Being a musician is a dream to many and a reality to some. Be it a dream or reality, the musician in you would always want to compose a song of his own. Composing a song does not come easily to many people. So if you are one of those looking for some guidance to get going and composing a song for yourself, here are a few pointers to help you get started:
1. Give a Structure or Pattern to your song
Chalk out a structure that would set a pattern in which your song would be rendered. Decide how many verses would be there and if any chorus needs to be added. Do not forget to add a prelude and interludes between your verses to add more depth to your song.
Planning the structure of your song will help you channel your efforts into actually composing your song.
2. Plan on the subject of your song
If you are composing a song, you need to be inspired by something. It could come from a loved one, innate feelings, experiences, situations, hobbies, food, an emotion, or even from the most mundane things. Find a word that helps you to connect your subject to the composition. This will help in naming the song.
3. Give words to your thoughts!
Once you are done naming your song and finalizing the subject, you can start penning down your lyrics. It is always good to maintain a rhythmic pattern in your verses where the lines rhyme. This would help you to give a tune to your song where the words can fit in easily.
4. Add Chorus
The chorus of a song is an essential part of any song. It can be used to boost the main subject of your song. You could also add repetitive phrases which will make it catchy. A chorus could also be composed in a way where it answers the questions asked in the earlier verse.
5. Bridge the Gap
A bridge in a song comes after the verse and the chorus. This builds up the climax of the song and is also considered a part of the song where one can give a solution to the issue discussed in the song earlier. The chorus can follow the bridge again while concluding the song.
6. Time to sing
Now that your lyrics are in place it is time to add melody to your song. It is easier to do so if you know how to play an instrument or else you could just make up a tune with all your knowledge of musical notes. It is essential to keep a record of the tune that you are composing as you could lose track of it as you progress.
So now that you have finished writing your song and setting it to a tune of your choice, it’s time to record the same!
You could head out to a proper studio to record your song or else set up one at your own home to do so. In the second half of the article we give you tips as to how you can record your song at home:
Home Recording Studio Setup:
If you are a musician who wants to frequently record songs and promote yourself as an artist, it is not a bad option to set up a recording studio at your home which will make it easier for you to complete your work faster without depending on anyone else.
Here are some points that you could use to start off:
- Set up a home recording system along with reflection filter products which are required to record vocals and the rest of the musical arrangements can be produced using the same. Make sure you have a system with enough accessible memory (RAM) so that you could install Digital Audio Workstations like audacity which would help you in editing your track and fine-tuning the same.
- One has to be sure that all the instruments that are to be used while recording is available with their respective components to make sure that the recording quality is not flawed.
- For instruments like drums, specific mic arrangements are required or else you could also include the drum beats with inbuilt software.
- A guitar and other acoustic instruments can be recorded with the help of a cord attached to the audio in port of your system. To record instruments like a violin or flute, any good microphone with good clarity and range can be used.
- A keyboard or synthesizer can be attached to the system using a USB cable or a MIDI-out cable. If none of these options is available then normal audio in/out cable can be used to connect.
- Finally, after your musical instruments have been recorded for your background, it is time to record your own voice. The best way is to use a plugin microphone through the audio in port or a USB mic.
The other way to record a song easily and quickly is by recording the same over your mobile phone. The quality will be according to the quality of your phone’s recorder. Some of the smartphones today come with exceptionally good recording applications which will help you to produce an above-average track.
One could also use digital recorders which will function best in silent surroundings and can be used to do a recording of the vocals and the background score together, but as mentioned, a silent setup is required to get a decent recording which is quite difficult.
Now that we have given you a heads up on how to compose your songs and record the same by yourself, get going and spill out your feelings and emotions in the form of music and share it with others. Who knows maybe you might just hit the jackpot and become one of the most sought-after musicians of your time!