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Get Started in Songwriting: Genres (rock, pop)

by Sam Inglis

Should a good songwriter be able to write in any genre? Or are the fundamental skills different in hardcore punk and, say, Christian soul? The answer is: a bit of both. On the one hand, music is music, and no matter what genre you're working in, you're still dealing with the basic ingredients of melody, rhythm and lyrics. On the other hand, every genre has its own conventions about what to do with those ingredients, and these conventions can be very detailed and very different. Some genres have also evolved around specific instruments or production techniques: you won't get very far writing death metal on the piano, or strumming a hip-hop track on your acoustic guitar.

One thing that's true for every style of music is that if you want to write good songs in a particular genre, you have to immerse yourself in that genre. Reading about the chord changes that are typical of country music is no substitute for listening to Hank Williams. You can learn all the theory you like, but to do things properly, you need to know your music from the inside. Only then will song ideas that are appropriate to the genre begin to flow naturally.


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Get Started In Songwriting: Teach Yourself

Get Started In Songwriting: Teach Yourself
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