Minimalistic songwriting can help you discover what really matters in music. Here are some tips on how to add minimalism to your songwriting arsenal.
Write Simple, Write Hits
Today’s hit pop songs owe much of their success to minimalistic songwriting, and for good reason! Songs with simple melodies and familiar, easy-to-follow structures are incredibly catchy and fun to sing along with. Writing with simplicity in mind will force you to be more creative, and will also help make your tracks memorable.
Let Accompaniment Do Its Job
A good accompaniment can really bring a track to life, but it should always do so by enhancing the main elements, not by overpowering them. Using a simple accompaniment will help the memorable parts of your song–such as the melody and vocals–stand out better. If you feel like you have a complete track with just a few backing elements, you likely have the essence of a great song.
Give Your Vocals The Spotlight
A strong vocal performance will move an audience and sell a song like no other instrument can. Vocals and lyrics require a lot of space to realize their expressive potential, so taking a minimalistic approach will really help them shine. Throughout the songwriting process, carefully consider how any elements you add will highlight and complement the vocals, and strip away any elements that are unhelpful.
Repetition Over Complexity
You don’t need complex chord progressions or melodies to write a great song. In fact, most modern pop music consists of repeating 4-chord loops that are slightly different in the verse, chorus, and bridge sections. Repetition with slight variation allows you to develop a musical idea that is short and memorable, while also spicing things up enough to keep listeners engaged.
Use a Songwriting Template
Using a template to guide your songwriting can help you focus on what you’re trying to achieve with your music. In order to outline your song in a template, you really have to think about what its essential parts are. Anything that doesn’t make it onto the template probably isn’t vital to the song’s identity. If someone can read nothing but your template and still get a good feel for your song, then you’re moving in the right direction.
Do More With Less
Effective layering can make tracks sound rich and dynamic, but it’s easy to go overboard and end up with a crowded mix. A good way to avoid stacking too many layers onto your song is by trying to do more with less. When there are only a few elements in a track, each one has an increased share of the listener’s attention. Whether it’s sick guitar riff or a dreamy synth, minimalism lets you elevate the parts of a song you feel most proud of.
Write One Song At a Time
Too much experimentation can detract from the energy you’re trying to create with a song. You want your tracks to have a single, unmistakable groove to them, and minimalistic songwriting can help you achieve this. Explore musical ideas and add to your track only if it supports the central theme you’ve chosen. Let your creativity run wild, but recognize when ideas would best be saved for another song.
