How To Write Catchy Vocal Melodies For Songs (Songwriting Tips For Beginners)

Nothing has more potential to be stickier and catchier than melody. If we want people to remember our songs, we should take the time to write a good melody. Before figuring out how to come up with vocal melodies, it's important to have the right mindset and strategy.

It starts with the mindset of not judging your gibberish. This means it's time to stop analyzing everything that comes out of your mouth. Writing a good vocal melody for a song requires your creativity not your critique (at first). Start channeling your inner child not your inner critic. "Play" with your voice like a child plays with a toy. Pick it up, throw it around, drop it, sit on it, twirl it, step on it, lick it - get the idea? Treat your voice like the awesome toy that it is! Being too critical can put us in a negative state of mind, which can result in shutting off our ability to be creative. Like Napoleon Hill said, negative minds cannot create beautiful music or works of art.

After we stop judging our gibberish, we're ready to implement a strategy. I think the best strategy for beginners is what I call "zigzag your vocal takes." I want you to give your voice football plays. What would it sound like for your voice to run a "blitz" or a "shovel and pass?" What about the "hitch and go" or an "off tackle run?" Alternate the pitch and dynamics of your voice by singing high, low, short, long and play around by transitioning between all of those. The second part of this strategy is focusing on take by take vs section by section. Rarely, if ever, will you just launch into the perfect chorus melody after just thinking you will. Instead of saying "I'm going to figure out the chorus right now" start saying "I'm going to figure out whatever I can." Focus on gathering as many ideas as you can at one time instead of getting stuck on one specific part of the song.

Now, it's time to take action. Here is your vocal melody beginner battle plan!

-Give yourself 2-3 takes of a full run over an initial vibe (or chords on your instrument if you're not in music creation software)

-Loop that vibe for 2-3 minutes, and just fill the whole space with melody ideas

-Refine your favorite gibberish parts, and place them into "buckets" (one for choruses, one for verses etc.)

-Pick your favorites, and place them in their potential parts

This leaves you with melodies you're pumped about, that now you can plug lyrics into. Stop judging your gibberish, so you can be at your most creative when zigzagging your vocal takes, leaving you buckets of melody ideas to refine and plug into your song.

Keep creating!

– Nathan