Songwriting: A Hobby to Reduce Anxiety

As quarantine continues, it is very easy for us to get anxious over the continuous isolation, uncertainty of future events, and negative stories on the news. We all feel like we’re missing out on cool new opportunities and adventures with friends as we scroll through social media to quench our boredom. We are all missing the freedom we used to have before quarantine, so we are eager to try something new to pass the time. I have tried many new hobbies during the COVID-19 pandemic, but nothing helps me cope with stress more than songwriting.

Many people are under the impression that you need an amazing singing voice, be good at playing an instrument, and have a natural talent at composing in order to write a song. There could be nothing further from the truth! In fact, there are many hit songwriters out there who are not trained vocalists and can’t play any instruments very well like Jason Blume, who wrote songs for artists like Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys. 

I got into songwriting not because I had a goal to write a radio-worthy song, but because it was my form of therapy. Songwriting is a way for me to be vulnerable; it’s like writing a musical diary. It gave me the ability to express my feelings without judgement, something I have struggled to do for years.

From songwriting, I learned that it is very important that we take time out of our day to reflect on lives and the issues we are faced with, so that our negative emotions don’t remain suppressed. Songwriting is a technique to reflect on what’s currently on your mind and let it out in a fun, musical way. It will lift the burden off your shoulders and help you emotionally heal.      

You can write a song about anything going on in your life that you just want to let out: moving to a new school, missing friends or family, and emotional problems that you are facing (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, or low-self-esteem). Songwriting gives you a chance to release your stress through music, therefore relaxing your mind and muscles. It is a great exercise for your brain as finding the right melodies and unique lyrics and rhythms that fit together in a brand-new way, challenges your problem solving and mathematical skills. Learning to write songs gives you a better overall physiological well-being as you challenge your brain and confront your fears through writing about it. Communicating not only your positive, but negative emotions through writing music helps you emotionally and to connect with others.

Songwriting is my emotional healing and I want more people to find enjoyment and improve their welfare through songwriting too. Every time I sit down to write a song it is like a therapy session. You can do it anytime and pretty much anywhere (maybe not on public transport). I always write in the genre that I love listening to: soul, R&B, and pop. Writing in a style that you love can help boost your mood just as listening to your favourite music makes you feel good! On a tough day or on a bored day, songwriting is a great pastime to take up.

So, how do you even write a song? It’s important to know that no musical background is needed to get started, all you need is a pen, paper, and your voice. To begin, all you need to do is sing or hum a melody and make up lyrics to go with the melody.

The basic structure of the most common songs (pop songs) is verse 1, pre-chorus, chorus, verse 2, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus. The chorus is the most memorable part of the song—it’s the hook. The verse gives you a break from the chorus and the pre-chorus bridges the verse to chorus. The actual bridge breaks up the repetition of the song and takes the song to a new direction to keep a listener’s attention. You don’t have to follow this structure; it is good to experiment and break the rules of basic song structure. In no particular order, here are some tips in order to write a song:

1. Have a topic in mind. Before you write a melody, try having a clear idea of what you want your song to be about. This will help you in the process of writing all your lyrics. I like to begin with the title and work from there.

2. Use voice memos. Musical ideas can come to you at any time! If you find inspiration for a song during the day, I recommend recording it so when it’s time to write, you won’t forget about it!

3. Try learning an instrument. Having any type of background music when you write a song helps you create the emotional backbone of the song. There are many YouTube videos that can teach you almost every instrument out there! LicknRiff is a great YouTube channel to learn acoustic guitar. You can also have a friend play the instrument for you or you can try using websites like chordchord.com to play virtual chords with just the click of a button. Another tool you can use for background music is to write songs over instrumental beats. You can find instrumentals on YouTube (Here is a link to one of my own free instrumental beats on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAFH6W6pwxs) or purchase them on websites like Beatstars.com. It will help motivate you and give you musical inspiration to write. 

Keep it simple, don’t overthink it, it’s totally okay if you don’t come up with the best ideas. Use songwriting as a way to write about your experiences and have fun with it! Songwriting gives you the ability to reflect on your life in a creative way. By writing meaningful lyrics, I was able to express my thoughts and feelings fearlessly. Songwriting has truly given me the confidence I have today to express myself. We can open up with music and feel free of the anxiety we hold within ourselves. I hope this inspires you to try writing a song!