John Legend on the art of songwriting and his new Splice INSTRUMENT pack

“Great songwriting is about writing something that’s really personal—drawn from your real emotions and your real experiences—but it’s also, at the same time, universal,” John Legend tells us.

“Great songwriting combines the personal and the universal really well—the specific and the general really well. Great songwriting feels new, but it also feels familiar… I’m speaking in paradoxes, but I think those seemingly paradoxical things—that’s when you land on a great song.”

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that John Legend is among the most celebrated artists and songwriters of the last 20 years. The multi-platinum, 13-time GRAMMY winner has made history with his R&B, soul, and pop-infused hits including “Ordinary People,” “Love Me Now,” and of course, “All of Me.”

John Legend sat down with us to provide an intimate look into how he writes music on his signature instrument, the piano.

Bring John Legend’s iconic piano sound to your own music

Music creators everywhere can now bring John Legend’s heartfelt piano sound to their own songs with John Legend: Ordinary People Piano, a virtual piano exclusively available via the new Splice INSTRUMENT. Crafted in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his landmark record Get Lifted, Ordinary People Piano features five expressive and instantly playable presets—four mic positions and a dedicated preset that faithfully emulates the recording settings of “Ordinary People”—that capture the signature warmth of John’s iconic grand piano.

Five presets, including the main recording settings of Ordinary People, harness his unmistakable sound—only in Splice INSTRUMENT.

We hope that John Legend: Ordinary People Piano and the 1,200+ other pro-grade instrument presets within Splice INSTRUMENT will help you bring your best creative ideas to life.

“My number one songwriting tip is to keep your eye on what your final goal is,” John Legend tells us as he moves through different chord progression ideas on his piano. “Which is to write a song that really connects with people.”

Get John Legend’s Ordinary People Piano today:

October 16, 2025

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Harrison Shimazu

Harrison Shimazu is a composer, content strategist, and writer who’s passionate about democratizing music creation and education. He leads the Splice blog and produces vocaloid music as Namaboku.