How To Write a Rock Song

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How To Write A Rock Song

Fellow songwriters,

What are your best tips for writing a Rock Song? Please let us know below. Share your best tips on writing a rock song with aspiring songwriters.

This is our second question in our “How To Write A Song Question of The Week” section.

Comments for How To Write a Rock Song

Dec 24, 2009 I know rock
by: rocr
I know how to write a rock song: start out with an amazing guitar solo, add some tuned drums, and then let the load screaming begin. rock rules. good luck.

Resources:

my band: Crashing Freqs (freaks)

Dec 28, 2009 life
by: Brother Darrell
My experience is that it’s a lot easier to write a rock song if I start with a catchy chorus. I usually start there and build the song around the word or phrase that sticks in my mind.

Dec 31, 2009 Words or music?
by: Chris
A song is a means of communicating. The genre is the dialect. Thus writing a rock song vs. a folk song or any other genre follows the same method in my mind. I find a chord progession that I feel and then put the melody over it. Then the words. But hell, what do I know.

Jan 01, 2010 Best way to write, for me:
by: Exciter
I tend to developer the chorus first (yay for above!) and then the rest of the song. I develop the song around the chorus’ so it fits in. After the chorus is done I tend to copy and paste it however many times I need. Often just 2 times is enough for my style but as much as 4 times is good too if you are using widely varied lyrics and need a good way of separating them while still making sure the song goes back to the main idea every time it goes through the chorus. This is called deviation, or digression.

DO NOT DISCOUNT THE POWER OF A GOOD MINDMAPPING PROGRAM! Inspiration(tm) is a good program but is costly, but it came with my computer so I use that. But there are tons of free ones available. Set up your song in logical progression, and when you run into a road block put another bubble to the right or left with possible ideas to continue it.

Jan 01, 2010 how to write a big time rush song without struggling
by: Anonymous
i want to write the big time rush song for a special somebody in my class

Jan 02, 2010 I need help.
by: Anonymous
People say, just start writing and let the words flow out, but when I try to..it just never sounds right. I need help. I’m writing songs for a rock band..kinda screamo.

Jan 03, 2010 My tips
by: Morgan
Hi everyone, I’m a songwriter myself and I have written about 40 songs in the last 6 months. Some of them are very good and some of them I am very ashamed of having written. I notice though, that if you start out with a melody, something easy, like the classical “oriental riff” and build on it from there. You could repeat your riff in different positions, for example, and add lyrics.

If you start with the lyrics, make sure that the number of syllables in each rhyme line is right, if not it will sound horrible if you ask me. Then you should add chords to your text, and if you want solos, then take the chords for either your refrain or verse and build a solo from these chords.

A bridge might also be good, but remember that it has to be different from the chorus and verses, in other words, using different chords could be smart…

Good luck!

Jan 07, 2010 simpleton
by: jimmy
I don’t believe I’ve used the same formula twice, but what I do know about my songs, is they are simple. I think the same rule applies to rock or country (or any genre). If you’ve got a good lyric with a catchy chorus and a slight twist in the bridge, you can build a lot of instrumentation and embellishment on top of three or four chords. I think a lot of rock songs could easily be little folk tunes, but add drums, distorted guitars in the right places, repetition in the lyric and in the progression and you’ve cranked out a rockr.
Don’t get too weird with the lyrics or your influences. If nobody’s ever heard of the band “Sheeba’s Little Booty,” what makes you think they’ll want to hear your song that kinda sounds like SLB.
Oh, and never take on a band name that you have to explain in parentheses. The same goes for your lyrics–if you have to explain the meaning of the song for five minutes before you play it–chances are it blows. (and i don’t mean that like a killer sax solo). love

Jan 14, 2010 Writing a rock song
by: Freetown
Get the 4 main instruments, drums, guitar, bass, vocals.
Write a catchy chorus that usually consists of a common rock beat, a power chord riff, non-emo lyrics, a singing style with attitude not hick or whining or rap, and a bass guitar playing the kick drums rhythm
The Chorus is still the high point of the song everything builds up to it.
The verse’s will talk about something involving the chorus’s main emotion.
Make the chorus transition into the verse and vice versa.
Throw in a rockin bridge or guitar solo
End the song with something exciting.
Rock song without details.

Mar 04, 2010 what about the more than basic writing style?
by: hardlearner
These tips are all well and good but I want to write more than just the basic 4 power chord progression counted syllables that ebd in a rhyme. Best example, look at some thrice lyrics, they hardly ever rhyme or follow a strict rythm and it sounds great. how can I write more freely like this and make it work? I’ve struggled for years trying to Perfect this.

Apr 06, 2010 Beginner’s Comments…
by: Kupina
I’m not one for current music, so I’m inspired by the old greats (Kim Mitchell, Van Halen, April Wine, etc.), and just watching those cheesy 80’s videos inspires me first of all. After that, I g downstairs, play my guitar, let the music come to me, and then the words. I start off playing a riff or two that I come up with, and put chords to it. Then, I let my soul write the lyrics. I have only written three songs, but they all get extremely good feedback. I know I’ve been doing something right.

Apr 23, 2010 tip
by: pwned
get a beat and then turn that beat into a song. another way is to expess your feelings.

Oct 21, 2010 duuuudeeeee
by: im a drummer!!
im only young, but i try to get and my guitarist to help me out writing a song (he don’t understand). writing can be easy for some people and some not. id say get a little emotional but dont start crying and crap like that. When ya done check it again and see if people like it and u could edit it

Oct 25, 2010 How to start a song
by: Rockerred4
The best way i can write a rock song is: To start with a catchy chorus or sometimes intros come to you… my biggest idea of the rock song is that don’t pressure yourself thinking like your song isn’t to good or doesn’t have that catchy beat have confidence on what you wrote! so don’t pressure yourself cause iv’e seen alot of people that wroten over 50 songs and they think that one song doesn’t have a good chorus, or that song has a wierd beat, or that song doesn’t make sense.. well have fun writing your rock song!

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