Most singers have one major problem when starting out in the music industry… ‘How do I get myself noticed?’. Yes, there are plenty of other singers out there, and often it’s not enough just to be a better singer than them. But having a great voice is a fantastic start.
So, you’re nearly there! The next thing that you can do as a singer to set yourself apart from other singers is to perform some great original music! Original music is the best thing you can do as a performer. But how do you get original music?
There are three ways to get original music:-
1. Write your own songs.
2. Co-write songs with other musicians.
3. Find songwriters who are not also performers. (There are plenty of songwriters around on the internet).
So first let’s clear up some common questions I regularly get emailed to me about song writing!
Do I need to be able to read / write music in order to write songs?
Of course you don’t… There are plenty of singers and songwriters around who haven’t got the first idea about how to read music, let alone write it. As long as you can record it down in some way (a Dictaphone will do) then you’ve got all the equipment you need.
Remember, music existed long before people developed systems to write it down. It was even more recently that people developed ‘Music Theory’ as a way of explaining how music works. In fact I can pretty much guarantee you know LOADS of music theory, just having listened to music. I think everyone who has a interest in music should take the time to look at a basic Music Theory book especially songwriters, as you’ll find that learning a little bit about how music works will help you enormously with basic things like song structure and working out what chords go with which notes.
Do I need to be able to play an instrument in order to write songs?
As a singer you already play one of the best instruments you can possibly own. Using your voice to work out tunes is by far the easiest way of writing music.
The other really common instruments that are used by singers / songwriters are the guitar and the piano (or electronic keyboard). If you can get access to one of these instruments they that can be a great start (I’m sure you know someone with an old guitar you could borrow). You don’t have to learn how to play these instruments at a performance standard, just use them as a tool to help you develop your ideas.
So how do I start writing music?
Music is so diverse that there is no way anyone could actually tell you how to write a song. In this series of articles we will be discussing topics such as ‘What elements make up a great song’, and ‘Get inspired to write lyrics’. These articles, and many more are available by signing up to my free singers newsletter, a must read whether your an amateur or a pro!
You’ll most likely write some pretty bad tunes when you start out. Everyone does. That’s ok, don’t get disheartened. With practice and inspiration, hopefully, you’ll start writing some music that you’re happy to play to people.
Just keep trying, and above all, enjoy making music.
