How to write songs in ANY genre!

Ever wanted to know how to write songs in any genre?

Or maybe you just want to know what makes each genre different?

There's a secret.

Let's start with a cooking analogy.

What makes Italian food different from Indian food? Or Mexican food different from Cajun food, etc.?

They each start with different bases, called "the aromatics." These aromatics define the flavors of the different countries/regions' food. By the way, I learned about this from my friend who is a professional chef. His food is amazing so he knows what he's talking about!

For example, to make Italian food you start with celery, carrots and onions. They call this combination "soffritto."

So if you were to cook chicken on top of this combination, you'd get Italian Chicken! Now all you need is some basil and oregano!

As another example, in Cajun cooking they use what they call "The Holy Trinity," which is onion, celery, and green bell pepper.

(Incidentally, if your interested in learning more about the aromatics, here is a great article!)

The point?

If we know what makes the foods of different countries taste different, then we'll know what makes the music of different genres sound different.

So what makes the genres sound different?

Hint: It's very bass-ic...

If you understand the DRUMS and BASS of the genre, you can understand how to write songs in that genre!

I'll show you a few examples in the video below!

The bass and drums are not EVERYTHING you need to learn to write in a particular genre, but they are the foundation. From there, you can add the seasoning to flavor your songs (the basil and oregano = keys, guitar, pads, etc.), but you have to start with the foundation!

Here are some basic tips for some of the most common genres:

Rock:

Drums: Straight four-on-the-floor beats are the most common, with BPMs between 90 and 140.

Bass: Almost always straight quarter notes - it can get pretty boring!

Country:

Drums: 2/4 time signature, also call half-time, is very common.

Bass: Usually played right along with the kick drum.

Funk:

Drums: Four-on-the-floor again, often with claps along with the snare, and offbeat hi-hat.

Bass: Usually slapped or picked, some of the most complex and impressive bass-lines are Funk bass-lines.

These are just a few examples, and tons of different combinations are used, even within the same genre!

The best way to learn I've found to learn the different genres is to just to pick a genre, and then listen to lots of different songs in that genre, until you get a feel for all the different ways the drums and bass are used.

So the bottom line is:

If you want to write songs in ANY genre, all you have to do is learn the drums and bass of that genre, and you are more than halfway there!

Thanks for reading! Please let me know if this helped you in the comments below!

#songwriting #genre #howto