Free Songwriting Tips (Rambling Method):
A website visitor, Darren of Elk Creek, United States writes:
One technique that I find very helpful is to create what I call “ramblings”. These are basically just brainstorms of catchy phrases or sentences that you would like to put into a song.
I write most of mine right before I go to bed at night, since it is the most serene and private time of day when I can catch my thoughts in private without worry of distraction. I write everything down on the same sheet of paper with no organization to it whatsoever. Organizing thoughts interferes with my creative energy.
When I write a piece of music and have the basic musical skeleton to a song written, I read these “ramblings” and find pieces that fit together lyrically. Since they were written within the same week/day (most of the time), the subject matter will not vary too much between each sentence or phrase therefore creating a flow of order. It also allows for each line in the song to be extra creative and catchy, which is always a plus.
You can also go back and look at older “ramblings” if you get stuck on a song in the future (since it is rare that you will ever put every line of a rambling into one single song).
(Free songwriting tips – Sting (Police) & Jason Blume)
Another hurdle that can get in our way is writer’s block. Even when you use the “rambling method” explained above, it will still strike at any time and can bethe most aggrovating thing to ever cross a writer.
First of all, I listen to music that I would not normally listen to. Since I am primarily a heavy metal/hardcore musician, I listen to stuff like jazz and bluegrass. This helps clear my head of all of the stuff that I’m used to hearing, and in some cases can even birth new song ideas. I usually try to listen to it for about a week or so before I attempt writing again.
Try this out the next time you are blocked and see if it works for you.
J Funk from Adelaide, Australia writes: Don’t think… Clear your mind and try not to think of anything or pretend you’re being possesed or zombified (ya know the whole mindless thing), put your pen to paper and Bob C. Cock’s yer Uncle! Lyrics! Works for me. May not always be efficiant but you can sometimes pick up some good stuff. Could turn out to be Gold Jerry, Gold!
Free Songwriting Tips Submitted by Songwriters
Nick from CHI, United States writes: To do research on the subject that you are talking about, get a few movies or books and once you know enough, write about it. Ok. Good luck.
Anita from White Plains, USA writes: It really helps to have friends or someone else who can play the same instrument as you. Sometimes if you write a complicated melody, it’s hard to write words to it without recording and playing it back. But it changes the dynamic as playing and singing together allows for intervals and pauses to be made. I love to have a friend who plays guitar around so I can teach them my chord progression and we can play together and if i get an idea, I can jot it down while they keep playing. It also really helps to layer melodies with variated chord progressions, much better in real time. Also really helps to have friends who understand their own musical strengths, certain people are better lyricists than musicians and vice versa but if both come together, then you have an unbeatable meld of lyrics and melody.
Robert from Houston, USA writes: Songs about gaining love or losing it are very personal and let listeners understand what you’re going through. Let them know how your heart sings or aches. If you can have the listeners cry tears of joy or pain with you, then you’ve got a hit!
Free Songwriting Tips Submitted by Songwriters
Kieran from Edinburgh, United Kingdom writes: How about improvising first, singing things that come off the top off your head, and seeing whether you sing anything that sounds remotely good. Write it down. It’s helped me and my band out many a time.
RJ from Canada writes: Think about a title you want then take it from there. Basically, the song has to be about the title you have for the song you’re suppose to be writing. You can’t just write an entire song for example “I’ve waited all my life for a moment like this to meet a girl like you” which focuses on the girl through out the entire song then all of a sudden name the song for example “My golf clubs” exaggeration but it should be named something like “The Girl of my dreams” or similar. You get my point.
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