Great songwriters are not only born; they are made. In this piece, the focus will be to answer the question every songwriter has in mind; how to be a better songwriter. Songwriting is an art that needs to be nourished and fine-tuned to perfection. While some days, it will be easy to wake up and write for hours without stress, it might take a little more hard work to get the lyrical ideas flowing some other days.
You do not have to wait for the inspiration to get you going; here are some tips that will help put your name in the songwriters’ hall of fame.
1. Reward Yourself
There is only so much tough love can do without a mix of positive reinforcement here and there. Celebrate your small wins, even to tell yourself “Well done”. Nobody likes a pompous, but you do not have to boast of your success to reward yourself.
Finished writing a particularly difficult lyric? Pat yourself on the back. If you do not appreciate what you have achieved, you might constantly feel disappointed in yourself. More often than not, songwriters’ emotions are tied to the songs they are writing. Giving yourself an inner boost will give you a push.
2. Work With Other Artists, Songwriters, and Lyricists
You might be tempted to always fly solo when writing songs, but collaborating with other songwriters and lyricists has its perks. You can learn a thing or two from people who are more skilled in songwriting than you, exchange ideas on the song structure, and write faster when you write in a group than alone.
As they say, two good heads are better than one. You can also ask for inputs from a guitarist or a professional pianist. You may be surprised at how creative you can be when looking at things from other people’s perspectives.
3. Draw Inspirations from The Songs You Love
Listen to a different genre of music to spark up your internal creative flame. Pick a song you love and tear it down, modulate it and change the chord progression. You can study different songs by other music writers or recreate a piece another person has created to make exceptional music. Another source of songwriting inspiration is to imitate a songwriter you admire when running out of ideas. After all, imitation is a form of art.
If you are writing a new genre, for instance, it is better to listen to some of the best songs in that genre that not only resonate with you but are loved by listeners. It is essential to keep your audience in mind when writing a song and one way to do this is to know the conventional way to write and build upon it.
4. Be Consistent: Jot Down Ideas as It Comes
Ideas can come anytime and anywhere, whether at your favourite coffee shop, in the shower, during a walk in the park, on a drive, or even taking a dump. No idea is yours unless you jot it down. Writing down songs ideas makes you a consistent songwriter. You can use your phone to write down song lyrics as they flow or go traditional with a pen and paper.
Regularly exercising your writing muscle will make you proficient in your songwriting skills. Therefore, you need to constantly hone your skills and not solely depend on your moods and emotions to wax excellent lyrics.
5. Have A Purpose, A Goal and An End in Mind
If you have a clear picture of the rhythm, structure, genre, and the kind of instrument suitable for a song even before you start the process of writing, it will guide you in your songwriting. It helps to know how a piece will end before you begin. Your song does not necessarily need to rhyme; you can go with the flow.
Nevertheless, your collection of ideas should be compiled together to form a solid picture that you can see. It is easy to leave a song half-finished, but if you have a goal in mind, it will give you the discipline to finish what you start.
6. Rest While You Can
Understand that you are human with limits. You need to sleep, eat, and exercise to be able to work the next day. Just because you are flowing, waxing lyrical does not mean you should write for 8 hours straight without resting. Otherwise, you might burn out quickly. Set a schedule and stick with it.
Don’t force yourself to Maybe you are not writing any exceptional piece because you are forcing yourself to write when you are too tired. Be fluid, take a breather and do some fun activities while at it.
Final Thoughts on How to Be a Better Songwriter
Skilled songwriters are consistent and in tune with their inner creativity. Network with other people, ask for unbiased feedback, create unique melodies from old songs, and write every day, even if it is just a line.
However, they also know that while it is important to regularly exercise your writing muscle, learn to take a break and rest.
