How to Write a Song: A Fun Guide for Young Musicians

Has your child ever made up a song in the back seat of the car, or changed the words to a song they already know?

Created a dramatic musical masterpiece about the dog, their little brother, or why they REALLY don't want to clean their room?

Congratulations! You may already have a songwriter in the family. 😉

One of the things I love about songwriting is that students often start doing it long before they realize there's a name for it. Songwriting doesn't have to begin with complicated music theory or a perfectly written melody. It begins with an idea.

And when students learn how to take that little idea and turn it into something that's completely their own, some pretty wonderful things can happen.

First: There Is No One "Right" Way to Write a Song

This is important: Some songwriters start with lyrics. Others hear a melody first.

A pianist might stumble onto a chord progression they love. A drummer might start with a rhythm. A singer may walk around humming something into their phone so they don't forget it five minutes later.

All of those count.

So rather than worrying about doing it the "correct" way, I encourage young musicians to start with whatever gets their imagination going, then your teacher can give that creativity a little structure.

1. Start With Something You Want to Say

What is your song about? Truly, the answer doesn't need to be profound.

It could be about a best friend, a terrible day at school, soccer, summer vacation, being nervous about something, feeling left out, accomplishing something difficult—or the aforementioned dog who apparently deserves his own album.

The best ideas are usually things the songwriter actually cares about.  Try asking:

"If you could write a song about anything in the world, what would it be?"

Then let them surprise you.

2. Find the Part Everyone Will Remember

This is often called the hook. It's the catchy melody or phrase that sticks in your head—the part you're still singing while you're brushing your teeth later.  And it doesn't have to be complicated! In fact, some of the best hooks are incredibly simple.

Encourage your child to play with a phrase. Say it in different ways. Sing it higher. Sing it lower. Change the rhythm. Repeat it. This is the fun part.

3. Give the Song a Shape

Once there's an idea, it helps to give the song some structure. A very common song form is:

Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus – Bridge – Chorus

The verse helps tell the story.

The chorus contains the big idea—the part we usually remember and sing along with.

The bridge gives us something different before returning to the chorus.

But younger songwriters certainly don't need all of that to get started. Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus is perfectly fine.

And sometimes a child's first original song is 45 seconds long. (One of our students wrote a song about Cheez-Its.  😀)

But guess what? They wrote a song! We can build from there no matter the topic.

4. Add the Music

Now we get to experiment. What should this song sound like? Happy? Funny? Sad? Powerful? Mysterious?

Students who play piano, guitar, bass, or another instrument can begin experimenting with chords and melodies. Singers may start by creating a melody with their voice and work with their teacher to find the notes or chords underneath it.

And this is where all those things students have been learning in music lessons suddenly become incredibly useful:

Scales. Chords. Rhythm. Ear training. Music theory.

They're no longer just exercises their teacher asked them to practice; they're tools the student can use to create something of their own. That's a pretty exciting connection and can lead to a-ha! moments and lots of progress!

5. Don't Try to Make the First Version Perfect

This may be one of the best lessons songwriting can teach a student: Your first idea doesn't have to be your final idea.

You can change a word. Try another chord. Move the chorus. Cut something that isn't working. Sing it again.

Sometimes children think being "creative" means brilliant ideas should magically appear on the first try, but creativity usually involves experimenting, changing things, making mistakes, and trying again.

Sound familiar? That's music lessons, too. 😉

And there are important life lessons in learning to make mistakes and keep trying!

6. Record It!

Please do this—even if it's just on your phone. There's something pretty magical about a child hearing a song they created played back to them. Recording also helps students notice things they may not hear while they're performing.

Maybe a lyric feels awkward. Maybe the chorus needs to repeat. Maybe the melody they thought wasn't quite right actually sounds GREAT.  And years from now? You may be very glad you saved that first little song.

Songwriting Builds More Than Musical Skills

Of course, songwriting helps children understand melody, rhythm, harmony, song structure, and all sorts of musical concepts, but I think it does something even bigger.

It tells a child your ideas are worth creating.

Instead of only playing music someone else wrote, they discover that they can make something that didn't exist before. That's creativity and builds confidence - exactly what we want happening with their lessons!

Where Music Lessons Come In

One of the wonderful things about continuing music lessons is that a student's creative toolbox keeps getting bigger.  The child who once had a melody in their head but couldn't figure out how to play it may eventually be able to find those notes.

The student who once experimented with two chords may eventually understand how to build an entire progression.

The singer who wrote lyrics but didn't know what to do next may learn enough piano or theory to begin accompanying themselves.

That's what time and continued learning can do.

At The Music Studio Atlanta, we love helping students explore the creative side of being musicians—whether that's improvising, arranging, experimenting, or writing music of their own.

Your child doesn't have to be the next Taylor Swift to write a song, they don't even have to write a particularly good song the first time. (haha, remember the Cheez-Its song above?)   They just have to start.

So the next time you hear a strange little melody coming from the back seat...Maybe don't tell them to stop singing it. Hand them your phone and hit record. 😉

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