Songwriting at a Glance

They're the heart of every song. Below the surface, but essential to the foundation of the song, the chords let the arrangement and melody shine though.

There is no such thing as a bad sequence of chords, but here are some quick rules of thumb if you're new:

• Repetition is key: Create a simple pattern and repeat it throughout your song
• Simple is better: Stick with a few chords when creating your pattern
• What comes around goes around: Usually songs begin with the C chord and end with the C chord
• Trust yourself: even if you've never played an instrument your ears can tell you if your song is good. If two chords sound bad to you, they probably don't go together

Our EggBeat Composer provides you 6 chords to choose from: C D E F G A. Just mix and match to build the backbone of your song.

Some Sample Chord Sequences

• C G A F C G A F C G A F C G A F C
• C E F G C E F G C E F G C E F G C
• C F G C C F G C C F G C C

A song’s arrangement is the personality of the song. By arranging different instruments together you can shape the personality of your song.

With EggBeat, there are 2 two things you need to know to arrange a song:

• Select your instruments (eg. Guitar, Piano, Drums, etc)
• Determine when which instruments play

How to personalize your song

If you want your song to be sad and melancholic:

• Choose piano and strings as the instruments of your song.

If you want a more upbeat song:

• Include drums and horns

Together the chords and arrangement form the music track of your song.

Melody is the instant attraction that you have with a song. When the melody kicks in and you’re humming along you’re hooked.

Experienced musicians may create the melody first and then the chords. However, if you are new to songwriting, we recommend you make your chords first. It is easier to make a melody from chords than finding chords to match a melody.

Once you create a music track, try to hum to it like singing karaoke to a song you do not know. At EggBeat, we call this the karaoke songwriting method.

If you just can’t find that melody, go ahead work on the lyrics to help you get moving.

Lyrics let you know that it's the one. As the lyrics start you find yourself making connections and before you know it it's all you ever think about.

Lyrics tell a story about someone or something. Keep this in mind when you create your song.

Tell your story

Find something meaningful to you - it makes it easier to write a song. Here are some ideas:

• That special someone that makes your day better
• A memorable event in your life
• Something you saw, something you're a part of

Once you find the central topic, jot down some key points about it, and your lyrics will naturally flow. Then play your song and adjust your lyrics to match with the melody of the song. You can also use EggBeat to just leave a message: say Thank You, wish someone Happy Birthday, etc.

Vocals are what make you come back for more. Those special nuances when you sing or speak are what others look for and like when they hear you sing. Your voice naturally has personality - be yourself when you sing. When you finish composing your song and you're ready to sing, just express what's in your heart and you'll be fine.

Key Pointers

• Find your pace: if you find yourself having trouble keeping up to your song, speed up or slow down your song (adjusting your tempo)
• Sing in a quiet environment: You don't want your dog barking and ruining your song now do you?
• Don't be too close or far away from your mic: if we can't hear your voice, we can't appreciate your song
• Keep your mic away from your speakers: try to avoid that pesky little thing known as feedback (it happens when your mic and speakers are too close together)
• Better yet, if you have earphones: use them! With earphones, you can avoid feedback once and for all.