How do you come up with a melody for songs?

Question

How do you come up with a melody for songs?

Answer 1

Very good question! I'll ask YOU this, though: do you play piano or guitar? Because if you do, you can do a lot of playing with chords. By starting with chords, you can really "play around". I just wrote my first song, and that's what I did. I had an idea of the chord progression I wanted, and as I played the chords, the melody "came" to me. The melody changed, again and again, little by little, until I ended up with a really great song.

Good luck with your writing!

Answer 2

good advice from all...

I know several "song writers"... the process is sorta magical...

they listen to the words and HEAR the melody...

obviously once you've established a KEY certain CHORDS work.. and some do not...

Then some notes work... and some will not...

Take the SCIENCE and add some ART and you're on your way!

Answer 3

Play with notes. Establish your time signature...tempo....decide what notes  you want to use.

Answer 4

There's really no *one* way to write a song.  So all I can do is talk about my own process.  I usually start at the piano working on a chord progression.  If I come up with something that interests me, I'll then improvise a melody, often singing "la la" (or something like that) to see if I can come up with a melody that fits the chords. Depending on how that goes, I'll figure out the notes I just sang on the piano and will develop the melody from there since I'm free from my own vocal limitations on the keyboard.

Again, this is just my process.  Everyone is different.  For example, some people can look at a poem or a series of lyrics and immediately come up with a melody in their head that goes along with those words.  

In fact, some people can spontaneously come up with both lyrics and a melody on the spot--sometimes a-cappella and other times, using a piano, guitar, or other instrument for accompaniment.

Perhaps the best advice I can give it to just keep trying.  Writing songs is like any skill.  It take lots of practice.  The more you do it, the easier it gets and the better each subsequent song becomes.

Hope that helps!

Answer 5

I like making a song for a melody more than making a melody for a song.  Its easier.  You can just go by how the song makes you feel and see if you can match up a good rythym and beat to your words as best you know how.