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Millions of songs are released every year worldwide, but only a few hundred make their way into people’s hearts, minds, and playlists. Moreover, only a few songs become immortal, and people listen to them for decades.
Even if you are 18 years old right now, there is no way you haven’t heard “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys, or “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion.
We can say with absolute certainty that songs like “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars, or “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi will be popular fifty years from now. If you are a budding songwriter, here are some techniques that you can follow to write memorable songs.
- Compose a Catchy and Unique Melody
The melody is the heartbeat of any song, and it is the one musical element that attracts people the most. However, it can be incredibly difficult to develop a new melody, especially one that people would like.
Although creativity has no bounds, there are only a total of 12 notes in music theory. Most songwriters say that their melody starts sounding similar to one song because they listen to different types of music to gain inspiration.
However, you can work with different scales and chord progressions to develop a melody that stays in the hearts of people. Remember “Shape of You”? Even if you want to forget it, you can’t. Ed Sheeran’s songwriting process shows how he makes use of unique and rich melodies to captivate his audience. You can also listen to songs that have memorable melodies to get an idea.
- Use Different Types of Chords
If you listen to different types of music, you will find that some memorable songs are built around three or four chords only, while others have unique and complex chord progressions that instantly hit you right in the feels. Therefore, it is always good to use such chord progressions or play around with chords to see which ones blend well with your melody and lyrics.
A good thing to do is learn basic music theory, especially if you don’t know it before. It helps you learn about different scales and chords, including major, minor, diminished, sustained, augmented, dominant, etc. By learning about these chords, you will be able to integrate them into your song and make it more beautiful.
- Add a Riff to Your Song
If you are a music aficionado, you would be able to tell various songs from their riffs only. An example of this includes “Smooth” by Carlos Santana, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, and “Smoke On The Water” by Deep Purple, etc. Riffs have the power to carry your entire song and propel it into the hearts of listeners.
Therefore, you should grab your favorite guitar, decide on a chord progression, and start playing different licks and variations until you find something that stands out. Once you have a riff, integrate it within your song and see it reach an entirely new level.
- Step Away from Your Instrument
Although this might sound strange, you should always step away from your instrument while writing your song. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but when you have an instrument in front of you, it might cause you to play the music you are already familiar with, and you would keep going through the motions instead of creating something new.
Therefore, you should put away your instrument and try to make melodies and lyrics inside your head. You can also step outside and do so while walking, sitting in a garden, driving, or whatever works best for you. As soon as you get an idea, whip out your smartphone and record it quickly. If you don’t do so, the idea can quickly fly away from your mind.
- Get Creative with the Song Structure
Usually, songs are created with a certain song structure, including the intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and an outro. Apart from these, there are other parts that you might find in some songs, which include the pre-chorus, coda, solos, etc. While you can follow the structure for songwriting, it is always nice to challenge yourself and think out of the box.
For this step, you can refer to songs that follow different structures. For instance, you can refer to Adele’s songwriting skills if you are a fan or read on Sound Songwriting regarding your favorite artist. You might follow the standard structure, which bounces between the verse and chorus.
Alternatively, you might add a bridge to the mix or add some of the other elements mentioned above. By doing this, you will be able to create a song that breaks away from conventional songwriting.
To Conclude…
This brings us to the end of our guide on writing memorable songs. There are several other techniques you can follow, and you can choose to try one, two, or all of them. Writing a great song can be quite daunting, but it shouldn’t stop you from trying.
