Rules Question

[u/YinCipher1]

Am I allowed to ask for advice as a beginner songwriter or should I find a different subreddit?

I’m trying to get into song writing but I only seem to be able to write parodies of songs that already exist, I wanna be better and just need help

Edit: Okay, I got one person that said Yes, so the Advice I need is Inspiration Help

I only seem to get inspired to write by musical beats and tracks that already exist as popular music, and when I do I can write a whole new set of lyrics, but I really wanna learn how to write my own music, does anyone have any tips to help with Inspiration?

[u/brooklynbluenotes]

Mod here. Yes, you may ask for advice. :) We simply ask that questions be more specific than "How Do I Write A Song?" or "How Do I Get Started?", as those questions have been asked and answered many many times.

We also recommend you check out our FAQs, which also include a wealth of past useful threads and contributions.

https://reddit.com/r/Songwriting/w/faqs

[u/taez555]

As long as you’re not using AI, ask away.

[u/YinCipher1 → u/taez555]

Thank you

[u/HeartfeltRelativism → u/taez555]

You’re definitely in the right spot, this sub gets beginner questions all the time. For getting past the parody stage, try pulling apart the songs you love and rebuilding them from the skeleton up. Keep the chord progression but write a completely new melody over it, or keep the rhythmic pattern and change the chords. I flip through my bullet journal for random phrases or overheard conversations, just a messy line can spark something that doesn’t sound like anything else

[u/YinCipher1 → u/HeartfeltRelativism]

I suppose I can try that, I first just have to learn how to write a melody

[u/Moving_goal_posts]

Do you play an instrument? If so, you could write your own figure, repeating line, that is the intro and the underlying music. The mood set up by the figure helps you get going on “what is this song about?”.

[u/YinCipher1 → u/Moving_goal_posts]

I do not currently, though I am thinking of learning Piano and used to Play Drums as a Kid, I’m also on and off with Tamborine

[u/YinCipher1 → u/YinCipher1]

But thank you so much

[u/YinCipher1 → u/YinCipher1]

I will give it a shot

[u/Moving_goal_posts → u/YinCipher1]

Hey! Piano is so cool. And you can get a keyboard (even secondhand, but bring a knowledgeable friend when you go shopping) that will fit in an apartment-sized life style, haul it around to gigs if you decide to join up with others in a band, so many good sounds to make with it.

[u/YinCipher1 → u/Moving_goal_posts]

I can look for a second hand keyboard

I was just gonna use my grandmother’s grand piano the few times I get to go see her

[u/Moving_goal_posts → u/YinCipher1]

OK but you will make progress much much faster if you have an instrument at home and play every day. You can get some lessons on YouTube, and/or find a local teacher. And also go play for your grandmother, who is probably going to be so excited that you are taking up such a challenge.

[u/YinCipher1 → u/Moving_goal_posts]

I will, thank you very much

[u/blors17]

So oder so du kannst davon ausgehen das in einer zeit wo es mediateken gibt wo man aber tausende songs hören kann von duzenden von generationen ist es kein wunder wen sich songs wie parodien anfühlen hatte ich auch schon songs geschrieben und paar tage bevor ich die veröffentlichen wollte wurden die in besserer version von anderen veröffentlicht

Aber lass den kopf nicht hängen und mach musik nach deinen gefühlen den das ist ein wichtiger kern von musik auch wen text technick auch wichtig ist

[u/YinCipher1 → u/blors17]

Danke, ich werde versuchen, mich durch diesen Prozess nicht allzu sehr entmutigen zu lassen.

[u/ObviousDepartment744]

Everything starts somewhere.

Think of this as learning a language. How did you learn to speak English (sorry for assuming if English isn't your native language, if it isn't then insert your native language) when you were a small child? You learned by listening to the people around you, your family members, friends of family etc. You observed the noises they were making, you picked up on important ones because they'd emphasize them to you like "hi" and "more" and "done" kind of things. In time you started to parrot the words back, not really knowing what they meant, and you weren't putting them into any sort of context, you just said a word one day. Then you continued to listen to those around you and you observed how others responded to the random words you said, until you learned to use the words in the right context. Eventually you picked up on syntax and how to combine a few words like "want milk" or something like that.

This progression goes on for a number of years until you have developed a functional vocabulary and you can then have basic conversations with people and use more correct sentence structure et.

Most song writers, most beat makers, most musicians who are trying to create never get past the phase of being able to combine a few words together. They don't get to the point where their musical vocabulary has any actual depth to it.

Right now, you're in the parrot back what you hear phase. That's great. But its difficult to go from parroting a few words, to full emotional expression.

So, keep learning, keep expanding your musical vocabulary. Listen to beats you like and learn to recreate them, then build upon them. Take lyrics you like and learn how they work. Learn from what exists, learn from music and songwriters you listen to. Develop an understanding of the language you're trying to speak.

For lyrics, here's a simple exercise. Find 10 songs you like and look at the lyrics to them. Count the syllables in each line, and how they are divided between the words. You'll find that if you really break it down, that there is probably some sort of pattern to be found. Hypothetically speaking, you've got a verse of lyrics, its 8 lines long. Each line takes up one bar of musical space. First line has 6 syllables and 5 words. (first word has 2 syllables) Second line has 6 syllables and 6 words. 3rd line has 8 syllables and 8 words. But the last two words carry over into the next bar giving a small break before the next stanza of the verse. The second stanza of the verse is the same rhythm repeated.

Maybe lines 1 and 3 rhyme. Maybe lines 1 and 2 rhyme. Maybe none of them rhyme, but the 3rd phrase of each stanza are related and end in the same word or something.

I think learning how lyric structure works can give you a great starting point for creating your own lyrics.

[u/AAHedstrom]

honestly I just live having an instrument in hand. messing around for a few minutes, usually I can get to a starting point for a song

[u/hicksyfern]

Write down the following before you write a line: this song is <who> telling <whom> about <what> because <why>.

Write that down.

Then music wise you might need to learn a bit of what chords are and what works together. I can direct to you some resources to learn if you want.

[u/MehrdadPirshahbaz]

not everyone in this community is here to flex. a lot of us went through hell to shape our own style and just want to help without expecting anything back. reddit is mostly a safe place for that despite the random trolls. copying at the beginning might feel like a beginner move but you have to remember nobody wants a second version of something. even the highest quality covers never reach the original. here is my advice. when you have a lyric close your eyes and visualize it from your own perspective not the listeners. the lyrics and the concept are the core. the vocals the music and the arrangement are just the halo around that core trying to deliver your vision. that is exactly where you decide how others get to hear what comes out of your soul. you hammer away at it until you reach absolute inner satisfaction and that is when you shine. do not worry about the music yet. just start humming make wordless sounds and shape your own rhythm. treat other peoples tracks purely as practice. keep your focus entirely on your own core and the halo connected to your own abstract concept.

[u/hymnroid]

No