Song Creation: Finding the Inspiration
Song creation is the most creative part of the music industry. Discover ways to find inspiration and to write your own music
Have you ever wondered how great artists create their songs? Do you find it hard to get inspiration to write lyrics?
Maybe you already have an idea but are stuck on how to put it on paper, or how to figure out the technical part of creating the music. You’re not alone, but writing a great song only seems hard until you find the right tools to make awesome music. Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest songwriters shows that anyone can be inspired to write a great song. If you’d like to find out how dive into our guide on how to find inspiration for song creation.
Get Inspired by Other People’s Music
There’s no “secret formula” for a hit song, but listening to other artists who have done it is a proven way to kickstart your creative juices.
The greatest musicians draw inspiration from others that came before them.
In order to stop your music sounding like a ripoff, don’t copy a favorite artist exactly. Use the themes of their music and what you admire about them for a sound that will be uniquely your own.
The key when listening to good music is to listen critically, analyze and take note of details.
You can also use a sample pack, some places even offer them for free.
And finally, an age-old popular method of inspiration is to create a remix to a preexisting track. Give it your own stamp and create something entirely different.
Using Art for Inspiration
Music isn’t just an auditory experience. There’s a reason why artists use album art to communicate their stories.
One way to use art is to find inspiration in a painting or a photograph that moves you.
Anything that you see can be a visual starting point for your work. A beautiful sunset for example.
Poetry is another source of inspiration since the aesthetic sound and meaning behind the words make them similar to song lyrics.
Your favorite poet or author probably has themes that resonate with you, read and reflect what it is about their work that attracts you.
Get Inspiration from Nature
The beauty of nature is a great source of stimulation to most people, and if you write indoors, it’s also a change your environment that will get your creative juices flowing.
Even for people who aren’t necessarily outdoorsy types, taking a break by going to a river or walking in a park or forest will both heighten your inspirational senses and leave you refreshed.
Take your instruments with you and leave the worries of the world behind. A calm and uncluttered mind is better at creating good art.
Get the Subject for Your Lyrics
One method if you already have a line you’ve written is to build the song around it.
If you’ve done this you probably already have strong feelings on the subject. You can use this as a framework and expand later on with the song’s lyrics.
A second method is deciding on a subject that moves you.
It could be something you have an opinion on or an experience you’ve been through. Decide on a subject related to this and go from there.
The final method is to use a backing track as inspiration. Listen to and feel the beat, and let ideas flow from there, then polish them up.
Write a Hook or Chorus
An easy first step in the song creation process is creating a hook.
Listen to your beat if you have one, and start to write all the ideas that come to you. It doesn’t need to be structured yet, just let your thoughts flow onto the paper.
Continue this until you come up with one that stands out to you.
Keep in mind that a good chorus needs to be catchy and acts as the thread that binds the verses together.
Now Write the Verses
The song’s verses are at the heart of song creation.
You’ve got a subject and hook at this point, so you have an idea of what the content of the verses will look like.
The first verse should be attention-grabbing and full of emotion so a listener wants to hear more. One trick to writing it is to repeat a phrase or phrases used in the chorus.
Building the Verses of the Song
Continue on with the second and later verses by building on what’s contained in the first verse. Try to tell a story.
You can also create a “break down”, which is a part of the song that switches up the backing track and delivery of the lyrics.
During the break down you can either talk or leave out lyrics altogether. This break in the pace ensures that when a song returns to the usual pace the listener is more affected.
Technology Is Your Friend for Song Creation
You can use programs to both write and record your music.
GarageBand for Mac and REAPER for Windows are just two of the free recording software options for the song creation process.
If you don’t mind spending some cash, upgrade to the popular professional quality software Pro Tools. For writing tabs and classical notation, try out Guitar Pro 5.
And in addition to high tech, a plain old pen and paper can also be great for capturing ideas when you’re out and about. This way wherever you are when inspiration hits, you’ll be ready.
Rock on Baby!
And there you have it. You now have got the tools and techniques to find inspiration for your song creation process and follow through.
Whether you’d like to create a hot hip-hop banger or the lyrics to a folk song, you can find something that moves you for your particular style.
And if you’d like to discover some great new sounds to inspire you, browse our new music page now.
Are there any good sources of inspiration for song creation that work for you? Leave a comment and let us know.
Browse Beats and Instrumentals
Browse our extensive and exclusive catalog of over 200 custom made beats and instrumentals, available for free download or purchase.
4 Comments
How to Write Lyrics When You're Missing Inspiration
[…] lyrics don’t always flow, after all, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a great rapper. It just means that you […]
10 Dope Beats That Changed Rap History
[…] to Philadelphia. While New York artists had previously dominated rap, the driving drum beats and casual rap style of this song brought a unique new sound to the […]
12 Tips for Naming a Song
[…] out different ways to find inspiration when you feel like it can’t find […]
10 Expert Tips For Licensing a Song
[…] you’re still working on making the perfect track, check out our guide to finding inspiration when you’re […]