How to Write Songs As a Teenager
Brainstorm specific themes, subjects, or experiences to write about., Write a letter to a friend about something you’re passionate about., Tell a story about a memory from childhood., Start with the music., Craft a catchy hook.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Brainstorm specific themes
A good way to start a song is to pick something for the song to center on.
If you can focus on an emotion about a certain thing, or some aspect of society that affects you, it can make writing lyrics easier.
Avoid general topics in favor of something very specific.
Rather than saying, “I’m going to write about love,” you might say, “I’m going to write about the first crush that I remember and what that felt like.” Instead of aiming to write a song that is sad in general, think of when you lost a loved one, or even when someone you know lost someone, and write about the specific experience of that. -
Step 2: subjects
This is a good way to get lots of ideas down quickly.
Think of what you care deeply about, maybe a social issue or a recent news event, and tell your friend all about it.
Write as much as you can.
Then go through and pick out phrases and lines that stand out.You can work these phrases into a song, adding new lyrics as needed.
For example, let’s say your best friend just moved to another state and you won’t see them for a year.
Write a letter telling them how important they have been to you and what you will miss most about them.
You can then highlight the best sections and form those into a song.
Or choose a social issue, like the water crisis throughout much of the world, and write to a friend telling them why you care about that issue.
The emotions you express in the letter can make great lyrics for a song about how you want to see things change. , Songs that tell a specific story can be a good option when you are starting out, because they don’t rely on abstract ideas.
Think of a specific happy or sad memory from when you were young and write an account of it.
Narrow down the story and arrange it into song form.
For example, write about a unique camping trip you took with your father when you were young, before your siblings were born.
Tell of the fun you had and how things changed some once there were more kids in the family.
You could write about a time when you got lost in the mall and had to wait for your mom to come get you.
You can relate it to how you still feel lost sometimes.
You could also tell the story from an outside perspective, as if it happened to someone else rather than you, which may help you explore the story more objectively. , Many songwriters who are good at an instrument will start by coming up with a melody, even if it is just a few seconds long, and writing lyrics that fit the tone of the music.
Having a tune in mind may give you the inspiration you need to write the lyrics.
Ask yourself what the music makes you think of and feel.
Work the lyrics around that.
If you have a tape recorder, an app on your phone, or music software on the computer, you can record the music.
If not, you can just play it multiple times through and write the lyrics you think of as you go.
You could also listen to an instrumental piece by a professional musician and let it inspire lyrics for your song.
Then you can go back and write new music to fit those lyrics, maybe something similar to what you listened to.
If you don’t play an instrument and writing actual music is not an option, try whistling, humming, or making instrument sounds with your mouth.
This can give you a rhythm or tune without using an instrument. , The hook is typically the part of the song that draws you in, and is often repeated multiple times as the chorus.
If you get a solid chorus that emphasizes the main point of the song, you can use it as a central theme for the song, building the verses around the chorus.
A good hook usually can’t carry a bad song, but it can be enough to draw listeners in if the rest of the song supports the hook.If you are working on some lyrics, try to pick out the phrase or set of lines that says most clearly what you want to say.
This is probably what you want to use for the chorus.
If one line of the song was the only thing people heard, which line would you want it to be? There’s your hook.
Think of classic songs and what makes the hooks so memorable.
There’s The Beatles, “I wanna hold your hand,” which is simple and to the point.
More recently, think of how Carly Rae Jepsen’s, “here’s my number, call me maybe,” got consistently stuck in your head.
A hook is the part of the song you want to get stuck in your listeners’ heads. -
Step 3: or experiences to write about.
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Step 4: Write a letter to a friend about something you’re passionate about.
-
Step 5: Tell a story about a memory from childhood.
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Step 6: Start with the music.
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Step 7: Craft a catchy hook.
Detailed Guide
A good way to start a song is to pick something for the song to center on.
If you can focus on an emotion about a certain thing, or some aspect of society that affects you, it can make writing lyrics easier.
Avoid general topics in favor of something very specific.
Rather than saying, “I’m going to write about love,” you might say, “I’m going to write about the first crush that I remember and what that felt like.” Instead of aiming to write a song that is sad in general, think of when you lost a loved one, or even when someone you know lost someone, and write about the specific experience of that.
This is a good way to get lots of ideas down quickly.
Think of what you care deeply about, maybe a social issue or a recent news event, and tell your friend all about it.
Write as much as you can.
Then go through and pick out phrases and lines that stand out.You can work these phrases into a song, adding new lyrics as needed.
For example, let’s say your best friend just moved to another state and you won’t see them for a year.
Write a letter telling them how important they have been to you and what you will miss most about them.
You can then highlight the best sections and form those into a song.
Or choose a social issue, like the water crisis throughout much of the world, and write to a friend telling them why you care about that issue.
The emotions you express in the letter can make great lyrics for a song about how you want to see things change. , Songs that tell a specific story can be a good option when you are starting out, because they don’t rely on abstract ideas.
Think of a specific happy or sad memory from when you were young and write an account of it.
Narrow down the story and arrange it into song form.
For example, write about a unique camping trip you took with your father when you were young, before your siblings were born.
Tell of the fun you had and how things changed some once there were more kids in the family.
You could write about a time when you got lost in the mall and had to wait for your mom to come get you.
You can relate it to how you still feel lost sometimes.
You could also tell the story from an outside perspective, as if it happened to someone else rather than you, which may help you explore the story more objectively. , Many songwriters who are good at an instrument will start by coming up with a melody, even if it is just a few seconds long, and writing lyrics that fit the tone of the music.
Having a tune in mind may give you the inspiration you need to write the lyrics.
Ask yourself what the music makes you think of and feel.
Work the lyrics around that.
If you have a tape recorder, an app on your phone, or music software on the computer, you can record the music.
If not, you can just play it multiple times through and write the lyrics you think of as you go.
You could also listen to an instrumental piece by a professional musician and let it inspire lyrics for your song.
Then you can go back and write new music to fit those lyrics, maybe something similar to what you listened to.
If you don’t play an instrument and writing actual music is not an option, try whistling, humming, or making instrument sounds with your mouth.
This can give you a rhythm or tune without using an instrument. , The hook is typically the part of the song that draws you in, and is often repeated multiple times as the chorus.
If you get a solid chorus that emphasizes the main point of the song, you can use it as a central theme for the song, building the verses around the chorus.
A good hook usually can’t carry a bad song, but it can be enough to draw listeners in if the rest of the song supports the hook.If you are working on some lyrics, try to pick out the phrase or set of lines that says most clearly what you want to say.
This is probably what you want to use for the chorus.
If one line of the song was the only thing people heard, which line would you want it to be? There’s your hook.
Think of classic songs and what makes the hooks so memorable.
There’s The Beatles, “I wanna hold your hand,” which is simple and to the point.
More recently, think of how Carly Rae Jepsen’s, “here’s my number, call me maybe,” got consistently stuck in your head.
A hook is the part of the song you want to get stuck in your listeners’ heads.
About the Author
Anna Palmer
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow lifestyle tutorials.
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