Want to write a song to call your own? I imagine most would love the opportunity. All you really need is a little knowledge playing a guitar or piano, a voice that can sing relatively in key, and a touch of imagination spliced with creativity. Depending on someone’s personality, interests and experiences the type of song, how it is sung, what is sung, and how it is played can vary greatly. Writing the song can be easy enough if you have the skills and some patience. To start your creation, sit down with your guitar or piano, a pen, a piece of paper, and an open mind. Ask yourself questions before you begin. What do I want to sing about? I suppose you do not have to sing at all if an instrumental piece is what you are after; for the sake of argument, lets say you want to sing and play your own backing. Jon Huntress of Lyrical Line (2000) says, “You can write about ANYTHING! That’s the beauty of song writing-there are no rules”. Make some notes about the story you want to tell or message you plan to get across. Writing it down can help in case you might forget. Now think about how a song speaking of such a topic should be sung. Is it a serious subject? Perhaps a ballad. Funny? Perhaps punk or rock. If you’re angry, or have taste in music like myself, you may want heavy metal or hard rock. There are many other types, as well, such as reggae, blues, jazz, latin, and funk. Jimmy Brown (2000) says, “Keep your mind and ears open, and don’t be afraid to wade into unfamiliar musical waters”.Now that you’ve decided on your song’s subject and have an idea how you want it to sound, write it! Play around; strum some simple chords and notes. Try to get a feel for the sounds you need to back up your voice. No one can tell you what to write, but it never hurts to ask others opinions. Once music is there, hum along. How you will sing to what you play is very important. ...
