Editing Songwriter (section)

== Multi-tasking songwriters ==
[[File:MaxMartin.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Max Martin]] is commercially the most successful producer/songwriter in history.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/max-martin-most-hot-100-number-1s-producers/ | title=Max Martin Breaks Record for Most Hot 100 No. 1s Among Producers as Ariana Grande's 'Yes, And?' Debuts | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] }}</ref>]]
=== As instrumentalists===

Songwriters are also often skilled [[musical instrument]] players. In part, this is because the process of "working out" a song or arrangement requires a songwriter to play an instrument, typically the [[guitar]] or the [[piano]], to hear how the [[chord progression]] sounds and to hear how well a given set of chords supports a melody. In addition to selling their songs and musical concepts for other artists to sing, some songwriter-musicians create songs to perform themselves. Songwriters need to create a number of elements for a song, including an introduction, various verses and a chorus. At minimum, a songwriter must prepare a [[lead sheet]] for a song, which consists of one or more pieces of [[music notation|sheet music]] with the melody notes and [[chord progression]] indicated on it.

The songwriter may expand upon the melody and chord progression by adding an instrumental melody (which may occur before or after the vocal melody, or alongside the vocal melody) and creating a more complex song structure (e.g., verse, chorus, bridge, instrumental solo section, etc.).

=== As producers ===

With recent technological improvements, a songwriter can now create commercially viable music almost entirely on their laptop. This technological advancement has made the producer/songwriter role a much more popular occurrence. Perhaps because the role of producer is not generally understood by the public, the average listener does not know when an artist also takes on the role of producer.

[[Brian Wilson]] of [[the Beach Boys]] is one of the earliest and most widely known examples of a songwriter turned music producer. Within two years of the band's commercial breakthrough, Wilson had taken over from his father Murry, and he was the sole producer of all their recordings between 1963 and 1967.

=== As singers ===
{{main|Singer-songwriter}}

Many singers also write songs for themselves, and as such, they are usually referred to as singer-songwriters.<ref name=":0" />