How I write a song (9 Tips and Tricks)

Follow me on:

For fan mail:
3430 Connecticut Ave NW PO Box 11855
Washington DC 20008

**EQUIPMENT**
(all links are affiliate links, so if you buy from here you support me too!)

AUDIO

VIDEO

I use Logic and Final Cut Pro to edit audio and video respectively :)

THANK YOU PATRONS!!
Christian Ashby
Russ Billings
Heather BookCat
Fredrik Boström
Bree Campbell
Will & Sheila Cole
Samuel Duckworth
Fr. Joe Fessenden
Mariah Fyock-Williams
Nick Gagalis
Robert Gibbons Jr
Mimi Ginsburg
Marlo Delfin Gonzales
John Granic
Reinier van Grieken
Matthew Hasking
Pippa Hillebrand
Brian Hughes
Jonathan Isip
Dave Jones
Philip Steven Keroff
Sam Knetsch
Balazs Kis
Raphael Lauterbach
Liam Linder
Rachele McKelly
Alex Molloy
Chris Plater
Razillie
Norbert Schmitz
Christoph Schreiner
Jeff Schwarz
Chewy Shaw
Mary Hall Surface
Jason Tarr
Jack Tempest
Theodore Ts'o
UncleSteve
Yum Van Vechten
Kris Vasicek
Pete Warchol

[t.allanlugviel]

Malinda: "Less is more"

Google Translate: "You and I have tightly linked the agricultural economy and all the activated meals. It fills his pocket, blessing all verbs."

[lolawilding]

“Write one thing that is true” “write what’s on your mind.” Ok I’m probably going to end up writing about food now 😂😂

[JacobSutherlandMusic]

The story of your songwriting journey (and how long you convinced yourself you weren’t a songwriter) is honestly really inspiring! Especially when listening to how good your original music is, and how great an outlook you have on the songwriting process! 😁

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

Let your heart guide you, put your heart and soul into a song's creation

[xAbbieCx]

I'm kinda nervous to comment this because I've never actually told anyone before, but I've been writing songs for 10 years! I don't play any instruments so haven't put actual music to any of them but they all have melodies. I'm actually really proud of a lot of the songs I've written so I don't know why I'm scared to share them with people. The past few years I've been struggling though, I wrote 8 songs in 2017 which was great, but then nothing in 2018, 3 in 2019 and I've just written 2 in July, I feel like after writing 2 songs this past month I'm maybe finding that spark again, there's no feeling like when you complete a song, I always cry for some reason. I'd really love to add music to my songs one day but think I might need other people to do that for me haha. xx

[KitsukiiPlays]

I can't sing and 100% sure can't write, but I'm here because I love to listen our girl talk about her passion <3

[BraveLilToasty]

Malinda writing a song:

*Works perfectly

Me writing a song:

"What rhymes with Community? Oh, I know! Bananas!!"

[manishsehgal]

Me writing a
Lets start from the start
I don't wanna fart
Oh my foolish heart
Where is my chart
I dont know any art
I just know how to fart💨



Thank you for all the appreciation thank you so much 💓😊😭

[Bulletformyexie]

I definitely have regretted not jotting down lyrics when they pop in my head from a dream or coming out of a dream. i'll say "i'll remember in the morning" nope gone forever

[crossroadskeeper]

Okay. Okay. I get it.

I used to write poetry like crazy and actually have won awards. When I got into recovery I poured myself fully into it and I stopped writing.

I really miss it and the universe has sent people to just say to start writing even if it's shit. I'll stop procrastinating.

[jugemujugemugokonosurikire]

It has just occured to me that malinda is not even 25 and she's freaking successful. Awesome.

[shannonpaine]

This video was what got me into writing songs and what eventually led me to some of my best friends. I absolutely love writing music and it has become a release for emotions that I don’t know what to do with and also has been an anchor as I’ve been struggling with severe depression and anxiety. This video led me to what saved my life. Thank you so much
Also, this is one of my more recent songs, pretty unrelated to the previous topic, but I hope y’all like it!

Cupid’s Mistake

When I met you back in the fall
I was falling like a pic from a wall
Caught in the heart and reeled right in
I was to the moon and back again

But we had sat too long like over steeped tea
We were too bitter all my friends could see
My heart was turning from gold to black
The arrow didn’t stick but my heart cracked

Cuz we were Cupid’s Mistake
He regrets us to this very day
We fought we made up
You threatened to break up when you saw some guy talking to me

We were Cupid’s Mistake
The worst choice he ever could’ve made
I feel bad for your roommates
Who have to put up with you every single day

We were Cupid’s Mistake

Remember that walk around the lake
I was on time you were an hour late
Out at a bar playing wingman with your buddies
Why don’t you find a new girlfriend at your parties

Yeah we were Cupid’s Mistake
He regrets us to this very day
We fought we made up
Im happy we broke up when you didn’t care what happened to me

We were Cupid’s Mistake
The worst choice he ever could’ve made
I feel bad for your roommates
Who have to put up with you every single day

I wanna write a letter saying thank you
For all the bullsh*t that you put me through
Cause now I know what I want in a person I date
Aka an IQ that’s higher than eight

We were Cupid’s Mistake
He regrets us to this very day
We fought we made up
You threatened to break up when you saw some guy talking to me

We were Cupid’s Mistake
The worst choice he ever could’ve made
I feel bad for your roommates
Who have to put up with you every single day

We were Cupid’s Mistake
I regret us to this very day
We fought we broke up
I glad my friends spoke up when they found out you were cheating on me

We were Cupid’s Mistake
There’s a lot more I want to say
But I’m done with your bullsh!t
Babe you were asking for it
Don’t go asking me to stay

We were Cupid’s Mistake

[sashagolden]

As a poet, these tips are also helpful for writing poems and some things are just crucial (more is less, what sounds right ...) Thank you for summarizing them and reminding us all what's important :)

[pandaluna]

i wrote a song about a really close friend i had... i loved her, but we grew apart - not by choice... please... if you have the time, would you read it?

BACK WHEN WE WERE NAIVE:
Skin to skin
Matching sets of everything
Holding hands while we both live
Back when we were naïve.

Playing games
Pretending to be someone else
Nothing else mattered then
Now we have different plans.

And I don’t wanna grow old without you there
No, I don’t wanna lose hold of your warm hand.

Talking lightly
Forgetting ourselves in the glee
Nothing between us like a wall
We are both pure souls.

Fate is fate
There is no such thing as safe
Feeling like I have gone deaf
I'm all by myself.

Can we meet again?
Can we get rid of this pain?


edit: wow! i didnt know people would actually like my song! thank you!!

[byakuganboy]

This video comes out at the PERFECT time. Been going through a bit of a writing block YEAR. Lots of ideas and inspirations and thoughts in my head but nothing seems to fit or sound right out loud. I’m legit planning on using your melody technique, because its genius!

This is PERFECT! Thank you Malinda!
(I may submit something for your review...maybe haha)

[hannaherica]

I’ve recently started writing music and was looking for some tips then this video came out. Great timing 😂. This helped me a lot and will hopefully improve my songwriting

[Nossairito]

Thank you SO MUCH for this Malinda. One other tip I'd give from my experience is: whenever you don't feel like writing, listen to people who you admire, especially if they're a smaller creator, it's such a boost to get reminded of the reaction that what you're writing would create in another person's brain and of how much it feels like having a superpower.
Also, for topics of songs, my best way of coming up with cool subjects is to just try to be more aware of the random thoughts that cross my mind in an instant, be it just 'I enjoy being awake at night' or 'I feel claustrophobic within my small town and I want to explore the world' or any thought you may have, anything can make a song once you extract the essence of what you want the song to convey.
Songwriting truly is one of the most beautiful things I got to discover over the last few years, especially once you make a song and listen to it and have that mindblowing sensation of having made something that gives you a pleasurable feeling, it genuinely feels like magic, even moreso when sharing a song with someone else and having them relate to it, I just cannot express how much meaning it can give you.

[saanvidhingra]

Your singing and personality are both so so amazing!

[keladryann]

" But those details are actually something that you get to keep for you to cherish." I love this so much.

[jonbinnie]

Beautiful thank you! I love your energy, journey and technique. I didn't write for years, then in Feb 2018, I started writing a song everyday based on daily meditations. I am now on album 32, it's a beautiful journey and you inspire me to share more about my song writing adventures 💜 thank yo! Sending love from Scotland!