Songs are three-minute stories that are part of our lives. They tell stories that we relate to-- that narrate our most vulnerable or exciting moments. We sing to them, we dance to them, we listen to them with family or friends, and they weave into the routine of our lives. Despite rhythms or genres, songwriting is a skill. When you are writing, you have to consider many factors like rhymes, rhythms, and music. But you are not alone; there are many tools out there to help you be the best songwriter ever.
Being a professional songwriter means to be educated and familiar with music vocabulary. This will help you understand articles and blogs about music and get involved in conversations and discussions with professional musicians. This website goes over many concepts that are related to music, instruments, and sounds. Whether you are a beginner in songwriting or have been writing or playing for a few years, visit this website and go through some of these concepts. Most likely, there are a few you haven’t heard of, and you will feel proud of yourself for being more informed and educated with that thing that you are very passionate about: music!
Get it here: method-behind-the-music.com
Roses are red, violets are blue. What rhymes with monogamy? I have no clue. One of the most frustrating moments when you are writing a song is trying to find a word that rhymes with your verse. It can take a lot of time to find this word that aligns with the story you are trying to tell. But Rhyme Zone is here to help you get rid of that struggle. It will help you to find rhymes to do good verses for your song, you only have to type one word, and it will come up with a list as big as it can be with words that rhyme with the one you typed, and you will have many options to choose from. You are going to love it!
Get it here: rhymezone.com
Audiotool is a full-scale production set to mix sounds and start singing to a rhythm. For some writers, it makes more sense to start listening to a melody rather than starting with writing the lyrics and then move on to the music. There is no right or wrong process to write songs. The best process is the one that works for you. With Audiotool you can record samples with a mini mixer and mix them with a crossfader and an audio track. It is like having your own recording studio in your computer! If you end up with a piece that you are really proud of, you can publish it in the Audiotool platform and listen to other artists starting their own careers in music. This is a great opportunity to listen to what other people in many parts of the world are doing.
Get it here: audiotool.com
Songwriting, audio recording, and note-taking all combined in this easy-to-use app. Hum keeps your notes and ideas all nicely organized, ready for you to take your projects one step further. You can categorize your ideas by color, mood, rhythm, or name, and you have a backup in your Dropbox account so that you don’t lose anything. This is a great tool for all of those songwriters who are working on several songs at once and want to keep track of all of them. It is hard to lose them when you name them as “Sample 1”, “Sample 2,” etc. This is a very helpful organizing tool that will make your songwriting experience so much easier!
Songcraft is an all-in-one platform for songwriters. The Pro Version is only $8 USD monthly, but it goes down to $5 USD if you pay it yearly. This includes unbranded printing, interactive exercises, and a blog with a bunch of tips on how to write songs and how to be a professional musician. It is also a great tool that helps you keep your lyrics, riffs, and audios altogether. It makes collaborative writing sessions possible because it helps you connect with other songwriters that might be on the other side of the world.
Get it here: songcraft.io
This is a great opportunity for you to network with people who have similar interests. There is a private and a public forum where members share tips, articles, blogs, and discussions about music. People from many parts of the world have joined these forums and have met great musician friends from different ages and backgrounds; many of them end up collaborating and writing pieces together! Songwriting Pro has coaches available for you. You can schedule one-on-one sessions with professionals that will give you great feedback on your work. Sessions are available by phone or online, and they can last from 30 minutes to two hours. If you’re serious about songwriting, this is an excellent opportunity for you as the coaches are hit songwriters who have worked with Jamie Lynn Spears, Reba McEntire, Ray Stevens, and many more!
Get it here: songwritingpro.com
This will be one of your favorite tools. It can be hard to think of different words with similar meanings when you are trying to put together a rhyme, so this is when you need synonyms. This website has a search bar where you can type a word and search for its synonyms. Almost immediately, you will see a list of the words that have a similar meaning to the word you searched. The English language can sometimes be a little limited, so don’t be disappointed if there are not many synonyms for the word you are searching for. Take advantage of these terms, and have fun writing!
Get it here: thesaurus.com
An app available for iOS and Android that helps you to create samples in different keys, speeds, and modes. You can also rearrange your preexisting songs with other instruments and rhythms. Do you want to try country music for a change? How about R&B? No problem! You can add 60+ chord types in all keys and inversions, and it has an automatic song generator for pop and jazz. It’s all about trial and error when you are writing songs, and these apps help you explore all of the different options you have when you are composing a song!
Get it here: play.google.com/apps/chordbot
Learning directly from professional musicians is now possible thanks to technology. Masterclass is a platform where you can learn about many subjects like cooking, fashion, photography, and music, of course. With 10 Grammys and almost 50 years of career, Carlos Santana teaches a class how to weave artistic expression, emotion, and musical genres to create pieces that connect with the audience. Other courses include Singing by Christina Aguilera, The Art of Performance by Usher, and Producing and Beatmaking by Timberland. All of these classes are included with a monthly $15 USD subscription. Masterclass also has a blog with many articles about many different topics, including this piece on Common Song Structures. Go check it out and get some inspiration!
Get it here: masterclass.com
The founders of this software have been working in music, technology, and education. You can tell by how well designed it is. The Hookpad Musical SketchPad has melody guides, built-in music theory, and intelligent suggestions to help you improve your chords. If you are in the process of learning about music, you should consider the Hooktheory books. They are highly interactive with visuals and sounds, and it teaches you how to put together melodies, chord progressions, and perceive music like a professional. Instead of giving you a bunch of lectures that you might forget after a few hours, it includes exercises so that you can practice after each lesson. You are going to be so proud when you are done with all the lessons!
Get it here: hooktheory.com
Songwriting is a skill that you must practice with patience and discipline. Don’t be disappointed if your first piece isn’t as catchy and cool as you expected it to be. Take some breaks in between if you need them, and never underestimate your potential. Some people might write a song after a couple of hours. In fact, Sia wrote Rihanna’s “Diamonds” in 14 minutes. But other people might need more time, and that is fine. Set your mind with the goal you want to achieve, practice, don’t be scared, accept failure, and move on stronger than ever to write your next piece. Good luck!
