Deciding on the Song Elements

What genre do you want your song to be? The genre of your song is an element that should be focused on in the beginning of the writing process. They are the building blocks for the messages, feelings, and emotions that your song will portray. There are many types to think about, like pop, rock, country, folk, indie, and more. These genres all contain different elements that are used to portray certain emotions. Once you decide on the type of song you are going to try and focus on, this will depend on the musical elements that you will add.

Musical elements are the tools that are used to complete the song. Some of these elements are melody, rhythm, dynamics, and harmony. This guide will focus on these four elements of a song because I believe them to be the most important in the songwriting process, specifically for beginners. They are important components because they are the elements in which drive the song as well as exhibit the emotions or meanings behind the song. I will dive deeper into each of these elements to explain what they are and how they are used when songwriting.

As the writer, you get to choose how you want to use these elements. When thinking about your desired genre, you can play around with the different sounds, pitches, and rhythms that typically correlate with that genre. For example, a pop song may use a faster and more up-beat rhythm, whereas an acoustic song you wish to play solely on guitar will not have this type of beat. Depending on your genre, emotions, and messages behind your song, you can then alter these elements however you want. Just remember that you have plenty of room to play around with these components, and to have fun!