The digital age of music has made it that much harder to succeed as a songwriter in the music industry. People have unlimited access to music of all genres from all corners of the world. For song writers, the competition is intense!
So how do you make it in the dog eat dog world of music? You pen songs that pack a punch! Work on your songwriting skills until people struggle to find flaws in it.
Use the following tips to help you write and hone your songwriting skills:
Find inspiration
Who’re your favorite songwriters and lyricists? What is about their work that you like? Your favorite songwriters/lyricists can serve as inspiration so it helps to study their songs and identify common themes and trends that can be used in your own songs.
Give some thought to what it is about their songs that you connect with; you may want to draw out similar emotions when you write.
Do covers
People wonder why established artists still spend time covering existing song when they have songs of their own. There’s an art to performing covers. It’s your opportunity to give your creative spin to a song by another artist. The challenge is to develop a cover that has is just as good, if not better than the original.
Again, doing covers allows you to uncover common characteristics and themes of these songs. By learning a new cover every week, you’ll get the hang of interpreting lyrics and making the song your own.
Write a song every week
Force yourself to write a song every week. At the beginning you’re songs may seem similar and the themes may seem redundant but with time you’ll find yourself brainstorming ideas different topics. After a few months of writing songs every week, you’ll notice that inspiration comes a lot more easily and it’ll be simpler to string words together to create a song that you’re proud of.
Explore songwriting circles
Even the world’s greatest artists ask others for input before they finalise a song. Each artist has their distinct approach to songwriting. Collaborating with others is a fantastic way to learn new techniques and strategies that enhance your skills.
Don’t know people around you that are interested in songwriting? Join a songwriting circle! You’ll find plenty of songwriting circles out there that allow you to connect with other aspiring songwriters.
Master the basics
You may have a way with words but that doesn’t mean you have what it takes to be a good songwriter. Writing into a notebook is very different to singing those words with music. To make a powerful song, the lyrics need to be complemented with a great melody and that can’t happen unless you know the basics of music.
Even as a songwriter, you need to know the principles of song form. This includes the structure, melody, chord and harmonies. Only then will you be able to make the necessary tweaks that turn your song from bland to beautiful.
If you don’t already know how to play an instrument then learn to play either the guitar or piano so you have an idea of how chords work. You can save more time and energy by using music notation software instead of learning how to play an instrument.
Music Jotter’s music notation software has a user-friendly interface and comes with a handy manual that explains all its features. Our goal is inspire beginners and serious hobbyists to create and share music online. Download the demo for free to get a closer look at the software and make your purchase today!
