Listen and learn from the masters. American folk music has a long rich history and folk song writers often rework familiar themes and melodies. Study the songs of Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan. Country and Western music has its own songwriting heroes. Listen to Jimmy Rodgers, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, and Buck Owens. Country and Western music was always more commercially oriented than folk music. Buck Owens' s songs, in particular, provide excellent examples of the sort of catchy hooks that help songs sell well. Study the songs of the Carter Family. The Carter Family is the bridge that connects American folk music with country and western music.
Write down ideas in a notebook. Keep a notebook and pen with you at all times. Jot down ideas for song lyrics. The inspiration for song lyrics may come a variety of sources such as personal experiences, observations of other people's experiences, a book you are reading, and other songs that you admire.
Find an interesting melody. Songs are memorable because of the melody. The melody is the vehicle that allows the lyrics to convey a story. Folk music and country music use simple chord progressions and the melodies tend to be simple and straightforward as well. Folk songs often borrow or interpret melodies from traditional folk songs. Play a chord pattern on the guitar or piano and practice singing different melodies or nonsense lyrics. Folk and country/western chords typically involve the I, IV, and V chords. In the key of C major this would be C, F,G or G7. Many folk songs are in minor keys which lends a more melancholy feel. In the key of A minor, this would be Am, Dm, and E7 or Em.
Create a story line. Folk songs and country/western songs tell stories. County/western songs typically focus on heartbreak, love, and everyday struggles and shy away from overtly political themes. Folk songs, on the other hand, often are very political. Murder and tragedy are also common themes in folk songs.
Develop a musical structure for the song. County/western songs use a verse and chorus structure. Decide if your song is in 4/4 or 3/4 time. The lyrics of the verses tell different stages of the story. The chorus puts across the main point of songs three to four times during the song. The chorus is also differentiated from the verses by a different chord progression. If a song is in the key of C major, a typically chord progression for the verses is C/C/F/F/C/C/F/G . A typical chord progression for the chorus is F/F/C/C/F/F/D/D/G/G. The major II chord, D, is a common feature in country/western songs. Folk songs also often employ the verse and chorus structure. However, it is not unusual for folk songs to consist only of verses.
Get your song heard. Many folk songwriters record their material and perform it live. Many country/western songwriters write songs but don't perform. Record a demo and shop your song around to performers you think may be interested. The important thing is for people to hear your songs. Participate in songwriter circles at local music venues. Join the National Folk Alliance. It meets annually every February in Memphis and is usually attended by 1,200 to 1,300 musicians as well as important people in the music industry.