How To Make A Song

A five step guide

Through visiting my website, you've probably figured out by now that my passion lies in music. I love all genres and types, but my favorite thing to do with music is make my own. Making music can sometimes be a tricky process, and from the start it's typically confusing. Between all the modern tools and softwares, and all the intricate details involved in sound design, the entire process can sometimes be so overwhelming that people lose interest very quickly. One of my goals in life is to share the joy of music with the world, so today I'd like to give you my very simplified 5 step process to creating your very own song.

Step 1 - Software and equipment.

Whether you're interested in making an entire song from scratch, producing a track, or writing lyrics over a pre-produced beat, you'll need a solid setup with all your basic gear. The first thing you need to do is choose the software you'll be working with. There's a bunch of different softwares to choose from ranging in price and quality. Personally I recommend Pro Tools or FL Studio, FL is my main software and the one I will be referencing in this article. Once you have your production software picked out, you'll need to decide what plugins you'll want to use. If you plan on singing or rapping a lot I recommend investing in Antares Autotune EFX+, even if you have an incredible voice this tool will ensure professional sounding vocals by eliminating pitch bends and unwanted reverb caused by your microphone. If you are only interested in producing, invest in Nexus RFX, Omnisphere, or Pro Keys depending on what fits your needs. Nexus is great for EDM production, Omnisphere is best used in hip-hop or LoFi, and Pro Keys shines through in more instrumental or emotional tracks. Software is the hardest part of putting together your set-up, after that all just invest in a nice studio quality microphone, a decent set of stereo speakers, and an audio interface. Spend a little time learning how to use your software (YouTube is a great resource for this) and you'll be well on your way to creating a song.

Step 2 - Sound selection.

For the purpose of this guide I'm going to assume that you want to make a song from scratch. So naturally we'll start with making a track. First you have to decide which genre you're going for, do you want a very emotional and instrumental track, do you want a groovy R&B vibe, or would you prefer an aggressive trap style beat. Once you've figured out the vibe you're going for you'll need to start selecting sounds from your VST's (virtual instruments) that we talked about in step one. start with your drum line, find a kick drum, a snare, a hi-hat, and a clap/snap that you like and begin to build a drum pattern within your production software. Next develop a main melody, decide if you want a classic piano melody or if you'd prefer a synth with a more electronic sound to it. Build your melody around the beat of your drum pattern. If you want a song with a strong bass-line, consider using an 808 (this is a single pitched note based off a low end frequency) and build it around the kick drum in your drum pattern. From here you can add a background melody, different sound effects, or variation in your melody and drum pattern. Again this is a very basic guide, if you'd like something that goes more in depth with visuals I'd suggest checking out the YouTube channel In The Mix and watching a few of his tutorials.

Step 3 - Mixing, mastering, and exporting your track.

This step is hard to explain without visuals, but the basics behind it is making sure that all of the sounds and their frequencies flow well with each other to create a well balanced track. You'll be working with tools like a mixing panel, equalizers, and dampeners. For an in depth guide I recommend checking out this tutorial. This is the video that taught me all about mixing and mastering. Once you've finished mastering your track, it's time to export it (this option can me found under your "file" tab in your production software) I recommend exporting as a .WAV file for better sound quality. You will eventually have to repeat this step to master your vocals to make sure the song sounds right.

Step 4 - Lyrics and vocals.

Once your track is exported and ready to record over, load it into your production software as a sound file (guides on how to do this can be found with a simple google search) and get ready to write. I can't tell you what to write, lyrics are the heart and soul of a song and they have to come from you. By this point you already know the vibe you're trying to give off with your song, whether its a deep and emotional song or and aggressive rap, maintain that energy while writing your lyrics. My favorite method for lyric creation is to let the track play on repeat and hit my record button and sing in a freestyle manor. However, this method may not be the most suitable for you. For some people it works best to play a certain section of your track and slowly write out each word. Whatever your preferred method, just follow a few basic rules of thumb. Rule one, match the flow of your track. If your track has a certain flow to it and you disregard that rhythm your song will sound sloppy. Rule two, for the love of god avoid mumble rapping. If the listener can't understand a single thing you're saying, your song is going to sound like a jumbled mess of noise. Rule three, rhyme when possible. Rhyming your lyrics will create a catchy and enjoyable song. Rule 4, follow basic song patterns. Typically a good song will have a hook/chorus that repeats itself a few times throughout the song, 2-3 verses that come in between the hooks, and a bridge that sits somewhere towards the middle to tie the whole song together. Follow these rules and write from your heart and you'll be on your way to making a hit in no time.

Step 5 - Vocal effects

Whether you're going for a very electronic vibe like a T-Pain song, or you want to sound more natural like Ed Sheeran, there's hundreds of different effects you can do to give your vocals a different sound. As you get more familiar with your software you'll discover more advanced effects. When just starting out though you'll mainly want to worry about reverb and your EQ (equalizer). Reverb is what occurs when sound waves bounce off of nearby surfaces, this can be recreated easily within your production software and it usually has a plugin to do it for you. Play around with the different setting to find one you like. EQ's are a little more advanced, they have the ability to cut out or boost certain frequencies. This can be used for everything from muting a bad sound frequency causing distortion, to making your vocals sound like a phone call from the 1920's. Both of these tools and many other vocal effects are complicated and take a while to get the hang of. Again I'd recommend checking out tutorials on YouTube for more in depth guides.

Once you've followed these 5 steps you'll be left with your first song. Now obviously your first attempt probably wont be a radio ready top 10 hit, but that's totally okay. It takes a while and a lot of trial and error to really refine your craft. It's all about dedication and effort, the more you practice with it, the better you'll get. Music is a great way to relieve stress and bring joy, and knowing that you've created your own brings a whole new feeling of accomplishment. Music has changed my life for the better and I believe it could do the same for anyone else. So if you're interested in making music, then go make music, the only thing standing in your way is yourself.

-Braden Schmidt 11-21-2019