A good rock song should push listeners to the limit. It should make them want to do something dangerous, fight the system, and have a great time. If you want to compose a song that causes all of these effects, you will have to know how to brainstorm, how to write lyrics, and how to compose classic rock music. Once you do, you can blow up the ceiling of the room like the pros!
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Brainstorming Your Song
Step 1. Decide on the themes of your song
Rock is provocative, furious, and anti-authoritarian. The most common themes of this genre are rebellion, liberation, sex and drug use. Romantic music is also a very important topic in rock. Use your own experiences for inspiration. If you want your song to sound authentic, you will have to know how it feels to go through the things you express through the lyrics.
For example, John Lennon's song “Cold Turkey” is inspired by his experience quitting heroin
Step 2. Create your song title
Hear catchy phrases in real life, look them up in books, and watch them recur on TV shows and movies. Write everything that catches your attention in a notebook or on your phone. These phrases could be the title of your song which, in turn, will be the basis of your lyrics in the chorus and verses.
Step 3. Think of the chorus based on the title
Play with the ideas for titles and different melodies to develop something very eye-catching. Once you do it, it can serve as a chorus, which will be the part of the song that will stick in listeners' heads for a while, since it is concise and memorable.
- As a quick rule of thumb to determine the appeal of the chorus, if the melodic or lyrical phrase clings to your head, possibly the same will happen to others.
- For example, a variation of the title of the Rolling Stones song "Paint it black" serves as part of the chorus "I see a red door and I want to see it painted black."
Part 2 of 3: Write Your Song Lyrics
Step 1. Create a chorus based on the chorus
Since the latter is supposed to be memorable, you should include it in the chorus so that it is repeated as much as possible. Musicians usually include the chorus at the beginning or end of the chorus, or both. Chorus lyrics should be built around the chorus, addressing the song's themes in a vague way.
For example, the chorus of David Bowie's song “Starman” features the chorus “There is a star man waiting in heaven” on the first line of the chorus
Step 2. Write the first verse of the song
While the chorus can be vague, the verses should include specific examples and concrete images. Develop the themes presented in the chorus with the lyrics in the verse that give listeners a more solid idea of the theme of the song.
In the first verse of the song “Take it off”, the band The Donnas sings “This is my second drink, but I've had a few before. I try to think with all my might and I think I want to see you on the ground”
Step 3. Follow the pattern of the other two verses of the song after the first
Once you establish the rhythm and lyrical tone of the song in the first verse, it is easy to develop the other two verses. These should be added to the information presented in the first verse, while maintaining the same rhythm and tapping.
In the second verse of “When doves cry”, Prince sings “Dream, if you can, a patio, an ocean of blooming violets, animals that adopt curious postures” in the same rhythm as the first verse
Step 4. Consider including a bridge or interlude
A bridge is like a second chorus to the song that covers the subject in unclear terms, but adds something new and unexpected that breaks the monotony for listeners.
For example, in the song “Barracuda” by Heart, a different rhythm is used to stand out from the rest of the song: “Sell me, sell yourself, said the porpoise. Dive deep to save my head You, I think you also have sadness”
Part 3 of 3: Composing the music for your song
Step 1. Choose the rhythm and time signature
Rhythm and time signature are largely determined by the particular style of rock you want to create. Punk has a faster and more driving beat, heavy metal uses a 4/4 beat (the beat is a quarter note that lasts one second and there are four bars per measure), reggae is syncopated (the bars go with the beat).
Do an online search to discover the beat and time signature that the specific rock genre you want to play uses
Step 2. Use powerful chords
Many of the most famous rock songs use powerful chords, rather than traditional ones, for a less mellow and more provocative sound. Powerful chords are formed by playing the main note of the chord with the first finger on the top string of the guitar and placing the third and fourth fingers to press the two strings under the two frets of the top strings below the neck of the guitar. Guitar.
- For example, the powerful G (G) chord is formed by pressing the third fret on the top string and then the fifth fret on the two strings below the top one.
- For example, the Nirvana song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” uses the powerful chords for E (E), A (A), G (G), and C (C).
- Powerful chords are very popular in the grunge genre.
- Acid rock songs use the same type of chords, but distort them via a distortion pedal connected to an amplifier.
- On the other hand, indie rock tends to reproduce a softer and quieter sound, and can even use traditional chords.
- Glam rock also uses soft sounds, often experimenting with music from other genres entirely.
Step 3. Start with the electric guitar and then add other classic rock instruments
The electric guitar has been the foundation of rock songs from the beginning. When writing your song, use an electric guitar as an accompaniment to help you develop the melody. Once you finish writing the song, you can add instruments like drums, bass, and keyboard.
- You should also remember to strum the guitar as if you want to break the strings. The essence of rock is to cause a destructive vibration.
- For example, funk emphasizes hard bars on the bass and drums.
- Songwriting singers like Joan Armatrading tend to focus a lot on melodic instruments like guitar and piano, and use other instruments primarily to achieve a fuller sound.
Step 4. Create a single instrument
All the best rock songs include a brutal instrumental solo that is practically always done on an electric guitar. To write the solo, play a few scales in the key of your song and add parts and segments to your melody. Try different combinations to see what you can create and what you can do to fully show your skills.
- Psychedelic rock includes long, improvised solos, usually through an electric guitar.
- On the other hand, punk often features pretentious and unnecessary instrumental solos.
- The iconic guitar part in Guns N 'Roses song "Sweet Child O’ Mine "is a simple variation on a scale that Axl Rose heard guitarist Slash hear in rehearsal.