Whether you’re a beginner or a professional artist who’s having writer’s block, today I’ll teach you a 4 step method you can use to write a complete dancehall song quickly.
You’ll learn about things like dancehall topics, how to come up with a flow, lyrics writing, etc.
Dancehall Song Topics
The first thing to do when writing a dancehall song is to choose a topic. The topic can be anything, but dancehall songs are usually about street life, partying, or bedroom activities.
Choose a topic that you are knowledgeable about.
Flow With The Beat
Now that you chose a topic, it’s time to find a flow/melody. The most effective way to do this is to mumble along with the beat until you find a flow that excites you, one that you can deliver with confidence.
While finding a flow, you’ll need to think about the song structure as well. Most dancehall songs today use the following:
INTRO/HOOK/VERSE/HOOK/VERSE/HOOK/OUTRO or
INTRO/VERSE/HOOK/VERSE/HOOK/VERSE/HOOK/OUTRO
To make your song more exciting, you’ll want to change up your flow in different sections. You can use a simple flow to deliver the hook while using a multi-syllable rhyme flow with the verses.
Dancehall Lyrics Writing
Dancehall is not mumble-rap, so no matter how great you think your mumbling sounds, you’ll need to convert it to actual words that the audience can understand.
To do that, you should find words and phrases that rhyme and flow with whatever you were mumbling. Everything you come up with should also be about the topic of the song.
If you are a beginner, you can use an online rhyme dictionary if you’re having problems coming up with your own lines.
Rough Demo Record
One of the most important steps when writing a dancehall song is to do a rough recording of the lyrics. Doing this will help you with a couple of things. It will help you remember exactly how you intended to deliver the song if you choose to do the final recording at a later date. It will also give you an idea of how the music will sound to the audience.
You can do a rough recording on a regular smartphone.
How To Write A Dancehall Song – Summary
In summary, when writing a dancehall song, you first choose a topic that you are knowledgeable about, find a flow that matches the beat, come up with the lyrics, then record a rough demo of the song.