Songwriting is a great way to express yourself through music. Although it can be difficult, the satisfaction of creating your song is worth it. Since I have been a songwriter for many decades, I have created a list of songwriting tips based on my past experiences. These tips are meant to help anyone start or improve their songwriting skills.
Find Inspiration in Everything
My daily life as a songwriter is filled with inspiration. It’s almost like I have a special songwriting lens that makes me aware of the possibilities for how things can be made into songs.
I believe that there is a song in every situation, no matter how difficult it may be.
Also, I try to understand how certain situations affect my emotional and physical feelings.
I find inspiration to write songs through the emotional and physical connections with people in different situations.
Get creative with song ideas.
Once you have gathered many ideas and inspirations for a song idea, you can brainstorm.
Brainstorming is a way to collect all your ideas in one place. This makes it easier to organize them and build on them.
It’s okay to draw it. Make a visual map with all your song ideas to see what you have.
How to create your song structure
Once you have an idea for the next song, it’s time to move to stage 2.
Songwriting will be easier if you have a structure in mind. Remember that your song’s structure may change over time, so don’t worry too much initially.
Add a bridge to your song.
A bridge is another thing you can add to your song structure.
The bridge is typically found between a verse or a chorus. It can remind the listener of what was said in the song. You can use it to prepare for the song’s climax.
The chord progression, tempo, and style change can be found in the song’s bridge.
Singing can tell a story.
Songwriting can be considered storytelling.
When trying to tell a story, you need to be as clear as possible. Here the lyrics and music of your song are important.
Think about how your lyrics can be used to create an image for the listener while listening to your song. Keep in mind that lyrics don’t have to be spelt out. Allow your listener to interpret your song their way, but don’t oversimplify your lyrics.
When writing a song, start simple.
Let’s now get an understanding of what happens in songwriting.
Where to start.
All these great ideas are there for your next song. But you don’t know where to start.
Collaboration with others
Songwriting collaboration can open up new perspectives that can enhance your song.
Just like the old saying, “Two heads is better than one.”
We may believe that the song we are creating is the best in the world when we’re creating it. Sometimes we can be biased about the quality of our songs.
Record everything
This tip is crucial for all songwriters.
Keep track of everything.
It’s hard to count how often I have regretted not having recorded my thoughts down. It could be lyrics that pop into my head or a melody that I discovered while playing my guitar.
You should always be ready and have something to capture any creativity you get. You’ll likely forget everything about it within a few hours if you don’t.
Listen to different styles and genres of music.
While we all enjoy listening to our favourite music genres, it is best to be open to other styles of music.
We can expand our musical knowledge by listening to different genres and styles.
The more music you listen to, the more inspiration and influence you’ll have as an aspiring songwriter.
Try different music styles when songwriting.
It’s beneficial to listen to various styles and genres of music. Now it’s time for you to incorporate them into your songwriting.
Write songs in different styles and genres than what you are used to. This will help you improve your skills to be a songwriter.
Do not be afraid to take a break.
Because you know that it will be one of the biggest hits, you want to keep working hard on the song.
You’ve been working for a while now, and your creativity is slowing down. The frustration sets in, and you start to doubt your abilities.
Just keep writing
You will improve your songwriting skills the more songs you write. Writing songs will become easier while developing your style.
It’s normal to write many bad songs. But you have to keep at it. You’ll be closer to writing a song that you are proud of the more bad songs you create.
Last Thoughts
These songwriting hacks will assist you in becoming a better songwriter.
Musicians can create their songs.
You can’t learn it overnight, and there are many ways to approach songwriting.