10 songwriting tips

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 7:53 am

10 tips on songwriting

1. Don't wait 4 inspiration! : You have to be a hopeless romantic to think that you need inspiration to write good songs. Experienced songsmiths will tell you that it's basically a matter of hard work, including planning what you want to say and how you want to say it.

2. Learn the rules and break 'em! : The standard pop song has a verse-chorus-bridge-verse-chorus structure, but you don't have to follow it to have a hit. In fact, some of the most memorable rock songs ever written, like Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing and J.J. Cale's Sensitive Kind, don't have a clear-cut chorus or bridge!

3. Think of a title first! : When your head is empty of ideas or a subject for a song, try to think of a title first. And try to work it into the chorus, especially if you're thinking of creating a pop anthem that will launch a thousand karaoke singalong sessions.

4. Nice and easy does it! : Simplicity is what a good pop song is all about. So, don't attempt anything that's way over your head. Of course, if you imagine yourself to be in the same league as top tunesmiths, by all means go ahead and fill the song up with as many dynamic changes as you can think up. But before you do that, listen to John Lennon's Imagine and see how sublimely expressive simplicity can be.

5. Feed your ears with all kinds of music! : Okay, now that you know good songs don't grow on trees, learn to appreciate music in all its infinite variety. The more stuff you listen to and the more influences you soak up, the better equipped you'll be to write songs. It's also a good idea to listen to as broad a range of music as possible. Some of the best ideas for good pop songs are often derived from romantic classical and jazz pieces.

6. If you can't do it alone, collaborate! : If you're a singer-songwriter, chances are you will be writing the lyrics to the songs as well. But if you're better at music than words, it's a good idea to find an empathetic collaborator. There're loads of closet poets around so there shouldn't be any problem finding a suitable lyricist for your songs.

7. It's all about the Simple Plan! : Yes, I've said it before, but here it is again in a different context: Keep it simple! And while you're at it, keep it real! When choosing the words, opt for the ones that are the shortest (preferably monosyllables), say the most and sound the most sincere. While a lot of hits are built around platitudes, that doesn't mean you have to stick to "I love you" for love songs. Give it a twist, the way the Beatles did with 'Love Me Do'.

8. All aspects count! : Every part of a song has an essential role to play. Melody and rhythm may be the first components you should pay attention to, but harmony, mood and dynamics are equally important. Structuring to fuse all these different aspects effectively takes years of practice, so don't be disheartened if your first batch of originals sound shabbier than the Beatles' discards.

9. Demo everything! : Make a habit of recording demo versions of all your compositions. That's not only a good way to preserve your original stuff and copyright it (simplest way to do that is to send a CD-R copy via registered mail to yourself); you'll also find it easier to get people interested in your stuff.

10. Let people really hear the music! : Finally, don't forget that a song is only as good as the number of listeners it attracts. There've been loads of silly pop songs – Terry Jacks' Seasons In The Sun, Paper Lace's Billy Don't Be A Hero, Daniel Boone's Beautiful Sunday, to name a few – that have caught the public imagination for some inscrutable reason or another. So, try out everything you've done, including the stuff you deem unworthy of your talents, in front of any sympathetic audience you can find. You never know; you might just have the next Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, or God forbid, Oops!... I Did Again, in your hands!

RS / synthdude

snapcase227 · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:08 pm Post subject:

actually there's no need waiting for inspiration in composing a song. yup, i agree with u. actually it is the "keep on looking for inspiration attitudes" is needed n not waiting for the inspiration to come. composing songs need to be practise all the time.
thus, a composer needs to listen more n more music to come with ideas. dont listen to one type of music.meaning they should listen to all sorts of music which exist in this world. this is to avoid stereotype of songs. we dont want other people say all our songs seem to be alike.
hmmmm..... thats all. no more ideas....hehehehehehe.....

keep on praktis!!!!!!

-botaq lydias diery-

defoo · Joined: 24 Jun 2006 Articles: 0 Comments: 1 Location: KL

Yeah BotaQ!!! Very Happy

sta_painter · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 2:42 am Post subject:

I think the most important thing for an artist to really contribute with his art is to dig deeper into one's soul and feel the vibe of living in this much confusion world.A songwriter is no diff from other art counterpart.. they've seen life,walked thru' it,suffered it and does an imitation of it...not to forget a long life learning...(correct me if i'm wrong here] Smile

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We're not just a bunch of kids playin with our toys...we've been carrying other's misery and suffer...no matter what kind of tune you've been playin...the true amatuers[lovers] we are... Very Happy

'All arts are merely useless...' - Oscar Wilde

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++Sta Painter++