How to Write a Simple Song on the Guitar Using C G and D Chords

These three little chords, C G and D, can really make you sound like you know what you are doing on the guitar. Learn them and you have the building blocks to compose a simple song.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Imagination
• Something to Sing About(Lyrics)
• A guitar

1. 

   KNOW G
   Easy Peasey. Match your fingers 1,2, and 3 on the the diagram to the fret board on your guitar. Your pointer finger is 1. Your middle finger is 2. Your ring finger, 3. The thick line on the diagram represents the bottom fret on the neck. The vertical lines represent the strings. The 0 means play the string open (no fingers). Then X means do not play the string. If you still cannot figure out the diagram of this G chord. Well, you are hopeless move on. Guitar song writing is not for you. If you got it. Strum it up and down, pluck around however you like it until it sounds good.

2. 

   KNOW C
   Place you fingers on C. Play around with it like you did with G until it sounds good to you.

3. 

   KNOW D
   Use the D diagram to learn and practice D. Remember X means do not play the string. Experiment, play the strings individually and together in different order while your fingers on your left hand remain on the frets.

4. CHORD ORDER
   GGCCGGCCGGD I like to start strumming on G, then move to C, then back to G. Then when I am done with the phrase, I will end on D. To start the next phrase, start on G again and repeat what you did in the first phrase. Song writing relies heavily on repetition. Play around, experiment.

5. SONG STRUCTURE
   Now, put your phrases together to make a verse. Then use GCGD to make a chorus. Then go back to your verse. Here is an easy way to organize a song structure. VERSE 1, VERSE 2, CHORUS, VERSE 3, CHORUS(2X)

6. MELODY
   Now that you have experimented with VERSE and CHORUS Strumming and plucking patterns, and you have found some that work for you. It is time to star on the melody. I like to place my verse pattern and hum along with La La's so can focus on pitch and rhythm. Fill in the words the words in later. Be open to your muses. Let it naturally come to you. Hum a melody for your VERSE as you strum. Then find a melody for your CHORUS as you strum.

7. PRACTICE PLAYING and TWEAK IT
   By now you should have a VERSE strumming/plucking pattern, chord pattern and melody worked out. You should also have a CHORUS chord strumming/plucking pattern and basic melody worked out. Now my suggestion is to play the VERSE and CHORUS following your song structure pattern and hum and FA LA along. Play the song over and over. 3 or 4 times until Lyric ideas come to you.

8. WRITE 'em DOWN
   Jot down some lyrics. Practice them while playing. Edit as you go.

9. RUN THROUGH
   Keep running through the song and tweaking. The verses should have consistent melodies and rhythms. You can vary pitch and rythm slightly on the ends of your phrasing to accommodate your word choices as you develop your lyrics. Don't forget, not all humming needs to be filled in with words. You have to creative license to keep some La La La's or whatever sounds you like to make in there. Keep running through the song structure and making adjustments as nessecary.

10. PERFORM
    Play for a trusted friend, and or record it on Garage Band. Edit again. Take out anything that sounds wrong to you. Change it. Keep editing!

11. YOU ROCK
    Congrats! You wrote a song. Now write another one. Don't worry, the first time is the hardest.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a pen and paper handy to jot down your chord progression on your VERSE and your LYRICS, when you find something that works. Just keep it simple, like VERSE: GGCGD and CHORUS: GCGCD for example. Strumming and plucking patterns can be less rigid.
• PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE
• If you get super frustrated just put the guitar down for awhile and walk away. Do something else for awhile, then come back to it.

[lawrenctopper]

on 1/19/2009 Thanks great article I will try it.I will recommend you.