Any tips for writing a song?

Question

im making it about my childhood (abusive dad)

and its for someone else to sing

ive never written a song before but im a writer

and the person wants it to be sad with a lot of emotion

so i figured this wud be the perfect time to share my story

but i dont know where to start

any tips?

ps- i dont kno if it matters but i want it to be hip hop

Answer 1

Don't write something just because it rhymes!

(it'll make you seem unprofessional)

Answer 2

I write poetry, and most songs are some form of poetry or story telling.  My best answer to you is find a country song that you like the melody of, that way you only have to rewrite the lyrics and the music is already written for you.  The lyric that stands out in my mind

"...that's my house and my car,

my kids and my dog,

who is that living my life..."

Country music seems to tell the worst horror stories of love loss and heart ache.  I don't listen to country as my preferred type of music, but it does lend itself very well here.

Answer 3

Just explain in the song how you felt, how old you were stuff like that.  Dont make everything rhyme

Answer 4

Well one of the things you should do is this:

First, you should just WRITE A STORY. It doesn't need to have a tune. Just write a normal story about what your trying to say in the song. After, you can find the tune. Can you play an instrument such as a guitar? Do you have a chord poster (a.k.a a paper that shows all the notes that you can use in guitar or any other instrument)? These are both excellent tools to help create a tune. Sometimes just messing around with the guitar or trumpet or scratching disk (since you mentioned hip-hop) can help you find a song to fit the story. Try everything, and once you finish the song, ask some friends and family members if they have an opinion about it. Opinions always help, no matter if they're compliments or not. Just remember to never give up, and have fun with it!

I hope this helps! :)