Songwriting Tips; A Beginner’s Guide To Songwriting

Songwriting

Has songwriting been a challenge to you? You might be wondering where to begin. Here are some songwriting tips that will help you start your songwriting journey.

Let’s get into them.

1. Find Your Inspiration For Songwriting

Ideas can come at any time when you set your surroundings for songwriting. Have a pen or a notebook always; an idea might come up, and you would want to write them. It doesn’t have to be a paragraph. A one-word title is worth writing down.

Recording your idea using a phone or any other recording device is also essential. You can create a melody by either singing or humming. You can also say your lyrical ideas and save them for later.

2. Determine Your Song Structure

Listen to songs that you enjoy and analyse them. It will give you some ideas on how to structure your piece. Also, listen to different themes and see how they are structured.

Pay attention on:

• The Melody
• The chord progression
• The lyrics
• The arrangement

Do not use somebody else’s idea directly. You will be accused of plagiarism. However, you can use the chord progression, a segment of the melody or arrangement techniques.

3. Understand The Basics of Music Theory

Acquiring basic skills in music theory will make your songwriting process easier. Additionally, it will improve the quality of your material. Although music theory might seem difficult to a beginner, some concepts are not that complicated. You only need to understand the simple basics to improve your songwriting skills. Some of the skills that you would want to learn are:

1. Scales: Major and minor scales, keys
2. Chord Progressions: Common chord progressions
3. Rhythm: Time signatures, Off beat rhythms etc.
4. Intervals: Consonant intervals, inversions and dissonant intervals

You can learn the basics of music in our school. Our practise-based training will be easy to understand since it will be of practice.

4. Try Different Songwriting Approaches

When starting, it’s good to try different writing styles and see which method works for you. Here are some of the approaches you can try

• Write a brief or a general concept.
• Write the song before the title or title before the song
• Try using a different musical instrument than the usual one

When trying these methods, you may get the style that works for you.

5. Keep it Simple

Simplicity is essential when writing a song. The most successful pieces are often straightforward. Write songs that do not have complicated chord progressions. Furthermore, the lyrics should relate easily with the listeners.

6. Write From Personal Experience

Lyrics written from personal life experiences are more genuine and easy to write. Nevertheless, it is very to easy to write your own story. Once you see your lyrical content improve, you can start writing other peoples’ stories.

7. Test Your Songwriting skills

Once you have finished, sing your song to a live audience. Seek opinions from your friends and see where you can improve. Through these opinions, you will be able to identify your weak areas. Also, you will know which part of the lyrics needs improvement and which chords need adjusting.

Remember to record your songs. Today’s technology has made it easier to record music using the right software and the best equipment. You can also go to a studio and record your piece. Publish your song to the audience or potential fans. People in the music industry might listen to your song and discover your potential.

If you want to develop your skills in songwriting, join Kamata Music School, get professional skills and be the best version of yourself. 

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The Future Of The Entertainment Industry In Kenya

The entertainment industry in Kenya is set to improve in the next five years. Kenyan entertainment, media, and advertising companies will enjoy a boost in income as people start to trade their television sets for streaming services. According to a report by PWC, the Kenyan entertainment industry can expect an upswing in revenue as consumers spend more on entertainment.

Recent reports suggest that the Kenyan Entertainment Industry is on steady growth. Furthermore, it is forecasted to be worth 900 million USD by 2025. This means that the Kenyan entertainment industry will overtake Nigeria. That is to say, Kenya will become the second-largest country in Africa in entertainment after South Africa.

The Outlook Of The Entertainment Industry in Kenya

Kenya saw advertising revenue fall by 28% as outdoor advertising fell sharply as companies cut spending during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, the pandemic triggered the drop in overall E&M revenue in the history of this research. And it accelerated changes in consumer behaviour to drive digital disruption and industry inflexion points over several years. In 2021, these inflexion points morphed and merged into power shifts reshaping the industry. According to PwC

Also, the report shows a shift from traditional media towards digital-based ones. Streaming movies, digital advertising, games and podcasts are other factors for this change. Due to this shift, we see individual influencers competing against established companies for advertising revenues.

Social media advertising has grown to become a source of marketing. Micro influencer growth enables advertisers to target niche markets and reach a broader audience. Print ads’ high cost and limited availability have encouraged the adoption of digital and social media channels and their increasingly modern targeting capabilities. Kenya will be a key revenue driver for the media industry in Africa due to high internet and smartphone penetration. Consumer spending on E&M fell by 5.5% in 2020. However, PwC estimates a 3.9% growth in the entertainment industry by 2025.

Internet Advertising

Internet marketing and spending rose through Sh3 trillion in 2020 to attain Sh3.four trillion, a 9% increase. Although slower than the 16% according to the report recorded in 2019, this nevertheless represents a stunning increase in an always-growing base. The pandemic had a personal effect on this sector.

With internet marketing set to rise by 7.7% in 2025, traditional marketing and sales are also predicted to increase from KES 6 trillion in 2020 to KES 8 trillion in 2025. It is essential to mention that this past year has been a watershed moment in international media regulations with the emergence of more competitive pushback towards the massive virtual systems on many different fronts.

During the pandemic, strength shifted to streaming. Companies like Netflix, Google, Facebook and Amazon reaped big because people spent more time online.

There you have it! Join Kamata Entertainment School and know more about the entertainment business and how  to succeed in the industry.

Tips for Screenwriters: Basic Tips Screen Writing

Scriptwriting

Scriptwriting is quite different from writing a short story or novel. Scriptwriters don’t have the opportunity to start with a slow introduction; the initial minutes of the script must be gripping. Below are some tips and tricks that will assist you in writing a gripping story.

While many believe that big-name actors are all they need to make a movie, television show, or play work, they are wrong. A script must be captivating and well-written to be successful, no matter how expensive the cast may be. To make your story the Best Picture of next year, it is essential to understand how to tell a story and the steps needed in the writing process. Implementing these ideas can take your script from the desk to the silver screen in no time!

How to Write a Script

• Craft your logline.

A one-sentence summary or description of a movie is an integral part of a screenplay. It captures the script’s central elements: the main character, setup, plot points, conflict, and antagonist. The aim is to write a captivating synopsis to draw the reader in, making them more eager to read the entire script.

• Create an outline

To create a roadmap for the film story, begin by writing down the main events in sequence. Create a system either on one or two pages or using index cards posted on a wall. Use one sentence per event. Use your dramatic question to shape the plot. Create a beat sheet with descriptions.

• Build A Treatment

Put together a treatment. This should be a more extensive outline with a story-like structure. Treatment is the best way to start if you want to draw attention to your script. It’s also an effective way to check if the story will turn out how you envision it. Your treatment should reflect your vision, so create a detailed world and characters.

• Write a Screenplay

Writing a successful screenplay takes a great deal of hard work and dedication. Always remember all the rules you’ve heard before. Write in the present tense. Additionally, be sure to adhere to proper formatting. Avoid too much editing while you are writing. Furthermore, let your ideas and movie concepts flow, before structuring them once everything is on the page.

• Format the Screenplay

Proper screenplay formatting is essential. Thankfully, there are lots of resources to help you with this task. Script templates and screenplay-writing software will help you.

• Edit Your Screenplay

Rewriting scripts is an excellent way to turn your draft into a professional screenplay before filming begins. It’s a great way to get industry experts’ feedback on revisions and edits. Rewrite your script to make sure everything goes just right.

Learn More About Script Writing

For you to become the best at scriptwriting, you need proper training. Join the Film and TV Production School. Where you will get one-on-one lessons and become a better version of yourself.

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