will be able to recognize strengths and flaws in your songwriting easily.

The building blocks for successful songwriting begin with learning the basics. If you’re an intermediate or advanced  songwriter  you probably have Sheila Davis’s book, so don’t hesitate to review all the basic songwriting principles every now and then-it can only help!

Now that you have the secret to lyrical success, in Part II, I’ll show you the only songwriting book to purchase (really cheap) to teach you the “musical” aspect of songwriting, and how to use it to your advantage. In the end, you will have spent less than $25.00 on the three most effective songwriting resources ever published by buying them “used and in good condition” from Amazon.com.” You’ll be on your way, in a big way!