Helping Vocal Students Compose Their Own Songs

We are in the middle of our Spring Composition Festival where all my students, voice and piano, write their own original songs. While many piano teachers might be familiar with helping their students compose, I realize that many voice teachers may not be. So, I decided to lay out my process. Because most of my voice students are younger and some have never written a song before, it’s a pretty structured procedure.

1. Choose an overall theme: All my students suggested a main theme for the Composition Festival and then voted on the winner. This year mythical creatures won the vote. If you aren’t doing a festival and just composing on an individual basis, I still suggest giving your student a broad theme to start with. Getting to write about literally everything can be intimidating to some young singers.

2. Narrow down the topic: This is where you choose the specific thing your student is writing about. For my students this year, that meant picking their favorite mythical creature. Be prepared to give specific on theme examples! Once a creature was picked, I asked the student to describe it. This is a great way to get the overall feel of the song. Then we narrowed the scope of the song even further by deciding if they wanted to tell the story of one specific unicorn (or phoenix, or werewolf, or fairy, etc.) or just unicorns in general.

3. Decide on a rhyme scheme and start writing lyrics: While I feel there is no wrong way to write a song, I think it’s easiest for kids to start with lyrics. Again, because my students are young, we usually use a sort of “song formula.” Choruses and verses are usually 4 lines each and the rhyme scheme is either ABAB or AABB. We usually start with the chorus because we approach it like the main theme of the song.

Once the first line is written, that determines the length of the rest of the lines in the chorus. The lines don’t have to be the exact same number of syllables, but around the same number. This usually makes for a more even sounding song.

Use a rhyming dictionary!!! This will help you and your student so much. Also, don’t be afraid to guide your student and make suggestions. But let the student have the ultimate say, even if you think that rhyme is a little clunky or wanted the song to go in a different direction. It’s their song, after all. You’re just there to facilitate the process.

4. Figure out the song structure: Usually students write a chorus and 2 verses. Then they decide what order they should be in if they want to repeat the chorus any time.

5. Pick a chord progression: First, students decide if the song should be in a major or minor key. Then we figure out what key would best suit their voices. It’s usually somewhere between B flat and E, but most times we just go for C. Then I play a few different chord progressions and they choose their favorite. Since I use a one chord for each line approach, I only play progressions that have four chords, or three chords and just return to the tonic for the last line. We usually just use the same chord progression for the chorus and verses.

6. Start writing the melody: Ideally, you and the student have done some call and response and improvisation activities in preparation, but it’s not necessary. We work line by line. I start by playing the chord for the line we are working on. To make it easier for students, I encourage them to pick a starting note that is in the chord. I might even improvise a melody for them to get the ball rolling. As soon as they sing something, I sing it back to them and then play it on the piano over the chord. If they are happy with it, I write down the notes and rhythm. If not, we keep experimenting. Don’t be afraid to give little tweaks here and there! Since verses use the same music, but different words, I usually take care of the rhythmic changes that need to happen when I enter the music into my music notation software. Then present it to the student for their approval.

7. Choose a pattern for the accompaniment: The last thing we do is figure out what the piano accompaniment should be. Because the songs are based on a chord progression, I can use the same chords, but play them in different patterns. (Alberti bass, broken chords, octave in LH and chords in RH, etc.) The student picks their favorite and I write it down. We also decide on an intro. It’s usually one time through the chord progression in the pattern of the rest of the song. We also decide how they want to end the song.

8. Put it all together: I enter everything into Finale, my music notation software, and then print it out and start working on it with the student. There is generally a little bit of review needed, especially with rhythmic changes to the verses, but after a lesson or two, the student can confidently sing their song.

Hopefully this has been a little helpful for voice teachers looking to start composing with their students. It’s such a fun, creative, and rewarding process. I sincerely hope that more teachers try it with their students!