---

There’s a moment every guitar player faces. How to write a song on guitar.

You’ve learned some chords. Played your favorite covers. Maybe even soloed over a few backing tracks.

But then you feel this quiet nudge…

“Can I write something of my own?”

It’s exciting. Terrifying. And often where people stop—not because they’re not capable, but because no one ever showed them how to write a song on guitar.

This post is for that moment.

Not a step-by-step checklist. Not a “hit song formula.” But a companion—to help you explore what it really means to write something honest, melodic, and uniquely yours with your guitar.

We’ll explore song structure, creative approaches, lyric inspiration, and chord techniques. You’ll hear how artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Chris Stapleton, John Mayer, and Gregory Alan Isakov approach songwriting. You’ll also discover how tools like FretDeck can unlock new chord shapes and scale ideas—and how our Guitar Freaks Discord can help you stay inspired.

Let’s get started.

---

🎧 First, Let Go of the Pressure

Before we dive into chords and lyrics, a gentle reminder:

A great song doesn’t start with perfection—it starts with permission.

You don’t need to be a poet. You don’t need music theory degrees. You just need a guitar, a feeling, and a willingness to listen to what wants to come out.

---

🪕 What You Really Need to Write a Song on Guitar

A lot of guitar players get hung up here. “I don’t know enough chords.” “I’m not good at singing.” “What if it doesn’t sound great?”

But the truth is, every songwriter starts in the same place.

Here’s what you actually need:

• A handful of chords you know well
• One lyrical idea, phrase, or emotion
• A quiet place to explore
• And… a loop of curiosity and courage

Let’s start with chords.

---

🎸 The Best Guitar Chords to Start With (When Writing Songs)

If you want to write a song on guitar today, you don’t need 50 chords.

You need 6-8 emotionally rich ones—and a sense of how they move.

Here are your power tools:

✅ In the Key of G:

• G
• Cadd9
• D
• Em
• Am
• Bm

✅ In the Key of C:

• C
• Am
• F
• G
• Dm
• E

These chords are open, resonant, and inviting. You’ve heard them in songs by:

• Mumford & Sons
• Brandi Carlile
• Fleetwood Mac
• Ed Sheeran

Try this progression: G – Em – C – D
It’s been the backbone of countless folk, pop, and rock songs.

---

🧠 How Songwriters Actually Start Writing (It’s Not What You Think)

Most songs don’t start with “verse one, bar one.”
They start with a spark.

It could be:

• A strange chord you stumble on
• A line you overhear in a conversation
• A memory that shows up during a walk
• A melody you hum without thinking

The key is to capture the spark before it fades.

🎤 Pro tip: Keep a voice memo app or notebook nearby at all times.

---

✍️ Lyric-First or Music-First?

There’s no right answer here. But here’s what I’ve found:

• If you’re drawn to melody and rhythm → start with chords or riffs.
• If you’re drawn to stories or emotion → start with a lyric idea.

Example: Lyric First

You write:

“I only feel real when the radio’s loud.”

Now try chords underneath. Try G – Em – C – D.

Let the words find their emotional match.

Example: Music First

You play:

Am – F – C – G, with a slow tempo.

Let the vibe suggest a phrase:

“I remember fall like a photograph.”

---

🧪 3 Creative Prompts for Writing a Song on Guitar

Sometimes, we just need a doorway in.

🎨 Prompt #1: “Capo Shift Mood”

Put your capo on fret 5. Now play your normal chords (G, C, Em). Notice how they feel brighter, lighter, sadder?

Let the timbre lead the song.

---

🎨 Prompt #2: “Reverse Progression”

Take a common progression (like C – G – Am – F) and flip it. Try F – Am – G – C. It’ll feel different—more spacious or dramatic.

---

🎨 Prompt #3: “Start on the 4 Chord”

Instead of starting your song on the I chord (like G in the key of G), start on the IV chord (C). You’ll instantly feel like the song is mid-story.

---

📐 Structure: How to Shape Your Song (Without Overthinking It)

Most songs use some version of this:

Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus – Bridge – Chorus

But don’t let the formula box you in. Let it be a canvas, not a cage.

If your chorus feels too big too early, maybe it’s the bridge. If your verses sound like chants, maybe they’re hooks.

Experiment.

Trust the feel more than the form.

---

🎸 How FretDeck Helps Songwriters Expand Their Toolbox

Here’s what I wish I had as a beginner songwriter:

• A way to visualize chord options in every key
• A simple system to move beyond basic shapes
• Creative prompts that spark riffs and melodies

That’s why I created FretDeck: Pentatonic Guitar Scales.

Even though it’s built around pentatonic scales, it does so much more:

• It shows you how scales relate to chords
• It helps you find melodic lines around your progressions
• It unlocks the neck so your solos don’t get stuck in box 1

🎸 👉 Click here to back the FretDeck Kickstarter »

You’ll also get access to bonus lessons on songwriting and soloing.

---

🎶 What Makes a Song Work?

Let me say this gently:
It’s not the polish—it’s the presence.

Some of my favorite songs were written on $100 guitars, recorded on cassette decks, sung through cracked voices. And they still move people.

Because they have:

• A point of view
• An emotional anchor
• An honest delivery

That’s all you need.

---

🤝 Join a Community That Supports Songwriters

Inside our Guitar Freaks Discord, we have channels just for:

• Sharing song ideas
• Chord progression prompts
• Melody and lyric feedback
• Weekly challenges (like “write a 1-minute loop in G minor”)

It’s not just for advanced players—it’s for curious, creative guitarists who want to grow.

🎸 👉 Join the Guitar Freaks Hangout on Discord »

---

🎤 Case Study: Writing a Song in 15 Minutes

Let me show you how this works in real life.

One morning, I played Em – C – G – D slowly.

It felt like autumn. A little nostalgic. So I hummed a melody over it. It was clumsy. Off-pitch.

But one line stuck:

“I lost the map when I needed it most.”

That became the hook. From there, the verses wrote themselves.

What mattered wasn’t whether it was perfect—it was that it was honest.

---

⚡ Final Thoughts: Your Song Is Already in You

If you’ve made it this far, you don’t just want to learn how to write a song on guitar…

You want to write a song that feels real.

And you can.

You’ve already got the tools.
You’ve already got the ears.
You’ve already got something to say.

You just need a little guidance, a little courage, and a community that believes in your voice.

🎸 👉 Back the FretDeck Kickstarter and unlock your creative fretboard »
🎸 👉 Join Guitar Freaks Discord and share your first song idea »
👉 Read: Soul Guitar Chords – The Groove, the Feel, the Flow
👉 Ultimate Guitar Tabs – to explore chord progressions and covers

We’ll be here. Listening.

—
Justin Comstock
Guitar Freaks Blog & FretDeck