Download and print blank sheet music templates from Freeblanksheetmusic.org. The site allows you to choose sheet music based on the instruments you are writing for. Choose from full orchestral pieces to simple single-staff vocal lines based on your needs.
Write the clef on your staves based on the range of each instrument. Choose a G clef for vocals and soprano lines; choose a C clef for tenor and alto lines; and choose the F clef for bass ranges.
Choose the key of your song and mark it at the beginning of the stave. The key denotes the harmonic tone and center of your song. A major key generally has a brighter and more upbeat feel than a minor key, which has a gloomy or downbeat tone. The key of the song also notes the chord or note to which the songs resolves.
Choose the tempo for your song and note it at the top of your composition. The tempo may be a simple as "fast" or "slow" or as specific as the beats per minute. At this stage you can also add describing words to the tempo such as "fast and lively" or "95 beats per minute and laid back."
Write the melody of your music with notes on the staff. Music notes are dots which denote the pitch and length of a single note. The melody is the main focus of the song and may be a brief phrase or long figure. You can write the melody to existing lyrics, insert lyrics to the melody later, or create an instrumental without lyrics. It's good form to start your melody on the note of the key of your song, build up to the fifth note in the scale, and then return to the original note.
Create harmonies to accompany your melody. Harmony, or chords, generally consist of three notes on of which is in the melody. Choose a bass, or lowest note of your chord that sounds sonorous with the melody and add the third and fifth note of the scale above the bass. If the chord doesn't sound congruent, try adding the fourth and sixth notes above the bass instead.