Learn how to become a better songwriter here. How to become a good songwriter.
Here are a few tips on how to become a better songwriter.
1. Listen to music.
Listen to the particular genre of music you’re interested in. Sometimes all it takes is one line from a song to get you inspired. The inspiration of some of my best songs came about by listening to other songs. Songs have a way of putting you into a certain mood and you may find yourself experiencing exactly what the songwriter did when he was writing that particular song. Whatever it was that flowed to that songwriter can flow to you as well and result in a big song. Always be ready for when inspiration comes. You should not deliberately sit down and try to write a song but you must be prepared to leave whatever you’re doing and put down the ideas you’re receiving on paper, your phone or some recording device.
2. Practice, practice, practice.
It goes without saying. You’ve surely heard the phrase, “Practice makes perfect”. The more you write songs the better you can get. You will develop new styles of writing as you keep writing. By writing lots of songs you will be able to choose the best out of the lot to record. Practice will help you develop a stronger and stronger connection with the source from which songs come. Make songwriting a big part of your life. As you do this you may even find yourself writing in your sleep, waking up and putting down complete song lyrics.
3. Don’t try too hard to write a song.
When you try hard to write a song you are actually resisting the songwriting flow. You may find yourself getting agitated about having mental block and if you do write a song, most times it’s not a good one. A good song should come to you without too much effort on your part and shouldn’t take too long to write. If you’re finding it hard to write a song you’re better of quitting and coming back later. If the ideas don’t flow, most likely it’s not a good song.
4. Rewrite.
After your song is written, be sure to come back to it to do some polishing. Choose better words, phrases or rhymes if necessary but don’t overdo it. Sometimes the first idea is the best one. By changing your song too much you may stray away from or change its meaning entirely. It may not have that hit vibe it had before. Songwriting has a lot to do with inspiration and seems to come from another source besides the songwriter.
5. Learn to play an Instrument.
So you want to know how to become a better songwriter? It’s quite advisable that you learn to play a musical instrument. Firstly, playing your instrument can serve as a great source of inspiration. You will be able to play chord progressions and write lyrics and melody that compliment them. You will be able to write better melodies having a firmer understanding of how music works. Some of the greatest songwriters of all time play musical instruments.
6. Use a rhyming dictionary.
A rhyming dictionary is a very good tool when writing a song. Use it especially when you’re stuck. However, be very careful when you’re using it so that it doesn’t interfere with your flow. Write the song you’re being inspired to write and don’t sink to a lower level of writing from a purely intellectual level. A rhyming dictionary can introduce you to new rhymes and help improve your vocabulary as a songwriter. My best recommendation is songwriting software like Masterwriter and Lyricist. I have written a review on the best songwriting software here.
How to become a better songwriter
7. Lyrics should be genuine and come from you.
Your lyrics should flow naturally. Make them come from you. If you’re writing about a particular topic try to think of something you’ve experienced. Re-live whatever you have gone through and this will make your lyrics more authentic. The listener will be better able to identify with your song.
8. Get feedback.
After writing your song, get feedback from other songwriters, musicians or friends. Be sure to get feedback from regular people, especially if they love the particular genre your song is in. Non-musicians know less about the details of music and can give you a fair, unbiased and general idea of how good how your song is. But be careful with friends who praise everything you do and tell you what they think you want to hear.
9. Don’t judge yourself too much. Just write.
When writing a song, don’t judge yourself. Just write without second guessing too much. Let go and write whatever you’re hearing and feeling. Write whatever is being channeled through you. If you judge your song too much you will end up taking away the focus away from the song itself and get caught up with criticism. You will lose the connection you had.
10. Don’t copy. Be different. Be unique.
Allow yourself to be influenced by other songs and other styles but do not copy. If you sing what everybody else has sung you shouldn’t expect the world or your target market to stop and listen. After all, they’ve already heard what you’re singing about before. Instead, just be yourself and your difference and uniqueness will stand out.
11. Collaborate.
When it comes to the subject of how to become a better songwriter, collaboration has a part to play. If that person you collaborate with is a good writer you can learn a lot from them and the way they write. Two heads are often better than one so collaboration can result in a better song. Some of the biggest songs today are written by co-writers.
12. Your song needs to make a specific point.
Always ensure that your song is making a specific point. Your verses should support the main argument of your chorus. Have the chorus in mind when writing your verses so that chorus and verses agree with each other. At the end of your lyric ask yourself this question: “What’s the point?” You should be able to find an answer to that question easily.
Songwriting Tips to Help You Become a Good Songwriter 1
Songwriting Tips to Help You Become a Better Songwriter 2
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