| 4 March |
How To Write Songs On Acoustic Guitar |
I’ve found that writing the basic idea for a song on my acoustic guitar is a much more successful way to song write no matter what type of music you are into. It makes sense to me that if a song can sound good when just played at a basic, no frills level like this then it’s certainly going to work in a full band situation complete with drums, as and maybe keyboard. When played on acoustic guitar then it’s also much easier to set a rhythm, tempo, chord structure and melody. So try it and see how you get on. You’ll be surprised at the cool things you can come up with.
Just consider any really great song by a top band or recording artist and I bet you’ve probably heard a great acoustic version of the song whether it’s by the original artist or a group covering the song. A good song will work when stripped down so starting writing a song like this is a good foundation.
Now you may find this a bit of a surprise but using less chords in your songs actually makes it harder to write. Yes, that’s correct and the reason for this is that a lack of chords means that you are forced into adding interest into your song in another way. Try it. I’ve now written several 2 chord songs and believe me it’s a real challenge. There are ways to add a spark but it’s not easy. You can try a tempo change or a rhythm change for verse or chorus or switching the chords over to try and create interest. Give it a go!
No, for complete beginners to songwriting I believe that a 3 chord structure is the way to go, and it’s what the majority of songs use. You can’t just throw any chords together though so be careful. I’d suggest a nice simple sequence to begin with held together with a strong melody, so D, C, G or E, A, D would be a good start and many classic songs use these sequences so no excuses!
One trick with 3 chords is what’s called a ‘turnaround’, so the verse may consist of 3 chords played in a sequence of 4, for instance G, C, D, C (repeating the ‘C’ chord is the turnaround). You could then make the chorus just a two chord structure and play the chords in a slightly different so maybe strum a D, let it ring out, then a G.
One trick I love to use in my songwriting is adding a false bass note which completely changes the natural chord sound. An F# bass note with a D Chord is a nice example of this and is used in many songs. Neil Young is a great exponent of this technique and it can be heard in his classic song ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’.
I hope there are some nice ideas there that you can add to your songwriting
If you would like to learn more about ‘chords that love each other’ then stop by Songwriting 4 Guitar and download a free chord guide. Found out why it’s a good idea to begin your songwriting on acoustic guitar. A great guide for beginners to learn how to write Songs On Guitar