How to write a song
When it comes to writing gospel songs,
I've come to realize that one of the
best things one can do is to write a
lot. Just write and write and write. Try
various methods/techniques. Don't stop.
Never give up. A lot of what you write
may become something unusable. But some of them
will.You will find that sometimes you may
write a song you feel was such a great
song only to listen to it later and to
realize that it was only good for the
moment. This is all part of the process.
Continue to write and allow God to
develop your songs and the songwriter in you. The more you write, the
better you will become at songwriting. A
person don't decide one day they will be a track star and
then just go out and win a race. It takes time for
preparation, time to get in shape. Every good track star has
a coach. Even though the talent might be there already,
without someone to tell them when to make adjustments, what
different techniques to use and so on, they will never win a
race or see their true potential. It's no different with
writing songs. We too need to be coached and there's no
better than the One who has already been there, who has
overcome and won the race. Let God be your coach throughout
your songwriting. He will never lead you wrong. Also, when
you think you no longer need Him to coach you, you might as
well give it up. You will never win without Him.
There are people in the gospel music
industry who can be helpful. Look for those who have done
some good writing, who's songs have been heard by many and
are sought after as a songwriter. God is truly the one who
gave you the talent but He also may have someone
available to help mentor you in the process. Be open to
this. A good song writer may see where you need guidance in
the mechanics of the song. The words of advice they can
offer may help you for years to come. Each time you write a
line you may remember something they said.
How do I write songs?
Most of my songs are
written when I suddenly hear something
or read something that has a neat message or catch phrase. The
ideas just hit me then I feel compelled
to write as the Spirit of God leads me.
Sometimes a phrase in a book stands out
or a catchy melody gets in my head and I
just have to work with it. I've also
written when we were trying to put
together a project. This seems to be the
most grueling of all for me. But I have
found that if I won't rush it, God will
flow through me in song after song. And
in these times I find my thoughts are
geared more to listen for ideas from
books I'm reading or from the Word of God,
or a message I heard preached and
suddenly something jumps out. The best
songs seems to come when my relationship with God is at its
best. But I have also written songs out of my despair. If
you read the book of Psalms you will find there are both
there. I believe there are three kinds of gospel songs.
Songs of Exhortation, Songs of Desperation, and Songs of
Praise. I'm not saying there's no other areas but these are
where I seem to write most. I may be praising God with my
guitar and suddenly there rises a song. The key to it all
for me is to listen and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.Sometimes I set out to write a song
and nothing comes to mind. I spend hours
trying to come up with good ideas and
nothing fruitful comes forth. It's at
these times I have to once again examine my relationship
with God. Usually when I cannot write it is tied to my
relationship. I believe if God gives the gift of songwriting
then it's always there. In other words, I should be able to
write all the time. Now do I? No. Songwriting is hard and
can be grueling. I don't cherish being in that mode all the the
time, but when I get started it's sometimes as difficult to
turn off as it was to turn on. I remember a few years ago, I
was writing a song from a message I heard preached at my
home Church. God was all over me in that message. I had a
difficult time listening to the entire message because I
wanted to get my guitar and start writing. Maybe it's not
like this in your family but we seem to have a lot going on
all the time, so I did not even get to start writing on it
until the next day. I only had some notes. After finally
getting going on it I managed a very nice song in a short
period of time. What I learned was a new patience to
meditate on the idea I had and it worked very well for me
then and now I use it often in my writing. If I have a good
melody going I do try to play the chords on my guitar so I
get them in my head. Having the melody running through my
mind allows me to concentrate more on lyrics as I meditate.
I no longer worry about how long it takes, just that when I
get to the finished product, it's something I can see can be
used in God's kingdom. Isn't that the most important part
anyway?
Sometimes the title comes first
One way is to start a song is by thinking of a
good title or hook. If you have this
ingredient then the rest seems to flow
well. But the title doesn't always come first. Any
part of the song can come first
including the bridge, chorus and verse.
Just let ideas flow and go from there.
You can always make changes.
Don't have a title
yet? Just begin to write. If you have a
melody and can hear things coming
together, don't worry about the title so
long as you keep the central theme
flowing through the song. Eventually you
will have a title. You may have to change
things a little to get to a title but
that's quite alright. Very few songs
have I ever left in their first draft.
Most of the time it changes in melody
and lyrics before I'm satisfied. I like
to study each line independently and see
if I can make it better.
Sometimes you can pick up something
that stands out in a song and write
another song with that one short phrase
or idea. It may be just one sentence
that stands out to you. If it appeals to
you then a close look is needed. Most of
all, be original.
Songwriting
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