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How to make a song

Make a song one part at a time. Pick a mood and a tempo, lay down the drums, add four chords and a bass line, put a melody on top, then write words to it and shape it into verses and a chorus. You don’t need to play an instrument: pick a mood below and add each part to hear a song build.

1. Pick a mood
2. Add the parts

Pop drums at 110 BPM.

How to make a song, step by step

  1. 1. Pick a mood and a key

    Decide how the song should feel first: happy, sad, dark or dreamy. A major key sounds bright and a minor key sounds sad, and every part after this follows from it.

    Every key, with its chords

  2. 2. Set the tempo

    Choose how fast it moves, in beats per minute. Lo-fi and hip-hop sit around 70 to 90, pop and rock around 100 to 130, and dance music around 120 to 130.

    Tap a tempo

  3. 3. Lay down the drums

    Start with a kick on the strong beats, a snare or clap on 2 and 4, and hi-hats in between. Loop one bar until it feels right; the drums are what makes people move.

    Drum patterns to play

  4. 4. Add four chords

    Most songs loop the same three or four chords. Pick a progression for your mood, such as the pop progression I–V–vi–IV, and let it repeat under everything.

    Chord progression generator

  5. 5. Put a bass line under them

    Play each chord’s root note low, in time with the kick drum. It ties the drums and chords together, and a song without it sounds thin.

    Chord progressions to hear

  6. 6. Write a melody on top

    Hum over the loop until a short phrase sticks, then repeat it with small changes. Land on the chords’ notes at the start of each bar so the tune feels at home.

    Melody generator

  7. 7. Add words and a voice

    Write lines that fit the melody’s rhythm, with the song’s title in the chorus. Sing or rap it over the loop and keep the words that are easy to remember.

    Song name ideas

  8. 8. Give it a shape

    Turn the loop into a song: an intro, a verse, a chorus that repeats the hook, a second verse, the chorus again, a bridge and an outro. Take parts out in the verse so the chorus hits harder.

    Song structures, mapped

Finish it and share it

Balance the parts so the voice and melody sit on top and the drums and bass are steady under them, then listen on headphones and on a phone speaker. A song is finished when nothing you change makes it better, not when it is perfect.

Play it to someone, or come back the next day: fresh ears hear what to cut. Short songs are fine; many hits are under three minutes.

To make every part in one place, in the browser, use the free online music editor.

Questions about making a song

How do you make a song as a beginner?

One part at a time. Pick a mood and a tempo, lay down a drum beat, add four chords and a bass line, then put a melody on top and words to it. Most songs repeat the same few chords all the way through, so once a loop of four sounds good, the rest is arranging it into verses and a chorus.

Do you need to play an instrument to make a song?

No. In a music editor you pick a sound and place its notes, or start from parts made for you and change them, so no part has to be played in time by hand. Knowing a few chords helps you choose, and the free chord and melody tools above let you hear them first.

Should you start with the beat or the melody?

Either works. Starting with drums and chords gives a melody something to sit on, which is easiest when you are new. If a tune is already in your head, hum it into your phone first, then find chords that fit under it.

How long does it take to make a song?

A loop of drums, chords and a melody takes minutes. A finished song, with words, a verse and a chorus, an intro and an ending, and a mix, often takes a few sessions, because it helps to come back with fresh ears.

What makes a song catchy?

Repetition and a hook: a short melody or line in the chorus that comes back several times. Keep the chorus melody simple and a little higher than the verse, and land it on the chords’ notes so it feels settled.

What are the parts of a song?

Most popular songs have an intro, verses that tell the story, a chorus that repeats the hook, often a bridge that changes things once, and an outro. A common shape is intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, outro.

Can you make a song on your phone?

Yes. Prodverse’s editor runs in the phone’s browser, so you can add drums, chords, bass and a melody and play them back without installing an app.

Make your first song

Open the free editor with a beat playing, then add chords, a melody and your voice, part by part. No account needed to start.

Start a songMelody generator

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