Songwriting 101: Creating Melodies and Lyrics Without an Instrument!

1. Songwriting 101: Introduction: Hi, everyone. I'm Bennett and welcome to Songwriting one on one, creating melodies and lyrics without an instrument. If you've ever felt that you can't write a song because you don't know how to play an instrument, I'm here to tell you that's absolutely not true. In this class, I'll be showing you how to create some beautiful, meaningful songs using just your voice, your creativity, and some accessible tools. In this course, we'll cover everything you need to know about writing a song without the use of an instrument. So here's what you'll expect. You can expect to find and use existing instrumentals or loops to kickstart your songwriting process, how to write melodies and lyrics that flow perfectly over these instrumentals. How to structure these songs with verses, choruses, and bridges to make your song shine, and finally tips and tricks to finalize your song for production or demo recording. You're a complete beginner or someone that's been dabbling in music for quite a while. This class is designed to give you practical hands on techniques that make songwriting approachable and fun. So a little bit about me. So I've been writing and producing music for just over six years now, and I've been creating and writing my own songs from scratch as an independent artist. And over the past six years, I've really honed in on these techniques, and I want to make them accessible for other people. I'm so excited to share them with you. By the end of this class, you won't only have the tools to write your own songs. But you'll also have the confidence to let your creativity flow, no matter your musical background. I'm really excited to write some songs together. I'll see you in the first lesson. 2. Songwriting 101: Finding Your Track: Hi, everyone. I'm Bennett and welcome to the first lesson of Songwriting one on one, creating melodies and lyrics without an instrument. That's right. You don't need to play guitar. You don't need to play piano to write an amazing song. So a lot of people think to write an amazing song, you need to play an instrument, but that's not the case. In this lesson, we'll explore how you can use pre made instrumentals and loops to write your own melodies and lyrics. With so many tools available online, you can jump straight into songwriting right now. I know what you're saying. Bennett, where can we find these instrumentals? Let me tell you. Let's start with some popular platforms. My top picks are YouTube and splice. These platforms offer a variety of different genres and vibes, so you'll definitely be able to find something that fits your creative vision. Let's start with YouTube, the easiest and most accessible platform. So here's how you do it. Firstly, you open YouTube and type in keywords like acoustic instrumental, chill beat, hip hop beat, or you can be specific in choosing an artist that you like like Sabrina Carpenter type B or Chapel Ron type Beat. You could even write to a specific track of theirs and create a melody over that. And then you just listen through some different tracks and find one that matters the mood you're going for. Going for an upbeat track or a side track? Is it mellow? Is it introspective? The possibilities are in this, but it's all up to you. Now, once you've found your instrumental, you can use it to inspire your lyric or melody ideas. But please remember to always check if you have permission to use the track commercially, if that's your end goal. The next platform is splice. Spice is a library of royalty free beats, loops, and samples, and here's how you can use it. You can sign up for a Spice account and browser extensivelibrary. And once you've signed up, you can search by genre, mood, instrument. And once you found some loops you like, download them and drag them into your door. Digital audio workstation. Like Logic Pro ex or garage band or any other musical software. The great thing about Splice is everything is royalty free, which means you're free to use these sounds in your original music. Now, let's quickly talk about putting these instrumentals and loops into your door. No matter what software you're using, importing is really simple. You can download the instrumental or the loop from YouTube B Splice, open your door, create a new project, and you simply drag and drop the file directly into a new track. This way, you can play your instrumental on loop and write your melodies and lyrics on top of that. It really helps you stay in the groove and keep your ideas flowing. Now, before we wrap up, here are some quick tips. Make sure to always pick an instrumental that evokes really strong emotions to you. This makes lyric writing so much easier. And also, don't be afraid to experiment. Sometimes the unexpected instrumentals and loops can lead to a really great song. And that's it for the first lesson of songwriting one on one, creating melodies and lyrics without an instrument. In our next episode, we'll dive even deeper into writing lyrics over these instrumentals. Once again, I'm Bennett and I'll see you in the next lesson. 3. Songwriting 101: Writing Your Melody Over Existing Instrumentals: Hi, everyone. I'm Bennett and welcome back to Songwriting one oh one, creating melodies and lyrics without an instrument. In today's lesson, we're going to be diving into the process of writing melodies and lyrics over an existing instrumental. By the end of this session, you'll be humming and singing melodies that fit perfectly over your chosen track. So firstly, I think it's really important that you understand your chosen track. I would play the instrumental a few times and actively listen for the structure, and this is just identifying the different sections such as verses, choruses, and bridge. And it should be pretty easy to notice this as these different sections will have repeating patterns and also different shifts to define these parts. And also knowing these structures will really help you plan where to put your melodic hooks. Now that we know the structure, let's start crafting your melody. Even if you're not a trained singer, humming and singing along will really help you unlock some amazing ideas. And here's how I would start off by playing the instrumental on loop and literally just start humming. And don't worry if it sounds rough. It's all about finding the right vibe. Literally just sing and hum whatever comes to mind. And finally just pay attention to what feels natural and what sounds good. Which one stands out, which one fits that section. If you're using a door like garage band or Logic Pro, you can also use musical typing, and you can use these virtual instruments to sketch out your melody. Now, here's where you can get really creative phrasing. Phrasing is all about how you shape the melody. You can vary the rhythm by singing the same notes, but changing the timing. You can hold the notes longer or add quick short notes. You can explore different starting points. Sometimes starting a song on a beat earlier or later can really change the feel. Try some different emotional tones. You could sing it entirely softly. You could sing it loud. You could do a mix of the two. But it's extremely important to remember there are no rules. There's no right or wrong. You just have to keep experimenting till it clicks. Now, once you found a melody you like, it's time to record. Now, there's a few options with these. Now, firstly, of course, you can use your voice and record directly into your door, or you could use a MIDI controller and play these notes on a midi keyboard, or you could use musical typing, like I mentioned earlier. After recording, there's always ways to fine tune the pitch and rhythm. Many doors offer tools like pitch correction and MIDI editing, so don't stress about perfection on the first take. Now, before we wrap up the second session, here's a few tips. I know a lot of people aren't fans of this, but don't be afraid to use pitch correction or autotune. This tool can really help you get a better understanding of your melody and also don't delete any takes. Sometimes the first melody isn't the best one, but make sure you save different takes and compare them to choose the best one. And that's a rap on writing melodies over existing instrumentals. Next time, we'll explore how to turn these melodies into lyrics. But until then, keep experimenting and let the music guide you. Once again, I'm Bennett and I'll see you in the next lesson. 4. Songwriting 101: Writing Lyrics to Match Your Melody: Hi, everyone. I'm Bennett and welcome back to Songwriting one oh one creating melodies and lyrics without an instrument. Today, we're going to be tackling the most exciting and sometimes challenging parts of songwriting, lyrics, specifically lyrics to match your melody. By the end of this episode, you'll have tools to craft lyrics, not only that fit your melody, but also to bring out the emotion of your song. Trust me, this is the fun part. So first things first, start with a melody that we recorded in our last session. This melody is your foundation, and your lyrics need to fit this melody and this rhythm. Here's how we get started. Firstly, I would let the melody really sink in, and I'd just keep playing it on loop. Secondly, let's just brainstorm words and phrases. Home along and jot down some words that naturally come to mind and don't overthink it. This is just capturing initial ideas. Now, if your melody is upbeat and fast, your words might need to be shorter and quicker, and if your song is slow and smooth, it might need words that need to stretch along these notes. Now that we have some initial words and phrases, it's time to work out a theme or an emotion you want to convey. And we need to ask ourselves, what does this melody feel like? Is it sad? Is it happy? But also what story do we want to tell? Do we want to write a song about love or heartbreak or growth? For example, if your melody feels melancholic, you might choose a theme of loss or reflection. And if it's upbeat, maybe you're writing about joy and happiness. Your theme will really help you guide your lyrics and keep you on track. Alright, let's start writing these lyrics. Here's a step by step approach. What I would do is I'd write line by line. Focus on fitting each line into the rhythm of your melody. Think about the rhyme and flow. I know you don't have to rhyme every single line, but consistent rhyming patterns can really make your song more memorable and also keep it natural. Lyrics should really flow smoothly when they're being sung. I would read each line out loud with the melody to ensure that it's fitting correctly and it's not placed awkwardly. If you're starting with the verses and it doesn't feel quite right, don't be afraid to skip to the chorus. And once you have that, it's way easier to build the verses around it. Once you have your first draft, it's time to refine and polish. Here's how we do it. Does each line make sense? I would read through and make sure does every line make sense? Are we clearly conveying the theme of the song? And when reading through, make sure your lyrics stay true to the theme and don't wander off track. You don't want it to start about heart brick and end up about walking your dog. If a line feels clunky, try changing the wording or rework the rhythm. Editing is where good songs become great. So take your time and don't be afraid to make any changes. Now, before we wrap up, here's some quick tips that I use and also other artists uses like Maisie Peters and Ed Sheeran. If you find it hard to rhyme words together, use a rhyming tool. I personally like to use websites such as Rhyme zone or Rhyme Brain. If a word feels overused, try finding different synonyms for that word. And make sure to listen back to your recordings. Sometimes hearing your lyrics recorded over the melody reveals what needs tweaking, and that's it for writing lyrics to match your melody. In our next lesson, we'll explore structuring your song and adding the final touches to bring everything together. But until then, keep experimenting and keep writing. Once again, I'm Bennett and I'll see you in the next lesson. 5. Songwriting 101: Structuring Your Song: Hi, everyone. I'm Bennett and welcome back to Songwriting One on One, creating melodies and lyrics without an instrument. Today we're jumping into the next crucial step structuring your song. Whether you're working with an instrumental track or writing a song from scratch. Understanding structure is key to creating a cohesive and compelling piece. So let's get started. So firstly, let's break down the most common structure. The most common song structure starts off with a verse. This sets the scene and begins to tell the story. Next up is the chorus, the emotional core or hook of the song. And then there's a bridge. This offers a contrast or a shift before the final chorus. The typical layout looks like this, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. This structure gives your song a natural flow and keeps the listener engaged by balancing repetition with variety. Smooth transitions between these sections are crucial to keeping your song more cohesive. And here's how to create some of these transitions. You could add a subtle variation to your vocal delivery, or you could add a harmony as you move from verse to chorus. Many instrumentals will naturally build up or break down between these sections, and you can emphasize this by matching your lyrics or your melodies to these changes. You could also increase the energy before the chorus or bring it down before the bridge. These contrasts will really help the section stand out. Let's quickly talk about the bridge. The bridge is like a massive plot twist. It keeps your song interesting by introducing something new before the final chorus. Now, here's what a good bridge does. It provides contrast by changing the melody or the lyrics or the rhythm, and this gives the listener a fresh perspective. It also gives the song emotional depth. The bridge can be used to explore a different angle of your song's theme. For example, if your song is about heartbreak, the bridge might explore a moment of hope or reflection. And there you have it, your guide to structuring a song with verses, choruses, and bridges. In the next lesson, we'll explore how to embellish your song with backing vocals and harmonies. But until then, keep experimenting and keep writing. Once again, I'm Bennett and I'll see you in the next lesson. 6. Songwriting 101: Final Touches and Preparing to Record Your Song: Hi, everyone. I'm Bennett and welcome back to Songwriting One on One, creating melodies and lyrics without an instrument. Today we're going to be putting the finishing touches on your song, preparing it for recording. Whether you're making a simple demo or aiming for a polished production, I'll walk you through the steps to get your song ready. Let's get started. Now, before we jump into recording, make sure everything is locked in. Make sure you review the entire song. Play it through a few times. Make sure you focus on both the melody and the lyrics. Does each section transition smoothly? Is the chorus catchy and impactful and tweak any words and melodies that feel out of place or awkward? Think of this as your last chance to perfect the song's foundation before you get started for recording. Now it's time to set up for recording. Now, don't worry if you don't have a professional studio. A lot of us don't. Here's how you can get started with just the basics. Make sure you choose a room with minimal background noise. Wardrobe seem to work the best because they dampen the sound. If you have a microphone, make sure to position it six to 12 " from your mouth. If you don't have a microphone, that's perfectly fine. You can even use your phone. And lastly, open your door like garage band or Logic Pro and create a new track for your vocal. So quick tip, make sure to wear headphones to avoid a weird playback when you're recording your vocal. Now, here's the fun part recording your final vocal take. Here's how you get the best results. Make sure to warm up your voice, do some vocal exercises that never hurts anybody. Make sure to record multiple vocal takes. Do not worry about perfection on the first try. None of us get it. Record a few takes and choose the best one later on. And after recording, don't be afraid to use pitch correction or Aotone. We all use it. And remember every single professional recording artist uses Atotun and pitch correction. And they also do 1,000 takes on their song. It's all about the process. Now, before we wrap up, here's some quick tips. Don't be afraid to experiment with vocal effects. You can try adding some subtle effects like compression or reverb or delay. This can really help to enhance your voice in the final song. Also, adding harmonies and doubling your main vocal can really create a richer sound. And that's a rap on finalizing and recording your original song. Now, if you plan to release your song commercially and you're using an instrumental from YouTube, it's crucial that you ensure you have the legal right to it. Creators and producers on YouTube provide a link in the description of their video, directing you to their website. And this is where you can purchase the rights to that particular instrumental. Alternatively, you could figure out the chord progressions of your song and hire a musician on services such as Fiber that can recreate it on piano or guitar. This approach is perfectly fine. Just make sure you're not using an instrumental that requires payment or licensing without permission first. But that's my approach on how you write a song without using an instrument. And that's a rap on songwriting one or one, creating melodies and lyrics without an instrument. But remember this is my approach on how to write a song without using an instrument. There are zero rules when it comes to writing a song. Remember to keep creating, keep experimenting and keep writing. I'm Bennett and I'll see you next time.