Pop Songwriting Lesson #1: Where to Get Started?

This is the first in a series on how to write a pop song. Over the next few weeks, Wayne Boesiger will be publishing several articles on how to craft a pop song from start to finish.

Getting a song started is one of the most difficult tasks in songwriting. It’s also one of the most important because, if not started properly, your finished song will go nowhere! You can control the song, or you can let it control you…it’s really your choice. You may have an idea, but until you get some thoughts down on paper, that’s all you have. So…how do you get started?

First, answer a question. What comes first:
1. Music
2. Lyrics
3. Chord
4. Title

In my opinion, the answer is the Title. It is not only what evokes an immediate emotion from the listener, but from you as the writer as well. So many of our great moments in life come from a song title. We Are The Champions is used a lot at the finals of sports events. Far Beyond The Realm was a song that I wrote for my Grandmother when she passed away and we were very close. Come up with a title for what you are feeling and it will help you get off to a good start and help keep you grounded.

Out of your title will flow not only your lyrics, but also the mood of the song, which will dictate both the melody and the chords. The darkness or brightness of the melody, the types of chords and the variety of those chords will all flow from the title of the song.

Choosing the Title of a Song is like choosing the going to a Red Box and choosing a movie to watch that night. You know from the title whether it is going to be happy or sad; action packed or low-key. Picking out the movie based on the title will set the tone for the rest of the evening. Whether it is what kind of food you are going to eat (based on the amount of gore) or a romantic evening (Braveheart is a Romance Killer, but an awesome movie!!).

Good luck in your endeavors to find out a title for your next song. By the time you do, we will be talking about what to do next. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

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