Everything you need to know about choosing the best genre for your song

Tip 1: How to choose the best genre for your song

Let's be creative and say, you are the male version of Ariana Grande, with a hint of Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, with a house beat. What would you call it as a genre?
Not an easy one to answer, and that is okay.
Are you struggling with the selection of your genre? Is it Pop, or is it Pop/Rock, is it Reggae with some Folk influences through the chord progressions? You can have your own genre. My band Awash uses melodic guitarpop. Making up a new genre sounds great. However, it might steer people away from listening to your songs.

To answer what the best genre for your song is, is not that difficult. But might sound a bit strange, because you already know this, right?!? And for sure, you are already playing your songs in a genre. Most likely the one you like best. Question Answered.
And your (future) fans are probably looking for your music, through the genre you have put yourself in. Our society is like that. 

​When you want to learn new things, looking at different genre's and how they 'work', to make the same things happen with your song, is a very helpful tool. Almost every genre has its own specific way of play-out in an arrangement. The instruments that are used and how you could use them in the particular genre. Chord Progressions and possibly Melody and Lyrics could determine what genre or even sub-genre you are playing.

So, take your time to analyze what you have written so far.
What was the intention of your song-story with the lyrics?
What was the mission of your song?
What message did you want to bring to your audience?
For example: when it is a love story, you probably want to choose a slow tempo rhythmically.

• Do you even want drums in there?
  
• And how would you want them to sound?
  
• Not only overall, but if you use them in the first part of the song?
  
• How would you like them to sound in other parts of your song?
  
• Do you even want the drums at first, or only starting at the half part of the song, or even only in the last bit?
  

Whaaaaaaa!!!
All these questions....

Do not panic. Some things will come to you without even thinking to much about it. You intuitively know what you want to do. You have heard so much music throughout your life, that most of the answers are already in your subconsciousness. But it could be helpful to know how to use what you know in your own songwriting and to your advantage.

Overall solution: Check your songs and compare it with ones you feel that are similar. Look up that genre and see how it makes you feel. If it is good, keep it, If it doesn't feel right, look up another.

Make sure you don't pick Polka, unless you really write that music. ;-)
You can always contact me when reading gives more questions than answers. I have a FREE CO CREATION CALL for all who like some help and more explaining on this and all other subjects. 

YES, I WOULD LIKE A FREE CO CREATION CALL

Tip 2: One easy way to learn from the Pro!

I am going to give you a quick answer and easy assignment. Pick your artist and listen to all of its songs. When it is your idol, you probably like all of his/her songs, so make a playlist and play it for a lot of days. In the background when doing stuff that is not music related. When you are going on a trip. When you are reading a book to relax, or just when you are relaxing.
How fun is this exercise? Let me know in the comments.
Ow, and did you notice which of the songs are the most catching your attention while you do this?

Tip 3: Why you should dissect 3 of your favorite songs from tip2

Okay, time to get back to it. You have had a few days (you did this exercise from my previous tip, right?!?) and now have those 'ear-cathing' songs. List them and pick 3. Start dissecting the song, one at the time.
Find the tempo by tapping along and setting a metronome to your tapping. If you already know how you can figure this out, do the time-signature too.

Answer every question, before starting with the next pointer.

• What is the first part of the song?
• Does it have an Intro?
• How many bars does it have?
• Write those bars down.
• Does it have lyrics?
• Write them down.
• What melody do the lyrics have?
• Write that down too.
• Do you hear instruments?
• Write down which ones?
• What chords are they playing?
• Or do some have melodies, and what are those melodies?

​​I have explained this in a simpler way, when you have read my blog on Melody. But because we're going more into the matter and starting with combining these different sections, it has more components. With all these things becoming more diverse, still 'Practice makes perfect' counts as we go along. To make a new example, I'll use another Awash song to explain how you can write this down.

Download a Word doc version here

Tip 4: How to use the favorite techniques from the genre in your own songs

Okay, you have found which sounds, play what part in which section of the song. Now just use that same thing to add these into your own song.

Hah! But I have an upbeat song and I listened to my idol and liked only the sad ballads. Those were the ones I dissected. So, your tip doesn't work!

True, my tip didn't work in your specific case. But you did learn how to dissect a song for your songwriting with that tip, right? And maybe some other tips helped you along the way?!? Now, how can we turn this around? Are you going to write a sad story, for a ballad like the ones you liked? Or are you going to do the same with a number of upbeat songs, to help you make those? Because either way, my tip is helping you reach that goal of writing a song in a genre. :-)

And coincidentally, you took a different approach at first or found out a mismatch with the song you wanted it to work for. But your work isn't wasted. It is only wasted time, when you stop working on new songs after this.

So use the form you have made from writing down the different sections. Compare your song and structure, the instruments you felt would fit in the sections of your songs and see how that would make it sound. Complete all the sections in your song like that. How does it look? I assume you can only look at a paper now. And that makes it hard.

But now you can start making it in a D.A.W. as a demo. If you do not have that possibility of your own, or not know people who can help you make a demo like that, please let me know. I can have a FREE CO CREATION CALL and let you in on some possibilities I am offering in this case.

YES, I WOULD LIKE A FREE CO CREATION CALL

Tip 5: How to add your own creativity to the mix

Almost there, but not really. You have put your findings in your own song and made the demo (at least on paper) But you feel it lacks something. It still doesn't feel completed. Parts are missing or there are parts that are making the song feel boring. Or empty, or the song structure is not flowing. Now you can just re-arrange different parts. Maybe the songs from your Idol that you dissected, have more parts that your song. Analyze what those parts do to the song and see if you can add that in to your own song. And if all of that fails, what can you now add by yourself. Maybe you just need to start adding new creative ideas. Sounds can make that work, but we will add those in the next blog on SOUNDS. (how original)
​
Are there some things in the songs you dissected or do you know, maybe another thing from other songs you have heard from the artist. Or even from other artists. We can go beyond this, by looking outside the genre, by making a fusion between genres and use something from those.
​
Are your chords matching the genre you dissected? Can you change some of them so they match? Does it help? How about the melody? Is it very different from the genre? Did you choose the right genre? Can you think of something yourself to add or change to the song? It is an ongoing puzzle, and that is part of the fun. And you can take your time. Sometimes a song goes very easy and will come without any troubles. But the challenge is to get songs done, that are not that easy to finish, for what ever reason that is. And then there is the next tip, to help you out.

Tip 6: Maximum benefits from honesty and feedback

Because songwriting is a process, and I know it now sounds like a job or a chore. You can use some help from people who are not 'stuck' inside writing and finishing your song. Your family or friends can help you out, by giving feedback when you play it for them. This can be done, with only you're singing and playing an instrument yourself. Or when you have a demo made, by playing that. Friends and family do tend to say it is a nice song, to not hurt your feelings and not make you feel bad. There is nothing wrong with that, but it makes it more subjective.

There are also family and friends who are brutally honest, and say your song sucks. In both cases, you should try and figure out, the reason why that song is what they say it is. With the first group I mentioned, please be gentle too. The second group can probably handle a bit of roughness in your insisting questioning. ;-) (I hope)

Or, you can find a community of other songwriters. And if you find that group in real life (I mean offline) See if someone is willing to collaborate with you. That might speed things up too. But first see if they want to share their opinion with you, and like yours in return. Start with one song at a time. Online you can do this too.

Now for the benefits. When you get feedback, and you feel hurt by it. Put it aside for the moment, if you feel a negative emotion like anger, frustration or anything else come up. If you know this person (well), you can think on how this person normally reacts to other people as they are asked to give feedback. Is he or she capable of giving out feedback, or do they never give feedback? Try and figure out what they meant, and what was the feedback telling when emotions are left out of this?

For example: When someone gave you feedback and telling you, that you were out of tune with singing. Was that true? But is that important for the song, or is that feedback more important for your performing skills?
When they said you weren't in time with your piano or guitar playing? Again, is that performance or songwriting that fails. And all tough it can be hurtful to hear, you probably know that it is true if they mention it. Still nothing about the song itself. You can ask if there is something else they want to mention? And if they do not have anything more, the song is marked 'Approved'.
​
When you feel you do not want to hear anything else coming from them, you do not ask for more feedback. Maybe never again from this person. ;-) But keep going until you have found a few that are helping you, not only with stating what you did wrong. But mainly with tips on where you can improve on in the song and songwriting skills.

Tip 7: How 'repeating the process until perfect' can ease your pain

After you have gotten feedback, it is back to the drawing table. And that can be tiresome, when you thought it was ready for the world to hear, but someone suggested some changes. Here you can decide on 2 possible directions.
1 = You keep working on this song, until you have finished it.
Or
2 = Stop working on the song and decide it is at its peak, with all the knowledge you have for this moment, and move to a new song.

Whatever you choose, be sure to have fun while you do this.

When you start with the first option, start by searching for the improvement tips you have gotten. How to implement that into your song and where. Find new ways to make that work for you. Keep it going. And you might feel failure. And you might fail for real. Just keep at it until you feel it is perfect. Before perfect, you'll find it is improving slightly. Let that be the sign of encouragement to continue on the chosen path.... It almost sounds spiritual. I'll tell you, it feels better than meditating when you are going down that road. :-D When you have that feeling, start preparing yourself to record this song. Go find a suitable studio that fits your needs. Maybe mine? You can use the FREE CO CREATION CALL to ask me anything on the recording and mixing process of your finished written song.

When opting for the second one, you are doing yourself a favor too. You continue doing what you want to do, and that is writing songs. If you stick to only the 'ONE', you might get stuck in that so deep, it will become harder to get away from frustrating yourself. I am not saying you shouldn't try the first option. Do it and see what it brings you and the song. I am saying sometimes you need to move forward to grow. And sometimes you need to use the harder way to get where you want to be. But you should decide what path you want to walk, not someone or something else. And here too, if you want help with deciding what to choose, use my FREE CO CREATION CALL button and plan a moment.

YES, I WOULD LIKE A FREE CO CREATION CALL

​I'll help you choose the best way for you. I will offer my studio services, when I feel you are there. We both gain nothing by making a recording and mix, when songs are not finished. I've had to let a few people down before, because I wasn't enable to deliver a good product for different reasons.

I am not in this for the money, but for passion. But my landlord doesn't let me pay with passion, so when we start, I'll charge an honest payment for the work I am putting in. Everybody will understand that. You do not work for free, unless you have so much money to spend, you can do volunteer work. And when you have so much money to spend, you can pay me without any problems.

Back to 'repeating the process until perfect'.

Bonus: 3 steps to notice your own growth in Songwriting

Go do this with every song you have made, or are going to make, starting now. Put a reminder in your agenda for every day, or 2 days, or week. (you choose again how much time you have to do this) Let it pop-up to give you a gentle 'kick in the butt' and you keep on working on these new skills and songs.
Put a second reminder in after 3 months with the question 'Are you better at songwriting than 3 months ago? Do another one after a year with the same question.
When time comes, you'll see all things are better than 3 months or a year ago. Maybe a recording and some singles will do the same trick, by showing our growth in the music you play back. And that is what every musician/ songwriter like you will eventually experience, when you do start recording your songs. Every time you start recording, you'll experience new things. First, the process of recording itself. You and an instrument. Naturally followed by the arranging of your song, while figuring out how that specific part works. I have explained this in the first 4 blogs I published. LYRICS, MELODY, CHORD PROGRESSION and RHYTHM. If you haven't read them, please take some time to see if any of those tips would help you too.
The mixing stage and all the steps in there. I might do some blogs on that too in the future. And all the decisions you have to make along the way. From, 'is it recorded good enough to feature it' to ' 'this mix sounds perfect to me'.
And at the other side of the finishing will always come a moment, that when you listen back, you'll find little things that didn't show up at the moment of doing this, start to bother you. That is how you notice progress is made. It is a good thing.

“Yeah, I'll wait until I am good enough and skip all that'!
BIG BUZZER SOUND! BRAAAAH!

You'll never get to that point without doing the first. You need to experience these 'mistakes made in the stages of growth', but some can be skipped at forehand through a helping hand by someone who has been there. Just ask me how or what in my FREE CO CREATION CALL.

YES, I WOULD LIKE A FREE CO CREATION CALL

That's it for this time. You are invited to leave any comments below this blog, or any other blog you read. :-)