How to Write & Make Songs

Hi everyone!

I’m a rapper/singer from London, Hackney, and I’ve been writing and creating music for about five years now, which you can check out here!

Here I will go through how to write & make a song in the way I do it. Of course, there a plenty of ways to make and write music, but hopefully, my way will give you some insight if you are a complete beginner or a different sense if you already create your music.

Finding a Beat

Unless you have a connection with a producer/beatmaker or know one personally, your first point of contact to find a beat would be YouTube. I know there’s a stigma around “type beats,” but if you’re looking for a specific sound, I think it’s a great way to start until you cultivate your sound or build relationships with producers/beatmakers to request custom beats.

Constructing the Song

Once you’ve found a beat, start rapping or singing a melody on the beat. This can be in complete gibberish as you will fill in the words later. This time now is to get a sense of the melody/rhythm/flow you will have when rapping or singing over the beat.

I usually get the words for the chorus instantly when listening to the beats. So I structure my songs around the theme of the chorus.

I also write the chorus first and fill in the gaps. Some beats on YouTube have timestamps, so it’ll show you when the verses and chorus are, but please feel free to express yourself and your artistic vision, but if you’re starting off, it’s a great guideline to start writing your songs.

Writing the Song

When writing songs, I like to write down when each part of the song starts, just like the timestamps in the YouTube video above, just so there is structure, and I can go back to whatever section needed to recite my lyrics because not all YouTube beats have timestamps.

Because I start with the chorus, I will add it to where it needs to be in the song, which essentially makes up half the song, so now it’s time for the verses!

As you can see from the image on the right, here are the lyrics to my song ‘Do It’ from my EP ‘Troubled Waters.’ I have allocated timestamps to my verses and choruses. But the main thing I want to talk about is how I write.

From the chorus below in the image, the theme/premise of the song is “Don’t tell me you love me, show it.” Which is what the verses will detail.

I usually rock with the first line that comes to mind and go from there. In this case, “All talk won’t lead us to heaven.” I like to make each line/bar link. But ultimately, tell a story linked to the theme that makes sense. So in the next line, you see “hell” and “devil.” Then “genesis (first chapter of the bible).” Then “apple” and “fruit.”

I can continue, but I think you get the point. You see how I link each line to Christianity/bible, but overall sticking to the overarching theme from the chorus. And if even when it changes from the word “labour.” I’m still linking it with the words; “work” and “action.” Then linking; “action” with movies when I’m talking about “Casting for your role…”

Writing like this isn’t always the case for me, but 90% of my writing is like this, and if you care about lyrics, this adds more edge and challenges to yourself within your writing and gives you more respect as a songwriter and artist.

I hope this has helped you in your songwriting/music journey. If you’ve been inspired by my style of writing, you can check out my Genius Page, where I break down lyrics from my released songs!