YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR USEFUL SONGWRITING STUFF
I was watching a home renovation show recently. You know… one of those reality TV shows where a couple of energetic, muscular types swing a hammer and—Voila!— they turn a moldy-smelling shack into a sleek duplex complete with landscaping. And I thought to myself: What if we could renovate an older song like that? Give it a fresh coat of paint and plenty of current listener appeal.
Unlike radio hits that burst on the scene then fade away, holiday songs have a long, long lifespan. Every major artist records at least one album of holiday songs. Plus there’s an avalanche of holiday movies and TV shows that need these songs, too. Sure they include the classics that everyone knows and loves, but they need to sprinkle in a few potential new holiday hits, too.
I know I give you a lot of advice and sometimes you probably wonder if I know what I’m talking about. (Hey, I wonder the same thing about other people all the time.)
So, in this post, I thought I’d give you songwriting advice that comes straight from the mouths of songwriters and artists with incredibly successful, long-running, world-wide fame and success. I won’t include their bios or track records because you already know who they are. So, here are “7 Habits of Successful Songwriters” straight from the source!
Your songwriting process is the way in which you approach creating lyrics, melody, and chords. Maybe you’re a lyrics-first person. Or maybe you grab your guitar and come up with a groove and chords first. Here’s how a couple of successful songwriters approach their own songwriting.
Paul Simon
“I work with my guitar and a legal pad…. I get going fairly early in the morning, because my mind is sharp, and start by dating the pad and putting down personal comments, such as how I am feeling that day, so that it becomes a diary of sorts. … The first page might have all sorts of lines that will never be used, but as I turn the pages, a little thought might come forward and suggest potential for development.” (Making Music, book by George Martin)
Annnnnd there’s the kick-off! The ball is in motion. The players explode into action. The fans are on their feet. It’s the moment they’ve all been waiting for! That’s the power of the kick off.
Now think about launching a verse or chorus with that kind of energy!
A kick-off line can add a big shot of excitement to any section of your song. It can be the attention-grabbing opening of Verse 1. It can be the boost that gives your chorus a chance to really soar.
An effective kick-off line is a combination of strong melody and lyric writing. So, let’s check out some examples from a few big, contemporary hit songs to see how it’s done.
Probably every songwriter reading this would answer: WRITE! We all want to spend as much time as we can writing our songs: moving lyrics and melody forward, getting them finished, and starting new ones. Writing feels productive. It feels like you’re accomplishing something.
But listening to songs is just… well, it’s just something you enjoy, something you do when you’re driving, or studying. In other words, something you do while you’re actually doing something else.
But what if I said that listening to songs is as important to your success as writing songs? What if I told you that you should spend as much time listening as you do writing?
