Habits… we all have them. A habit is simply a ‘usual way of doing things’. Good habits, like exercising or flossing, can be help you improve your life. Bad habits—well, they can undo all the good habits and then some.
As in life, so in songwriting. There are good songwriting habits that can help you write better and faster. And there are bad habits that can cause you to write the same unsuccessful song over and over.
WHERE DID YOUR SONGWRITING HABITS COME FROM?
Generally, your songwriting habits are formed by the songs you heard in your teens and early twenties (from age 12 to 22). Research has shown that we recall our experiences from those years more vividly and more easily than those that occur later in life. It’s called the reminiscence bump.
During our teens, music and songs play an outsized role in our lives. They help us express our emotions, establish our identity, and relate to others. The reminiscence bump ensures that we’ll remember those feelings and experiences and the songs we closely associated with them. So we shouldn’t be surprised that the melody, lyric, and chord styles of our teens pop up when we sit down to write songs about similar emotions or experiences now.
Chances are, those styles have established themselves as the habitual way you musically express your thoughts and feelings. Unless you make an effort to change that, they will become songwriting habits.
ARE YOUR HABITS WORKING… OR NOT WORKING?
Not working…
When you rely on a small number of unconscious habits, all your songs may start to sound the same. You can begin to feel stale and uncreative.
Working…
A new skill can become a habit with practice. Even one new habit can add a fresh, exciting sound to your songs.
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Not working…
If your habits are built on older songs, your songwriting will tend to sound dated.
Working…
I’m not suggesting that you turn your back on the great songs you grew up with, but you can blend those old habits with new ones based on fresh, contemporary songwriting.
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Not working…
Because a familiar songwriting habit occurs to you first, you might mistake it for your “authentic voice.” (“I always write melodies like that, so it must be the real me.”) But just because you habitually brush your teeth the same way every day, doesn’t it make it “authentic” tooth brushing.
Working…
Acquiring songwriting skills and turning them into new habits can add more choices to your writing. The more choices you make, the more opportunities you have to create an authentic voice.
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Not Working…
Bad songwriting habits can be time wasters. Doing something the same way you’ve always done it may not be efficient or effective.
Working…
Good work habits aim to make the most of the time you have available to write. For example, get in the habit of keeping song playlists, lists of titles and opening lines, melody phrases, and chord progressions so you can start writing as soon as you sit down.
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Not working…
When you repeat worn-out habits that are no longer working for you, you give your Inner Critic permission to rip your self-confidence to shreds.
Working…
Good habits can help you turn off your Inner Critic and get your confidence back.
Don’t let a small number of old, unconscious habits write your songs. You need some new habits!!!
THE CURE FOR OLD, TIRED SONGWRITING HABITS
It might surprise you to hear that I’m not going to suggest tossing out your old songwriting habits. In fact, I’m going to suggest that you keep the old ones and add more habits. I want you to create new habits that will give you more choices when you are writing. New habits will help you stay inspired and keep your songwriting fresh.
YOUR BRAIN CAN HELP YOU CREATE NEW HABITS
Dr. Susan Hillier, professor of neuroscience at the Univ. of South Australia, compares a new habit to a shallow, new river bed where water can flow unpredictably in many channels. She points out that practice will deepen the channel in your brain, embedding the new habit.
Studies have suggested that it takes 30 to 60 repetitions for your brain to create a new habit. Now, we’re not trying to create the kind of habit that replaces all your other habits. We just want to add a new choice that will show up spontaneously when we need one. So I vote for the lower number—30 reps.
LET’S GO CREATE A NEW HABIT
If you want to write rhythmically interesting melodies…
- Choose a recent successful song in a style you want to write in.
- Choose an interesting melody line or section from the song and sing along with it.
- Without playing the song, use a metronome or clap your hands to keep time while singing the melody 3 times.
- When you feel comfortable doing that, try keeping the rhythm of the melody while changing the note pitches. Repeat 3 times.
TIP: You’re not trying to copy the melody. You want to acquire the feel of a rhythmical melody line. That’s why you sing variations of it.
Repeat steps 3 and 4. Do that a total of five times for a grand total of 30 reps. Repeat the exercise as often as you like. At least once a week, choose another song and repeat the exercise. Soon, you should start to see new melody choices showing up in your own songs.
If you want to write lyrics with more language choices…
- Choose a recent successful song in a style you want to write in.
- Select a verse or chorus and sing along with it.
- Replace one or more words with new ones you like and sing 3 times.
- Choose another section of the song and replace as many words as you want. Sing it 3 times.
TIP: Try replacing action words with other action words. Replace a physical sense with a different one. (Swap seeing for hearing or tasting.) Replace one pronoun (I, you, we) with another.
Repeat steps 3 and 4. Do that a total of five times for a grand total of 30 reps. Repeat the exercise as often as you like. At least once a week, choose another song and repeat the exercise. Soon, it should become easier to make new lyric choices in your own songs.
TRY IT NOW
To do the exercises I just described, it will be helpful to have a playlist of successful songs you like and want to work with. That way you’ll avoid spending most of your 30 minutes looking for a song to use.
Where to find new songs and artists to listen to.
OLD HABITS CAN FIGHT BACK
Some old habits jealously guard their territory. If you’ve gotten used to doing things by habit, they can make it awkward or uncomfortable to try something new. There are times when you might have to fight the urge to revert to the old, familiar way of doing things. In that case, you may need to make a conscious effort to change. Take the pressure off by reminding yourself that you’re not giving up an old habit, just adding a new one. If you don’t like the result, you don’t have to keep it.