Chords for How To Write A Song | Songwriting 101

[F#] Hello everyone, my name is Orion.
My name is Obadiah.
Today we're talking Songwriting 101.
We're both songwriters and perform together as O&O.
You can find our original music on our channel, but for now, let's focus on [D#m] your original music.
Whether [C#] you're a beginner [B] or just looking for some inspiration, this [F#] video is for you. _ _
[C#] _ _ _ _ [G#] _ [A#m] There are four [N] main elements to every song.
Lyrics, melody, harmony, and rhythm.
Since there's no rule about which one comes first, you can choose whether you want to start your song by writing the lyrics, melody, chords, or beat.
In this video, we're going to give you [B] our tips and practical exercises, along with some examples from famous songs, to show you how to bring these elements [F#] together.
_ _ It's helpful to approach [N] songwriting in two different mindsets.
Brainstorming and editing.
It's very important that these two are kept separate, because the editor in you has a tendency to get in the way of the brainstorming and block your creativity.
We've all experienced that editor voice in our heads, critiquing every thought before we've had a chance to express it or write it down.
Start with the brainstorming and let all of your ideas exist without judgment.
Think of it as a creative flow zone, where there are no bad ideas.
Once you've fully explored and put down your creative ideas, then enter the editor mode.
Now it's time to roll up your sleeves and look at what you've come up with as objectively as possible.
The best parts will form the basis of your song.
Don't get frustrated if things don't gel together right away.
Some songs come together in a matter of minutes, and some [F#] take years.
But each song has its unique journey.
[C#] _ If you want to start your song with the lyrics, a great exercise is free writing.
This is especially valuable if you're starting from scratch [N] with no idea of what you're going to write about.
It's also useful if you already have a topic in mind and want to flesh it out.
Put on a timer for 3-5 minutes at a time, and commit to writing for the whole duration without pausing to lift your pen from the paper.
Don't think about what you're writing, just write.
It can be anything from what you're feeling right now to describing what you had for breakfast.
This is a great way to get the editor out of your system and allow some creativity in.
Once you've finished writing, take a break and come back to review it later.
When reviewing, you'll see that certain themes, lyrics, or phrases will pop up.
These can serve as the basis to your new song.
If, on the other hand, you already have a melody with little to no lyrics, you can try singing whatever words come into your head.
This can be vowels or gibberish.
It doesn't have to make any sense, because initially you're only trying to find the sounds that best suit the melody, or maybe a word that evokes the most emotion on a certain note.
By repeating this, you'll eventually find the lyrics.
A famous example is The Beatles' Yesterday.
Paul McCartney woke up one morning with the entire melody, but no lyrics.
To fit the phrasing of the melody, he [F] initially sang _ _
[E] Scrambled eggs
Oh [A] my [D] baby, how I love your legs
[Am] Instead of [F] what would become Yesterday
_ _ [E] All [A] my troubles seem so [D] far away
[A#] Maybe _ [N] _
you already have an idea for a melody.
A hook, or maybe a few notes that came to you in the shower.
We can make a whole separate video about what makes a good melody, including the different types of intervals and melodic movement.
But as a good rule of thumb, try and make your melody memorable.
If you can't remember it, no one else will.
The sound of the melody is also greatly affected by the harmony you put to it.
One technique for harmonizing the melody is to figure out the notes you're singing on guitar or piano, and build the chords around those notes.
For example, if I'm singing the note C, I can harmonize it with any chord I know that contains the [C] note C.
_ _ [Cm] _ [F] _ _ [Fm] _ _ [Am] _
_ [G#] _ _ [Am] _ The different chords you try will change the context of [G#] the melody, and you can use your ear to find which chords sound the best to you.
There's no right or wrong, it's a matter of choice.
You'll probably find that one chord will fit your melody for a bar or two before you have to change to the next chord.
You wouldn't usually change [N] chords on every single note.
I mean, you could, but that would be jazz.
_ _ _ [Em] If you don't have a melody, try starting with a chord progression.
[C] Keep it simple by choosing a key and only using chords within that key.
If you're still feeling stuck, start with one of these tried and tested chord progressions. _
_ [F] _ _ [G] _ _ [C] _ _ _
_ _ [Am] _ _ _ [F] _ _ [G] _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ [Am] _ _ _ [F] _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ _ Loop the chord progression and improvise the melody.
Try recording yourself and see what you come up with.
Then later, when you listen to your recording, [N] you can choose the best parts to form your melody.
Here's another famous example.
Phil Collins had this chord progression on a loop with a drum [Dm] machine.
_ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ [A#] _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ He improvised melodies and lyrics until he wrote the international hit, In the Air Tonight. _ _
_ [C] _ _ In the Air [A#] Tonight _ [C] Oh [Dm] Lord
To compose your song around the beat, use GarageBand or Logic's built-in drum loops as a starting point to get inspired.
[A#m] Even singing or playing along to a metronome will do [G] if you don't have access to music software.
For example, the writers of Rihanna's hit Umbrella were inspired by a hi-hat sound from a GarageBand loop. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Writing songs at different tempos and in different time signatures, such as 4-4, 6-8, or 3-4, will inspire you to write in different ways.
Most likely, a drum loop at 144 beats per minute will inspire a different type of melody and lyric than a ballad at 60 [C] beats per minute. _
_ _ _ [Am] _ [F] _ [G] _ [C] _ _
[Am] _ [F] _ [G] _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
_ [Am] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ Think about the overall feel and purpose you want for the song.
The rhythm will help you [C#] achieve this.
_ _ [B] You [N] don't have to master all these elements to write a song.
If you are primarily a lyric writer, find a musician who will complement your abilities by putting your lyrics to music.
The same goes if you have a melody in your head, but no idea how to put lyrics or chords to it.
There have been many famous and hugely successful writing partnerships in history, such as Lennon-McCartney, Goffin King,
Rodgers and Hammerstein, Bernie Taupin and Elton John, and many more.
These days, some songs have as many as nine writers on one single song.
So there's no shame in writing with others, and it's a great opportunity to learn [D#m] from other writers.
Thank you so much for [A#m] watching.
You can try [C#] one of these approaches whenever you're feeling stuck [B] or a little uninspired,
[F#] or if you just want to [C#] challenge yourself by trying something different.
[B] We can't wait to hear [F#] your songs, but in the meantime, you can listen to [A#m] ours.
[C#] Our latest single, Traveling, is out [B] now, and you can watch the official [G#m] music video on our channel.
[F#] Bye for now. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [C#] _ _ _ [D#m] _ _ [C#] _
_ [B] _ _ _ [F#] _ _ _ _
[C#] _ _ _ [G#m] _ [F#] _ [Bm] _ [C#] _ [F#] _
_ [B] _ _ [D#m] _ _ _ [A#m] _ _
[C#] _ _ _ [B] This [F#] road is big enough [C#] for two of us to [B] share.
Come [F#] along my friend, [D#m] we'll [A#m] find it in [C#] the end.
[B] And we've still [G#m] got some traveling [F#] to do.