Nt Songwriters.. Love, RB

[freakshow]

sup NT.. posted this in the General forum..
just wondering if you guys have any tips/advice how to write a love song. or something of that nature...

 

[freakshow]

sup NT.. posted this in the General forum..
just wondering if you guys have any tips/advice how to write a love song. or something of that nature...

 

[golfalphabravoecho]

I fancy myself a rapper but I wrote a couple of love joints for the Mrs. One was the obligatory rapper chick track but the other was a bonafide love song. I learned a couple of things during the composition, picking the track and having someone sing it.


1.) Songs generally have fewer lyrics than rap songs. You could really get away with writing 8 bars for 16 bars of music.
2.) There's a BIG difference between an R&B song and a ballad.
3.) Tempo, tempo, tempo. You can double up the syllables and switch up the flow in a rap song but it doesn't work the same with songs.





4.) ANYTHING can be fixed/covered by holding notes.

 

[golfalphabravoecho]

I fancy myself a rapper but I wrote a couple of love joints for the Mrs. One was the obligatory rapper chick track but the other was a bonafide love song. I learned a couple of things during the composition, picking the track and having someone sing it.


1.) Songs generally have fewer lyrics than rap songs. You could really get away with writing 8 bars for 16 bars of music.
2.) There's a BIG difference between an R&B song and a ballad.
3.) Tempo, tempo, tempo. You can double up the syllables and switch up the flow in a rap song but it doesn't work the same with songs.





4.) ANYTHING can be fixed/covered by holding notes.

 

[jaysrcrak]

The best way IMO to learn songwriting is by listening to lots of great songs.
There is a limitless amount of material you can listen to for free on the internet.
Pick the type of songs that you would like to write, and study them.
Ask yourself these types of questions:
Why do I like this song?
What was special about it?
How did the lyrics connect to me?
How was it constructed? ( verse 1, reprise, hook, verse 2 repeat reprise, repeat hook, B section, hook, hook)

After you study the basic structure of the song, do some songwriting exercises. Again easily found on the net

There really is no wrong or right way to do it. Just write what you feel.
But if you want to be a great writer, study great writers. If you want to write great songs, study great songs.

 

[jaysrcrak]

The best way IMO to learn songwriting is by listening to lots of great songs.
There is a limitless amount of material you can listen to for free on the internet.
Pick the type of songs that you would like to write, and study them.
Ask yourself these types of questions:
Why do I like this song?
What was special about it?
How did the lyrics connect to me?
How was it constructed? ( verse 1, reprise, hook, verse 2 repeat reprise, repeat hook, B section, hook, hook)

After you study the basic structure of the song, do some songwriting exercises. Again easily found on the net

There really is no wrong or right way to do it. Just write what you feel.
But if you want to be a great writer, study great writers. If you want to write great songs, study great songs.

 

[yaboydiddy]

Originally Posted by JaysRcrak

There really is no wrong or right way to do it. Just write what you feel.

Exactly. It's your feelings.

OP, is this professionally or just writing something for a chick?

I write a lil bit...havent really researched structure and all that yet. To have one idea or word or harmony and just brainstorm into something complete, or at least lay the foundation, It's a cool time killer

Whatever you're feeling, put it into words, find a melody that fits it and go from there.

 

[yaboydiddy]

Originally Posted by JaysRcrak

There really is no wrong or right way to do it. Just write what you feel.

Exactly. It's your feelings.

OP, is this professionally or just writing something for a chick?

I write a lil bit...havent really researched structure and all that yet. To have one idea or word or harmony and just brainstorm into something complete, or at least lay the foundation, It's a cool time killer

Whatever you're feeling, put it into words, find a melody that fits it and go from there.

 

[freakshow]

Originally Posted by YaBoyDiddy

Originally Posted by JaysRcrak

There really is no wrong or right way to do it. Just write what you feel.

Exactly. It's your feelings.

OP, is this professionally or just writing something for a chick?

I write a lil bit...havent really researched structure and all that yet. To have one idea or word or harmony and just brainstorm into something complete, or at least lay the foundation, It's a cool time killer

Whatever you're feeling, put it into words, find a melody that fits it and go from there.

to express my feeling to a girl. ( no pics) ..

i been trying.. ima just use own experience and feeling...

 

[freakshow]

Originally Posted by YaBoyDiddy

Originally Posted by JaysRcrak

There really is no wrong or right way to do it. Just write what you feel.

Exactly. It's your feelings.

OP, is this professionally or just writing something for a chick?

I write a lil bit...havent really researched structure and all that yet. To have one idea or word or harmony and just brainstorm into something complete, or at least lay the foundation, It's a cool time killer

Whatever you're feeling, put it into words, find a melody that fits it and go from there.

to express my feeling to a girl. ( no pics) ..

i been trying.. ima just use own experience and feeling...

 

[overgrinding]

any of yall got anything i can hear?

im just really getting into writing melodic stuff but im a producer...

 

[overgrinding]

any of yall got anything i can hear?

im just really getting into writing melodic stuff but im a producer...

 

[yaboydiddy]

Originally Posted by FREAKSHOW

Originally Posted by YaBoyDiddy

Originally Posted by JaysRcrak

There really is no wrong or right way to do it. Just write what you feel.

Exactly. It's your feelings.

OP, is this professionally or just writing something for a chick?

I write a lil bit...havent really researched structure and all that yet. To have one idea or word or harmony and just brainstorm into something complete, or at least lay the foundation, It's a cool time killer

Whatever you're feeling, put it into words, find a melody that fits it and go from there.

to express my feeling to a girl. ( no pics) ..

i been trying.. ima just use own experience and feeling...

He made sure to get that in

I dont care for pics, I just wanted to know the background on the situation.

 

[yaboydiddy]

Originally Posted by FREAKSHOW

Originally Posted by YaBoyDiddy

Originally Posted by JaysRcrak

There really is no wrong or right way to do it. Just write what you feel.

Exactly. It's your feelings.

OP, is this professionally or just writing something for a chick?

I write a lil bit...havent really researched structure and all that yet. To have one idea or word or harmony and just brainstorm into something complete, or at least lay the foundation, It's a cool time killer

Whatever you're feeling, put it into words, find a melody that fits it and go from there.

to express my feeling to a girl. ( no pics) ..

i been trying.. ima just use own experience and feeling...

He made sure to get that in

I dont care for pics, I just wanted to know the background on the situation.

 

[loendradio]

brainstorm first. set the scene.. is it a message directly to your loved one? more of an expositional kind of thing, where you're describing your feelings about someone? maybe something completely different entirely? if it's based on real experience, sit down, close your eyes and try to recreate the emotions and feelings you went through. as you do this, quickly write/type out whatever words come to mind, even if they seem random. the more you have, the better. then go through that list, and highlight/bold the most prominent themes you want to emphasize. with these guidelines set as a reference point, you're now ready to begin writing the song.

the goal is to take the feelings that you're experiencing internally and recreate them in the mind of your audience. however, the trick is in the fact that they haven't experienced what you have; but if your song is vivid enough, your audience will be able to tie it to whatever feeling that they've experienced that is closest to the one you're painting in your song. in order to make this happen though, the vision that you have prior to writing the song must be thorough down to the very detail.

example: say you're writing a song about how you have feelings for someone that's taken by another; very common subject matter. in order to portray it in a successful manner, without having it sound like some generic BS, you're gonna have to make your audience FEEL WHAT YOU'RE FEELING.. the way your heart drops when she's near you, how you smile in her face when she's around you but it's really killing you inside.. describe the details about her that you notice that no one else seems to, cause everyone does that.. how cute she looks when she's confused, how jaw-dropping she is when she puts her hair down, etc. think about real interactions you've had with her, and the key moments that stood out.. like the first time y'all had a deep conversation and how her perspectives on life seem to perfectly complement your point of view.. or when y'all were walking somewhere and she locked her arm around yours, and you felt complete. focus on the things that by appearance seem very minor, but to you they were huge. it's the subtleties that really paint an image in the listener's head.

at the core, a song is ideas, emotions and feelings condensed into the form of music. if your ideas/emotions/feelings aren't real and vivid from the jump, within yourself, there's no way people will be able to relate once it gets turned into a song.

once you get this figured out, the rest typically comes together on its own. listen to songs that really made you feel something and analyze it from a critical standpoint. notice how they choose words carefully in order to paint a very detailed image with fewer lyrics. study the structure, the build-up, the climax, the feeling you get left with in the end. the hook is where you showcase the most raw message you're trying to tell ("i love you", "i can't have you", "come back to me"), while the verses typically describe the details that reinforce that message. you can also incorporate a bridge, which can give you a variety of looks. i think the most common is probably a resolution, where you make a stand on the conflict that you're describing ("i don't care that you're taken, i'm gonna love you anway", "it's time to move on", etc).

also, if you're gonna record/perform it, the performance itself is a VERY crucial element as well. for instance, singing lyrics that say "i'm moving on", but showing that you're experiencing pain and frustration tells a story of a person truly in conflict with themselves.

check out these songs for good examples:
stevie wonder or jodeci's "lately"
(two different takes on the same lyrics, i prefer jodeci's. great example of how a performance changes everything about a song)

voices of theory - say it
112 - cupid
the beatles - something
new edition - i'm still in love with you

hopefully that gives you enough material to get your song going!

 

[loendradio]

brainstorm first. set the scene.. is it a message directly to your loved one? more of an expositional kind of thing, where you're describing your feelings about someone? maybe something completely different entirely? if it's based on real experience, sit down, close your eyes and try to recreate the emotions and feelings you went through. as you do this, quickly write/type out whatever words come to mind, even if they seem random. the more you have, the better. then go through that list, and highlight/bold the most prominent themes you want to emphasize. with these guidelines set as a reference point, you're now ready to begin writing the song.

the goal is to take the feelings that you're experiencing internally and recreate them in the mind of your audience. however, the trick is in the fact that they haven't experienced what you have; but if your song is vivid enough, your audience will be able to tie it to whatever feeling that they've experienced that is closest to the one you're painting in your song. in order to make this happen though, the vision that you have prior to writing the song must be thorough down to the very detail.

example: say you're writing a song about how you have feelings for someone that's taken by another; very common subject matter. in order to portray it in a successful manner, without having it sound like some generic BS, you're gonna have to make your audience FEEL WHAT YOU'RE FEELING.. the way your heart drops when she's near you, how you smile in her face when she's around you but it's really killing you inside.. describe the details about her that you notice that no one else seems to, cause everyone does that.. how cute she looks when she's confused, how jaw-dropping she is when she puts her hair down, etc. think about real interactions you've had with her, and the key moments that stood out.. like the first time y'all had a deep conversation and how her perspectives on life seem to perfectly complement your point of view.. or when y'all were walking somewhere and she locked her arm around yours, and you felt complete. focus on the things that by appearance seem very minor, but to you they were huge. it's the subtleties that really paint an image in the listener's head.

at the core, a song is ideas, emotions and feelings condensed into the form of music. if your ideas/emotions/feelings aren't real and vivid from the jump, within yourself, there's no way people will be able to relate once it gets turned into a song.

once you get this figured out, the rest typically comes together on its own. listen to songs that really made you feel something and analyze it from a critical standpoint. notice how they choose words carefully in order to paint a very detailed image with fewer lyrics. study the structure, the build-up, the climax, the feeling you get left with in the end. the hook is where you showcase the most raw message you're trying to tell ("i love you", "i can't have you", "come back to me"), while the verses typically describe the details that reinforce that message. you can also incorporate a bridge, which can give you a variety of looks. i think the most common is probably a resolution, where you make a stand on the conflict that you're describing ("i don't care that you're taken, i'm gonna love you anway", "it's time to move on", etc).

also, if you're gonna record/perform it, the performance itself is a VERY crucial element as well. for instance, singing lyrics that say "i'm moving on", but showing that you're experiencing pain and frustration tells a story of a person truly in conflict with themselves.

check out these songs for good examples:
stevie wonder or jodeci's "lately"
(two different takes on the same lyrics, i prefer jodeci's. great example of how a performance changes everything about a song)

voices of theory - say it
112 - cupid
the beatles - something
new edition - i'm still in love with you

hopefully that gives you enough material to get your song going!

 

[yaboydiddy]

Originally Posted by loendradio

brainstorm first. set the scene.. is it a message directly to your loved one? more of an expositional kind of thing, where you're describing your feelings about someone? maybe something completely different entirely? if it's based on real experience, sit down, close your eyes and try to recreate the emotions and feelings you went through. as you do this, quickly write/type out whatever words come to mind, even if they seem random. the more you have, the better. then go through that list, and highlight/bold the most prominent themes you want to emphasize. with these guidelines set as a reference point, you're now ready to begin writing the song.

That is so true. It's soooo important to just get something down and then u can just go back and forth with what u dont like, what u like, maybe I should throw a different delivery on this part...stuff like that.

 

[yaboydiddy]

Originally Posted by loendradio

brainstorm first. set the scene.. is it a message directly to your loved one? more of an expositional kind of thing, where you're describing your feelings about someone? maybe something completely different entirely? if it's based on real experience, sit down, close your eyes and try to recreate the emotions and feelings you went through. as you do this, quickly write/type out whatever words come to mind, even if they seem random. the more you have, the better. then go through that list, and highlight/bold the most prominent themes you want to emphasize. with these guidelines set as a reference point, you're now ready to begin writing the song.

That is so true. It's soooo important to just get something down and then u can just go back and forth with what u dont like, what u like, maybe I should throw a different delivery on this part...stuff like that.

 

[yaboydiddy]

I aint no singer NT ...this might not end well...take it easy on me

It's rough but I aint feel like singing it over. Just 1 verse; wasn't trying to sing for 3-4 minutes.

But for the sake of the thread...

http://www.mediafire.com/?knllpkbpfhkotn4

And I forgot the words for a second too in the beginning

 

 

[yaboydiddy]

I aint no singer NT ...this might not end well...take it easy on me

It's rough but I aint feel like singing it over. Just 1 verse; wasn't trying to sing for 3-4 minutes.

But for the sake of the thread...

http://www.mediafire.com/?knllpkbpfhkotn4

And I forgot the words for a second too in the beginning