Songwriting 101

Hello, I am Songwriter Karianne Nicole Gabaldon, and I am here to teach you about songwriting and the proper way to do it. And yes, there is a right way to do it and songwriting takes strategy. It’s not just something you decide to do when you wake up one day. No. It takes time, experience, talent…

A little about me and my songwriting: I’ve been writing since I was 13 (18 years) and I am also an author. I won a state essay about a pop tart (obviously comical) . My lyrics and my books are my life. With my second published poetry book, I hit #2 on the bestseller list for Amazon in 2021. I also make music. It’s different, but a short amount of people enjoy it. I am so happy to be sharing this with you because I believe I have enough experience to teach you about it. Just call me your unofficial songwriting coach.

Here are the requirements you need to be a songwriter:

• Excellent spelling and grammar (I won two spelling bees in school).

• Talent (a HUGE one. Anybody could be a songwriter, but it takes natural talent to be a decent one. It’s almost impossible to gain talent by experience, it’s something you’re born with).

• Time and effort: If you want to be a true songwriter, or, make money from it, you have to be willing to take time away from friends, relationships, family, vacations, leisure, etc… if you don’t take time away for your songwriting, life will take that time for songwriting away completely.

• Be original: WRITE FROM YOUR HEART!!! Write from experience, past, trauma, or anything in your life you want to spill on your pages. Get creative; songwriting is all about creativity.

• Music ability: So we all know what songwriting is, and there’s a big difference between lyrics and poetry, believe it or not! Poetry is a bunch of words thrown around without involving music at all. Even if it’s from your heart, songwriting involves a certain tune in your head, or a tune made up later — you decide.

• Please, for the love of God, don’t make this about rhyming: A lot of people just worry about rhyming. Let me tell you that it will not be a decent song if you’re just rhyming. My songs do rhyme, but I don’t do it on purpose — it just happens to rhyme. Rhyme with the rhythm… rhyme with the rhythm.

• Have fun with it: Don’t make it a hard job, don’t make it a chore. Make it fun. Imagine it as leisure that pays YOU to be leisurely.

• And last but certainly not least: You pretty much have to be a writer in order to WRITE songs. You get it… right? If you have to, take a songwriting class.

If you have a songwriting gift then it’s 100% easier for you. You already have this in a bag, you little lyricist, you!

LYRIC EXAMPLE:

Even the stars couldn’t compare to your dazzling eyes

Your face gives me quite the surprise

Please don’t tell me your narcissistic lies

I wish you were like the other guys

See what’s wrong with this? No? I’ll tell you… This lyric is utter garbage. GARBAGE. As you can probably tell, I was only focused on rhyming. Nothing else. Also, this a poem, not a song. There is zero word flow. Please don’t be one of those egotistic people who think their songs are just wonderful and you’re better than other writers — especially if you have no experience. And don’t rush it. Keep a steady pace, slow and steady wins the race… see what I did there? *Wink*

Here’s the CORRECT lyric:

©️All Rights Reserved.

Funny Face

By Karianne Gabaldon

(Verse 1)

The hand that feeds your ghost

Is eating my insides

Letting go of the host

Who’s with me ‘til I die

(Pre-Chorus)

All that ever mattered

Is that matter of time

Leave me bruised and battered

He won’t spare a dime

(Chorus)

Oh, the funny face

That haunts my room at midnight

Oh, can’t be replaced

I might as well say goodnight

Oh, it’s won the race

I’ve lost because of the fright

Oh, the funny face

It haunts my room at midnight.

(Verse 2)

It’s happening again

I have nothing left here

I can never win

But to live in filthy sin

(PreChorus)

Just place it on my tab

Waitress, do me in

Don’t leave the lights dim

These biscuits make me sad

(Chorus)

(Bridge)

The sky is growing bright

I can live once more

I’ve turned on my night light

And I have locked my door

(End Chorus)

See? You must write from experience. Forget rhyming! I only do it because it’s convenient. Please don’t focus on rhyming, only try to rhyme AFTER you’ve written your first line. In case you didn’t know, this is about my schizophrenia. I tend to write subtle lyrics. What’s YOUR writing style? And if you don’t know yet then that’s okay. If you need to know more, I advise you to take a songwriting class. Hey, this is free. Isn’t that cool? I’m glad you paid attention if you did, and I wish you the best of luck. I’m hoping to go to one of your concerts!

Thanks!

—Karianne Gabaldon