How to keep your songwriting (and songs) from sounding the same

If you're having problems with you're songs beginning to sound the same, I've found that working with a diverse producer helps a great deal. Maybe you should even think about the music you listen to. Try listening to different styles of music, I did a search and found unbelievable amounts of songs from all over the world and although i couldn't understand the lyrical content due to the language barrier the melodic detail blew me away! Now I've been inspired in a totally different way

Posted by don at 07:18 AM

Get the bad songs out of the way

My very first thoughts about songwriting were that it will probably take me 300 tries to write a hit song so I am going to write everything I can, no matter how cheesy, or corny.

So go ahead and write down everything, to get the bad songs out of the way.

Posted by don at 05:48 AM

Songwriters need to record EVERYTHING

Record yourself and record everything.

I recently bought a small digital recorder, and it plugs in to my car stereo, awesome way to sing along with the rhythms you lay down as you are riding and thinking, turn off your radio ,let your thoughts roll, and pay attention to your inner conversations,listen for sentences that sounds like something you've never heard before, in a book or in a movie, always looking for unique thoughts and sentences. Listen to your friends as they gossip, or are telling you a story...

Posted by don at 05:46 AM

Songwriting Primer for Budding Songwriters

This is a tool that I use to teach people to learn very fast.

Once they know the basic chords in the first position, I show them how to use those same chords sliding up the neck, following the "dots" on the neck, then I tell them there are no rules

As soon as they have a couple of basic progressions down, I turn on the casio, and run thru a lot of different drum patterns, some slow and some fast,...they very quickly begin to get it.

My next step is to teach them how to write their own song, just pick up a newspaper,there's a story on every page

Posted by don at 05:41 AM

Pocket Recorders rock for capturing songwriting ideas

The pocket recorder is the best. When I put down an idea and just damn well totally forgotten about it. And then a year later I'm just going through it just messin around and then suddenly I hear something and it inspires me or does something and the next thing I know I am making up the song and probably not with any of the intention I had when I first put it down on the pocket recorder.

Posted by don at 02:38 PM

Country songwriters shouldn't solely focus on the Nashville Scene

If you're a country music songwriter don't focus all your creative power on trying to write a "Nashville ready" song.

To develop as a writer you must go beyond the typical boy/girl song so popular in mainstream country music and write about other aspects of life. This will help you grow as a writer.

Nashville is the Holy Grail of country music and you should always seek their attention but don't limit your writing to that template. If you do you'll miss out on creating a heck of a lot of good music.

Have fun!

Posted by don at 05:58 AM

Phone-related tools for capturing songwriting ideas

My cel quickly phone became my favorite tool for capturing ideas. In the early days, my cel phone was pretty crummy, but when inspiration would strike, usually in the car (my best ideas come to me in the car for some reason), I'd call my home line and leave myself a vocal message ... which of course wouldn't work to well when anyone was home to pickup the phone.

Since then, I put my hands on a nicer phone that actually allows me to record audio without having to place a call. I've also got the record function on a hotkey so I can quickly grab my cel and sing away to my heart's content.

Jeff is right, those ideas can come and go pretty quickly, and I'm glad to have an easy way to capture every idea that comes to mind. Miss an idea; miss another chance to make a difference!

Posted by don at 08:50 AM

Use your songwriting influences as examples of the change you want to see

"Be the change you want see"
-Ghandi.

He had a point except let me change it some:
Sing/Write the change you want to see.

If you see a problem or a something you think can be done better write about it! You can influence so many people with your music, even people with influential positions can hear your views and might even agree with them enough to change it huge scale.

Posted by don at 08:20 AM

Songwriting as flowing poems with background music

Writing a song is simply writing a flowing poem with background music. Jazz can be sung that way with a poem and some scat with a bass and a drumset. VOILA! a brand new song. It can be done at home if you have an instrumental jazz CD. Just start singing poetry along with the CD. then try to put your newly written songs to a different beat or background music.

Posted by don at 08:17 AM

If you are a songwriter, you should keep a recording device on you at all times

What process do I use when I write?

Well, usually I pick up an instrument and start jamming a little, finding a little chord progression I like, and at the same time I'll just be mumbling words or phrases of whatever I'm thinking about at the time. If I feel like I have a particularly cool progression I'll turn on my little hand-held cassette recorder (Radioshack) to get the original idea and/or melody and/or cool lines on tape. My memory is horrible and I have a lot of ideas, so recording them helps me focus the original inspiration AND just plain remember it a day later. How many times have I played something that I thought was really good only to forget it the next day? Too many. That's why I got the tape recorder. Cell phones also come in handy if you have a good idea. Just call yourself and leave the idea.

Songwriters on Songwriting is a great book about this process from some of the greatest songwriters of the century. (I saw used copies for $1.97 at this Amazon link!!)

This book was great because all of these amazing songwriters (Dylan, Petty, Paul Simon, Randy Newman, etc.) wrote in different ways. Some of them had a daily writing schedule while some only wrote when inspiration hit. It was encouraging to see that these masters of the craft struggle with inspiration, boredom, frustration, and "the wall" that makes you feel like you'll never write another song again.

Back to my process. I guess I get the original idea, and then I attempt to flesh it out by taking the pattern created by my initial inspiration and using that pattern to finish verse 2 and 3 and finishing a chorus. I usually can make up one verse that I'm really happy with and the start of a chorus. I then decide if the song needs a bridge or any other parts that would make it more interesting. If I don't really like it, why would I expect someone else too? I have to be happy and then if someone else likes it icing on the cake.

There. That's not the only way I write songs, but it is one of my approaches.

Posted by don at 12:50 AM

Songwriting with the 90/10 rule

The best tip I ever got was from an incredibly clever lecturer from my university. He advised me that the most 'successful' music tends to be 90% familiarity, 10% originality.

This helped me to stop worrying about trying to be revolutionary with every rhyme, rhythm and chord change (which, by all accounts, seems to be impossible these days in the wake of so much progress).

I got back to a songwriting style that was more about expressing an idea I believed in, or an emotion I needed to offload, and let the originality come from the fact that it was me saying it. (Ego-alert!).

Also, the online rhyming dictionary kicks arse!

Posted by don at 08:02 AM

Rewriting Tips for Songwriters

Here's a couple of rewriting tips.
1. Write in pen and cross out so that you can still see what you decided to change--many time's you'll over rewrite and want to return to the original.
2. Always keep all the versions of the song together for the same reason.
3.The biggest rewriting tip though is very simple--put the song away and come back a few weeks later. We all love our babies when they’re born.

As far as how much rewriting makes the song better I have found that even when it doesn't make the song you are rewriting that much better it does help to make future songs better. For example, if you find your 2nd verses don't go anywhere and so you rewrite and rewrite to make your 2nd verse develop then the first draft of future songs may have a 2nd verse that develops without much rewriting. At least that's the way it has worked for me. I call it rewriting in the future. Hope this helps.

Related: Songwriters Ask: Should I Rewrite?

Posted by don at 05:46 AM

Don't be a shy songwriter

Make everybody know about your songwriting skills, and show your songs to the world...well, at least show it to friends and family first, then to songwriting communities and finally, seek professional critiques.

As you get your work more fine tuned, you will become more confident and, consequently, more open to new ideas and suggestions.

Remember, it's the people whom you are writing for, their thoughts do matter.

Posted by don at 09:57 AM

Learn the rules of the songwriting game

You probably think that since you can come up with a nice theme, that your are on the right track ...WRONG ;). It is true that songwriting has no specific rules, but here you are looking for "Ten Steps To Improve", eh?!!.

A song is music + words...

As much as you can, learn music theory and the basics of lyrics/poetry writing. Learning never stops and it's a fact that as you learn more about the rules of the game, you become more skillful bending those rules..!!

And never forget that creating catchy melodies and smart lyrics requires lots of practice.

Posted by don at 09:55 AM

Sharpen your Songwriting skills every day.

Like an athlete who strives to practice so as to reach the peak of his/her performance, a songwriter or a composer should also practice regularly...OK. you are talented and everything, but your talent means nothing if your brain doesn't get used to using this talent. Make a 30 min. music writing time per day and use it to experiment with chords, write themes or maybe rearrange something. But always keep in mind that you are just practicing, so there probably isn't a "hit" coming out of these 30 min...Hits come like a flash so be always prepared!

Posted by don at 08:04 PM

Songwriters, learn as many cover tunes as possible.

Begin with three semi-easy ones from different styles. Hank Williams Sr.(Your Cheatin Heart), Don Mclean(American Pie), and one of your favorites.

Get the tablature and the song(mp3,ect...) and study the song till you can play it (and sing it) from memory.

Repeat this process until you have a hundred tunes in your pocket.

Every three cover tunes write a simple ditty from what you've learned.

Posted by don at 08:08 AM

Ask for feedback on your songwriting, but be careful.

Critiques by other people such as peer writers, non-relatives or friends can provide valuable insight into ideas and directions for your song that you might not be able find or see yourself so listen carefully to them. But also remember this, not everyone who provides you a critique may know what they hell they are talking about.

Posted by don at 08:21 PM

One song, one idea.

Songs should revolve around a central idea. You only have between 3 and 5 minutes to tell your story so get to the point. You are not writing a novel. If you confuse the listener by introducing too many ideas into a song they will just switch off.

Posted by don at 07:14 PM

What to do when you hear a song structure you like

When you hear a song you like with unusual or striking song structure, steal the structure.

Related article: Good artists copy. Great artists steal. So do songwriters.

Posted by don at 05:22 PM

Tips on Getting the Muse to Flow

Recently I've been writing 2-3 songs per week. The primary cause is that I have time, but I've been doing the following to encourage the muse to flow.

1. Writing 3 pages every morning (my version of morning pages)
2. Learning new tips and techniques - Taking private instruction, participated in Lyons Song School, reading songwriting information on the internet, and a student at SongU.
3. Quieting my mind through yoga, meditation, hiking and canoeing.

I find that all three of these in combination are the magic elixar. If I get stuck in my writing, I either learn something new or go for a long hike. Last week, I got songs from one hike. Pretty cool!

Since the muse is flowing, I've made it a priority to finish the first cut on each song. I'm saving rewriting for when this creativity slows down.

Posted by don at 05:06 AM

Never think you have learned all there is to know about songwriting

Have an insatiably curious approach to songwriting and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.

Posted by don at 04:10 PM

Focus on the hook in your songwriting

Use the hook in your song like a short, outrageous National Enquirer headline -- One that is so achingly incomplete, you wouldn’t be human if you weren't dying to find out what it was about. And then, in your verses, weave the story. Complete the hook.

Remember this: Most folks do not get to meet interesting people, or go to interesting places, or do interesting things. And that’s your opening. Your hook is a chance for the listener to feel something special for a few moments, to be titillated, shocked, startled, and metaphorically... Pinched On The Ass!

Posted by don at 04:01 PM

Use balance in your songwriting

Balance your songwriting between art and craft, logic and imagination. Use "whole-brain" thinking.

Posted by don at 04:00 PM

Don't just tell. Use lots of detail in songwriting

To move someone's emotions requires sensual detail. Emotions are experienced in the body and great writers know how to make you laugh and cry through sensual imagery. Lyric writing is no different. Show, don't tell.

Posted by don at 03:58 PM

Write just for the sake of writing

Write just to write. Only edit once you have enough material to work with. Don't try to write the next timeless masterpiece. Just figure out what it is that you want to communicate and then write, write and write some more.

Posted by don at 03:55 PM

Have someone critique your songwriting efforts

As much fun as it is to get compliments from your mom, brother or your friends, they will most likely give you biased opinions because they know and respect you. This has nothing to do with your music and everything to do with you. This type of critiquing can get in the way of your music. My first piece of advice in my new article is to get critiqued. Getting critiqued can open doors that you have never thought of opening. It may also tell you to open doors that you’d never want to open (depending on who chooses you as their “victim” haha).

Critiquers can give you a new perspective on your song, and your musicianship may even grow as new ideas will be presented to you. If you get a bad critique, this can also prepare you for dealing with rejection. The secret to dealing with critiques is the same as this article. Consider the advice that is presented to you, have enough modesty to accept the advice (if you agree with it) and move on. Don’t respond back to the critiquers telling them “they didn’t understand the piece”. Your music just did not communicate it to them. You should never have to explain your music. It should speak on it’s own.

Posted by don at 03:39 PM

Use your cel phone to remember songwriting snippets

I hum melodies and key phrases into my cel phone using the voice recorder feature that most phones have nowadays. Then evey so often I go through and put those items down in my master notebook, or record those melodies into my PC-based recording system so I never forget them.

If your cel phone doesn't have a voice recorder feature, you could simply leave yourself a voicemail message. That works too.

Go here for more tips on capturing songwriting ideas ...

Posted by don at 03:03 PM

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