YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR USEFUL SONGWRITING STUFF
Read the 30-Minute Songwriting Session technique I showed you in the previous post to get familiar with this quick, effective approach to writing songs.
Set your timer for 30 minutes, and then follow these ideas for a series of writing workouts that will get your next song started and well on its way to being finished.
Songwriters, do you find yourself sitting on the couch watching TV when you should be writing? Does it seem like too much effort to workout in your home studio? Haven’t got the time to lift your guitar, do a few reps on the piano, or stretch those vocal cords at the mic?
Well, I’ve got the perfect life hack for you!
In just 30 MINUTES A DAY you can have the creative muscles you’ve always wanted. Wishing won’t make it happen. But if you’ve got a half hour a day to dedicate to your creative life, you can get your songwriting in the best shape ever!
Have you ever started reading a novel or watching a movie and instantly found the characters so intriguing that you couldn’t stop? While we wouldn’t dream of reading a novel that didn’t have interesting characters in it, we don’t often think about the characters in our songs. Yet a character is often the first thing that a listener reacts to. Do they like your characters? Identify with a character? If so, they’ll stick around and listen to your song, maybe more than once.
So let’s take a deeper look at how you can create characters that capture the listener’s interest.
Setting goals can shift your songwriting into high gear and help you achieve your dreams. But it’s important to choose your goals carefully.
Pick goals that are achievable. Make sure they’re something you have control over. Avoid vague goals like “I’m going to write a hit song.” Instead, make them specific, break them down into small steps and create a timeline.
Don’t try to do too much – that’s a set up for failure. Instead, pick three or four things you really want to accomplish. Write them down then keep that list where you can see it.
Here are four goals that can get you started.
Here’s a list of hugely successful holiday songs. Every one has something offer to today’s songwriters as examples of great song craft. I’ve included links to YouTube where you can hear each song along with a short note on songwriting techniques to listen for—structure, lyric imagery/action words, melody style, and production.
