Welcome to this article about the very best songwriting tips for success as an artist.
As computer technology advanced and the widespread availability of the internet made the world smaller, record companies were faced with a terrible problem. Every type of music ever produced was becoming readily and increasingly available for free downloads.
Technically, this should have crumbled the entire music industry, but yet, we only see the economic activity in this industry increasing with each passing year. Nothing will stop the biggest hits from making money.
In fact, we have millions of super hit songs to listen to today but the question is how long will it be before the song industry will fade and the songwriting process will cease?
The answer to this question is never!
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Learn moreThis is because songwriting is more of an art than a profession and an artist seldom gets tired.
If you happen to be an artist as well and love to write great songs then have a look at these best songwriting tips.
But first, let’s find out a bit about the music industry.
The Music Industry Is Booming!
Though the music industry has always been doing really well, it has really been flourishing these recent years. Today, there is more music produced in a day than ever before.
More people are getting into this field and adopting it as their profession than ever before. More musicians are conducting tours, concerts, and releasing new albums and whatnot than ever before.
Looking at the ridiculous amount of money a successful musician makes today, it is safe to say that a career associated with this industry is going to be a really profitable one. In fact, the average songwriter is earning a base salary of $43000 a year!
Who wouldn’t want to have a piece of THAT cake?!
Creating New Music Is A Process - It Is Not As Easy As You Would Like To Think.
Whether you are writing songs to make some serious dough, to show off your creativity, or for any other reason that matters to you if you want to be regarded as a genius in your field, your songs should hold the ability to move people. That's where songwriting tips can come in handy.
As a great songwriter, you should know how to write music that will truly connect with your audience. It is the songs that the general public can relate to rather than the chord progressions (whilst also important) - or want to be able to relate to - that you will see topping the charts.
For this, songwriters need to be as original and unique as possible, and with the right songwriting tips you will be well on your way to penning your next hit.
However, with so much music being produced every day, it is hard to come up with an idea that has not already been released in some form or the other.
How can you then ensure the originality of your songs as a songwriter?
Then, how can you write lyrics that will be an instant hit with the world?
How do you create the banger that has got to play at every party, and how do you write the romantic piece that people want to start off their wedding with?
Equipped With The Right Songwriting Tips And Tricks To Craft Excellent Songs
In the following paragraphs, we will discuss the songwriting tips that are bound to work every time you want to create something new.
Though some of these incredible tips and tricks to create good music might appear very ridiculous at first glance, we guarantee you that following these is sure to get you all fired up and inspired with new ideas.
So, let’s dive right in and see how you can polish those rusty songwriting skills to create something that you are bound to be proud of! These are the tips that will help you write the most popular songs of the future.
1. Do Absolutely Nothing
Have you been worried about that deadline the record company gave you to write a new song? Is the time passing you by while you sit with empty sheets in front of you? Then worry no more! Just sit back, take a breath, and do absolutely nothing!
Though it might appear counter initiative to you and you may even think that you are wasting your time, it is important to realize that creating art is a performance. If you want it to be worthwhile, it just cannot be rushed. So take a moment to realign your brain, take on board these songwritingtips and let the worries of the world fade into the background.
A nice, long bath can also work wonders at this point. And then, when you feel like you have your mind back again, sit down and write out that banger! Alternatively, employing active listening can give you instant inspiration for exactly what you do (or don't) want to do.
2. Push Yourself To Ridiculous Limits
While taking regular breaks from writing works great at keeping your energy up, another great way to help you compose a masterpiece is by putting yourself in a challenging situation.
For some people, their best performance comes out when they have Pressure! Pushing down on me, pushing down on you (pun intended).
So go ahead and tell yourself that you have to be absolutely done with this song by the next half hour, and see how that works out for you. By the way, did you know that Guns N Roses managed to write 'Sweet Child O Mine' in under five minutes?!
3. Start From The Middle
Much of the time, it is figuring out the beginning of the song that is the most challenging and takes the most amount of time. In these situations, remind yourself of what the Arctic Monkeys said in their song 505 - ‘middle of an adventure, such a perfect place to start’.
When you simply cannot figure out how to write your next song, start from the middle. Come up with a melody that you like. Then, go around it and develop the hook of the song. Maybe start by figuring out a bridge first.
The actual lyrics of the song do not always have to be the skeleton that your song forms around - they can even be the last thing that you add to the song!
4. Promise Yourself A Reward After Every Successful Bout of Writing
Another thing that can boost your creativity while writing a song is rewarding yourself for the work you managed to get done. With every part of the song you manage to perfect, give yourself a treat. God knows that you deserve it.
Doing this not only keep your spirits up and gives you something to look forward to, but it also eliminates the times you just sit around, not really working out of sheer procrastination.
So, if you think you are not motivated enough to write the next song in your album, create your own motivation. Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys did it by bribing himself with cheeseburgers, and I do it with Twix bars. What’s your poison?
5. Let Your Imperfect Memory Recreate An Existing Song
Most times, you will be cursing your memory if you forgot something - for example, the answer to a problem during a test or where you kept your car keys and wallet last night.
But did you ever imagine that your imperfect memory could actually be a huge advantage sometimes?
If you are pressed for time and the contract you signed with your record company states that you absolutely must write 6 new songs by the end of the month, it can get a little overwhelming.
How do you force creativity out?
At times like these, you might just want to give up and write a song that you do not exactly like. But creating substandard music is definitely not something that you want to be known for, do you? This can really hurt your chances of being a successful songwriter in the future.
So, try to reproduce a song that you have not heard in a million years. Chances are, this will result in a song that is nowhere near like the one you had in mind when you start writing.
As long as the song sounds good and is ‘original’ enough, nobody even has to know what inspired it!
6. Do Not Be Afraid To Break The Rules
If you have learned to play an instrument from a teacher, you might have been told that there is a ‘right’ way to play it and a ‘wrong’ way.
However, it is important to know that there are no laws when it comes to creativity, or at least there should never be any! Even if these rules do exist, they are only meant to be broken, not followed!
So get out your favourite instrument and play it the way you want to, not the way you have been taught to. You are not in school anymore and this is not homework.
Make this a regular practice, and you will be surprised to discover the extent of your abilities. Use it as an inspiration to write beautiful music that comes from within.
The Final Word
Are you a professional singer-songwriter or aspire to be one someday? Then you must know that writer’s block is perfectly normal and a very common thing to happen.
All creative people seem to hit a roadblock at some time or the other in their life. For most of them, this is a very regular occurrence. Use the above songwriting tips when you feel that you just cannot write, and soon you will gather all those awards for the best-written music! Once you begin pulling ideas together, why not download some songwriting apps or look for a music producer to help you on your way, too?
Now Get Started!
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