Writing Songs for Young Children

A "Music is the Key" Project

I really enjoy songwriting and have written songs since childhood. Of course, my early attempts were very simple, little tunes sometimes sung in the backseat of the car on long trips. But in highschool, and for a short time in college, I studied voice and music theory and began composing pieces with larger musical and metaphorical themes. Since becoming a Bahá'í in 1986, my music has become more meaningful to me, and I'd like to believe that it has become more powerful in its influence on others.

With my limited experience (I have never taken an actual "songwriting" course) I have tried to answer some questions about writing for young children which were asked of me a while back.

If while reading you find that there are other points I am forgetting, or any incorrect information, please let me know as I want this to be as helpful as possible to beginning songwriters.

How do you write songs for very young children?

I try to keep in mind the following points when I am writing for children under 6-years old:

Lighthearted Mood: Use funny words (words that have the "K" sound are always winners, like "pickle" and "crunchy"); add animal and other sound effects; and try using unusual juxtapositions of ideas such as "and I will wear upon my feet shoes made out of fudge." (See lyrics to Confectionary Kingdom)

Simplicity of Sounds: Use recognizable words (appropriate to age group); rhyming and alliterative words (especially within phrases--helps children with memorization); and recognizable objects (such as animals or things seen in everyday life.)

Simplicity of Melody: Make smooth transitions from note to note, try not to jump around unless it's for a specific effect; make the song easy to sing by using basic chord changing patterns (like I-IV-V, C Major, F Major, G major, C Major); and try to make the song easy to remember, it should follow a logical story or progression of ideas.

Repetition: Look at songs like "Old Macdonald" and see how the first line is repeated before each new animal is introduced; repeat an easy to remember chorus after each verse; and try "call and response" style songs where the children must repeat each verse after the singer or sing out a special word at an appropriate time. (see lyrics to Confectionary Kingdom)

What process do you follow in composing a song?

It varies, but basically I start with an idea I wish to get across, to either my own children, or children in general. For example, in the song "The Báb's Tree" I wanted to show the ideas of life, death and regeneration, heavy subjects. The life of the tree so wonderfully related in Mr. William Sear's book A Cry from the Heart is a wonderful metaphor for the life of The Báb himself and I felt that if I could capture that idea in a children's song it would be great.

Next, I either work on a simple chorus melody or verse (whatever comes to me first, this is the "inspirational" part of the process), and I brainstorm for symbolic images, ideas, and objects that I might use in the lyrics. I recommend the process of clustering.

After I have a general idea of the angle I am going to take on a subject I set about writing 3 or 4 simple rhyming verses. Usually each verse is 4 lines long with the first and second lines repeats of the same line and third line that rhymes and a fourth line that either repeats the first line again or rhymes with the third line.

How does one break into this type of songwriting?

This is a hard question to answer as I am sure there are "many roads up the mountain" as they say. First, I think you should study songs and lyrics already out there for the audience (age group) you wish to write for. Say the words out loud and study the rhythms. Try to substitute new words (with the same rhythm pattern) on top of existing melodies. You should make sure that the accents are falling on the right words. If the lyrics are composed in this way, then given to a musician without the refernce of the original melody, you might be surprised to hear the final song that results.

If you are a flexible writer and musically inclined, it should not be difficult to follow these guidelines. If you are a good writer but lack musical ability you should still be able to write verses that have a definite rhythmic pattern which can be set to music by someone else. And, kids enjoy rhythmic poetry. They will like chanting out fun lyrics without any melody, and clapping a nice background beat.

Is there any advice you would give to a novice songwriter?

I think that if you wish to write good songs for children you need to go back to your own childhood and draw upon those images and sound patterns that were comfortable, and comforting, to you. Draw upon metaphor and combine it with rhyme. And, remember that no matter how complex or general your internal concept might be, make the lyrics simple. Good Luck, and let me know how it works out for you.

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