If you’re a guitar player who’s new to the world of song creation, you may have questions. Creating an original guitar song can be daunting at first. That’s what we’re here to guide you through.
Beginners to the art of songwriting and composition can be intimidated by all the work that goes into creating a tune. It’s important to never underestimate the production required! With a guitar in hand and a desire to make music, you’re in the perfect position. Work on coming up with some original sounds that feel totally unique and your own.
All you need now are a few tips to keep in mind. There is no right or wrong way to make music that sounds good to your own ears!
So, do your guitar warm up exercises, get yourself a pen and paper, and let’s get to writing.
It Doesn’t Matter What You Create First
Lyrics, riff, tune, melody; if you were wondering, it really doesn’t matter what you create first. They’re all going to fit together at some point anyway, so what does it matter where you start? Spending time thinking about what you should work on before making any progress. As a result, you’re just going to slow yourself down.
Avoid this headache by doing what you want when you want. If that means starting with the general sound, so be it. If it means writing out a full length, 3 minute set of lyrics, so be it. The main drive behind song creation is in discovering what it is you want to make. You’re here to have fun and speak some kind of truth. There really is no order to this!
Don’t Overcomplicate Your Chord Progression
Chord progression is the base part of making a song sound good. It allows you to explore the length and breadth of a key without worry that your song will become a sonic disaster. You’ll be able to add many other layers later on to complete the song, but deciding on your chord progression early on will make for a cohesive sound and a great starting point.
Don’t get overwhelmed by the choice on offer here. Chord progression can lead to some varied and complex sounds, but the one thing we recommend above all else when you’re a beginner? Keep your chord progression simple.
Pick a key to get started and then find the chords you want to use, although you don’t need all of the chords on offer to make a song work. You only need a few, and if you start and end on the same one, you’ll instantly create a recognizable rhythm that bounces throughout the track.
Play around with these chords and have some fun testing out the different patterns!
Record Multiple Copies of the Original Guitar Song
Once you’re happy with the basics, it’s time to record the song. You’ve plotted out how to play it and where and when the lyrics match, but making a proper record allows for the best longevity.
It also means you can share your song with other people, which tends to be easier if you don’t have to play it live and wait for their reaction!
But don’t just record once and call it a day. We believe it’s best to record multiple copies of your song, especially if you can space these recordings out and make them on different days.
Record on the same day you’ve finished writing and then give it a couple of days. Let these 48 hours pass to give yourself a clear, fresh mind to come back with. In doing so, not only are you more likely to notice things that could do with improvement, but you may find that each recording sounds quite different when played back.
Joe is a friend and contributing Author to Lifein12keys.com. He lives in Longwood, Florida with his wife Bethanne and sons Patrick and Joe Jr.