Today is Valentine’s Day, the most commercially romantic day of the year. Because of all the fuss around cheesy gifts you may have forgotten what this day really is about; love. The best gift in our opinion is playing a love song for your Valentine. Here are three tips for writing a serenade.
It worked for Romeo and it most definitely worked for Heath Ledger in Ten Things I Hate About You. Playing a serenade to the man or woman of your life is of course easier said than done. That’s why we’re here to help. Use these five tips to write an unforgettable Valentine’s song.
1 – Choose an easy chord scheme
There is no harm in keeping your serenade as simple as possible. Simple does not mean boring, on the contrary- the less that can go wrong, the more impact a good love song has. We have two chord schemes for you that are a guaranteed success.
The hook in hits like Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl and Knocking on Heavens Door by Bob Dylon consist mainly of C, G and D chords. If you prefer a more dreamy approach, choose an E, A, D chord scheme, like in Don’t You from the Simple Minds
2 – Find the right words
Now that you have some nice chords, it’s time to come up with a striking text. Again the motto is ‘less is more’. Maybe not as brief as Scott Pilgrim’s ballad for Ramona, but using your loved one’s name is a start. Before you start rhyming here are a few pointers to get you started.
Write down three things you love about your Valentine on a piece of paper. Alright, now consider three things that you would like to do together with your loved one in the future. And while you’re at it, expand your list with some references to the first time you saw your Valentine. How did that make you feel? Now you have enough material to dive into a sea of poetic chaos.
3 – It’s about the gesture
If you’re not the creative type, don’t worry. Singing a serenade and showing some vulnerability will surprise your Valentine, even if you didn’t compose the song. Play that one track that you both love so much, or jam to your loved one’s favorite song.
And then there is always a list of love songs that we have assembled especially for the occasion. So when all else fails you can always just choose from our Valentines channel. Whatever you do, keep in mind: it’s all about the gesture. Happy jamming!