HOW TO WRITE

SONGS THAT
STAND OUT FROM
THE CROWD
 Introduction
About 15 years ago, I started to write songs, and what started as a hobby
became my obsession. Starting at an old desk at my parents' house, I must
have written a few hundred songs... Some didn't suck too bad, and some
are actually quite decent, looking back :-)
The Internet and the amount of information that can be found there
always fascinated me. From guitar chords to songwriting techniques, I’ve
spent a considerable part of my youth learning on music websites, blogs,
and forums.

Fast-forward 14 years... and I created an online community where you

and I can learn from some of the best songwriting coaches and music
experts in the world!
Our goal at SongCamp is always to give away better FREE stuff than the
stuff others charge for.
Since our first event in 2017, almost 1,500 music-makers have signed up
for our programs!
In this cheat sheet I put together the 15 most valuable tips I learned from
the SongCamp songwriting experts.
So, let’s begin?

Scroll down, and check out the good. :-)

Best regards, Renato Klimeck

1) Come Up With a Good Title

- Mark Winkler

95% of professional songwriters come up with the title first. A great title
is actually more than half the battle, it tells you what to write, it attracts
your listener, it’s catchy, it’s specific and points you in the right direction.

2) Start a Hook Book

- Dana Calitri

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A lot of pro writers use something called a ‘hook book’ in which they
write down title ideas when they think of them. Then when they go into a
writing session, they have lots of ideas to choose from.

3) Concept is King
- Dana Calitri
Having a great idea for a song is half the battle. While there are certainly
songs with such great musical hooks that the lyrics don’t matter all that
much, nothing compares to a song that makes you think, see something in
a different way or laugh because it’s so clever. It’s easier to write if you
have a solid, interesting idea to write about.

4) The First Line is the Most Important Way to

Grab Their Attention
- Andre Pessis
We cannot stop people from thinking their own thoughts. With so many
things going on in their lives, your song has to stop them in their tracks,
and hold them for the entire time.

The way you start a song is with the first line. If you have a choice
between using a hammer or a stick, use a hydrogen bomb.

5) Create Interesting Melodies

- David Wolfert
Whether your song started with the lyric, melody, chords or a
combination of these, remember that the melody should be the part that
sticks with the listener. Great songs have melodies that stand alone — we
can hum them without chords or lyrics.

A trick to check a melody is to play it on a guitar or keyboard by itself,

without chords or rhythm. If the melody is boring, you’ll know as soon as
you hear it this way.

6) Experiment With Different Chords

- David Wolfert

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Most songwriters rely on chord progressions that they keep coming back
to. Although there’s nothing wrong with doing this, it’s a good idea to
experiment with different chords, shapes and patterns. A great time to try
this is after your melody is done.

7) Add Variation
- Jeff Franzel

Try to set up your song in a way that each section is different from the
others. Think of it as a film, where you have a beginning, middle and
ending. You want to surprise your listener.

8) Walk Away
- Shelly Peiken
When you feel stuck, take a walk. This can be more visually stimulating
in a city, however there are other ways to clear your head, like driving to
a place where you can walk or sitting by a pool. Get out from behind the
computer. Staring at a screen can hold you hostage. Release yourself.
Your mind is freer when it’s not confined.

9) Communicate
- Harriet Schock

Are you communicating to someone? Or are you simply monologuing,

telling the world what you think or what happened to you?

In order to hold your audience’s attention, you need to provide them with
pictures. Try to communicate one thing to one person and do it with
pictures and all of the senses.

10) Learn Structure Rules

- Alex Forbes

Know AAA, AABA & Verse-Chorus Song Forms, and choose the best
one for your song.

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These days, if you’re shooting for commercial viability (and of course not
everyone is), then I’d suggest writing in the Verse-Chorus form. This
structure can also include an optional Pre-Chorus section, and/or a
Bridge following the second chorus.

11) Know The Craft
- Alex Forbes

No doubt you have strong emotions and big ideas, and have an
understanding of song structure, but the craft is taking all of those
elements and bringing them together in a single, unified whole.

This requires a knowledge of music theory and performance: either

playing an instrument and/or singing… or working with people who are
talented in those areas. Take lessons to polish your skills, or partner up
with people who have already achieved some mastery.

12) Grammar
- David Wolfert
That stuff you didn’t pay attention to in school is important now. Make
sure that your lyric is clear in tense — if your story happened in the past,
present or future it’s important to be clear. Also be careful about
pronouns. For example, if you say “you” in a song, you shouldn’t say
“she” or “he” in a different place in the song when referring to the same
person because it’s confusing and your story won’t be clear.

13) Write the Chorus First

- Andre Pessis
Any way you start a song is ok. You can start with a title idea, a melody
or a lyric idea.

It is a good idea to write the chorus first. If you have a good chorus,
there’s no way you can’t come up with verses. But if you’ve got a great
verse and you don’t have your hook yet, it’s possible that you won’t find
it.

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 14) Stay True
- Shelly Peiken
If it doesn’t feel inspired going in, it won’t feel inspired coming out.
Sometimes the simplest ideas go under-appreciated.

15) Meaning
- David Wolfert
Songs are short, and it’s important that every line serves a purpose. Great
songs generally have one thing in common: The writer is always aware of
what the song is about and is careful that the lyric is always contributing
to the meaning.