Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Is English a second language for you? Do you want advice on how to write songs in English? Are you a world music artist and want to transition into a pop music career? If you want to write Western pop, you must understand pop music styles and have good English vocabulary and grammar skills. Keep reading to learn how to write beautiful songs in English.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission from purchases made through the links. I’ll only recommend products I use, use in lessons, or ones my students or colleagues have recommended.
How to Write Beautiful Songs in English: World Music to Western Pop
What’s world music?
- World music contains compositions that have western style elements combined with local ethnic style elements.
- World music can have style elements from Sub Sahara Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania.
For example, in the following video you’ll hear a blend of styles.
- Munbe Vaa uses western style vocal harmonies, kit drums, and strings. Also, the music production on the song is heavily Western influenced.
- However, it has India melodic phrasing and uses indigenous instruments.
- Like most popular music, it’s a love song and uses literary devices such as assonance, alliteration, and rhyming.
Video: Munbe Vaa
Transitioning Styles
- If you want to expand your brand into the Western pop market (dominated by the US and UK), you must be able to write English song lyrics.
- Celine Dion (French Canadian) and the Scorpions (German) are both examples of successful artists that speak English as a second language.
- Similarly, Johnny Clegg, who speaks both English and Zulu, is a world musician who’s had success in the pop market.
Video: Johnny Clegg’s Scatterlings of Africa
How to Write Beautiful Songs in English: English Vocabulary and Grammar
Grammar and Vocabulary
- Is English not your first language? You’ll need to build your vocabulary and grammar skills. (To learn how, click the previous two links.)
- Make sure to work on your English vocabulary every day, because there’s no substitute for practicing.
- The videos below have a fun, visual way of teaching the English parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, etc.).
Mobile users: for best results viewing the videos, rotate your screen 90o to the right.
Video: Nouns
Video: Verbs
Video: Adverbs
Video: Adjectives
Video: Conjunctions
Video: Pronouns
Video: Prepositions
Video: Subjects and Predicates
Video: Interjections
For general lyric writing information
How to Write Beautiful Songs in English: Writing the Music
Want to write Western pop? You’ll need to listen to hundreds of melodies so that you’ll have an intuitive grasp of how the music works.
How do you create a catchy chorus melody?
- Write a lot of melodies and pick the best ones to develop.
- Also, you need to understand how the parts of a song work: hook, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, and bridge.
- This link shows my songwriting process.
More Songwriting Info
- How to Extract a Melody from Your Lyrics
- What’s a Melody (and How to Create Strong Ones)
- 10 Ways to Spice Up Your Melodies with Melodic Variation
- 7 Songwriting Templates to Get Your Ideas Flowing
- Learn the Elements of Songwriting Construction
- Creating Great Melodies Using Rhythmic Motifs
- Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song?
This video gives an example of a powerful chorus melody.
Video: Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
These songwriting books will help you become a better songwriter.
Final Thoughts
Takeaway points:
- If you want to expand your brand beyond the world music genre and into the pop market, you must be able to write English song lyrics.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll need to build your vocabulary and grammar skills.
- Work on your English vocabulary every day because nothing substitutes for practicing.
Have fun!
How to Record Using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
Do you want to know how to record using a digital audio workstation? When I was a teen, and recording my band, all we had was two mics, two mic stands, and a dinky little four-track tape recorder, which had severely limited audio quality. However, today’s modern DAW software can get you pro quality results without having to buy a whole recording studio. Click to learn how to record using a DAW (digital audio workstation). Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Singing Sixteenth Note Rhythmic Syllables
Have you gotten down reading the easier rhythmic syllables, but want to learn more? As you progress, you will hear that the added rhythm makes performing melodies much more fun. Read more to learn about singing sixteenth note rhythmic syllables. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Color Coded Quarter Note Clapping
Do you have a hard time reading rhythm notation? (Or are you a teacher who has students that struggle with rhythm?) This remains a common issue with many musicians, but especially with LD, ADD, and special needs students. Read more to learn color coded quarter note clapping. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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How to Sing Key Changes in Tune
Do you find key changes tricky to sing in tune? The sing-along song tracks will help! Read more to learn about how to sing key changes in tune. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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