Make your songs as easy for your potential listeners as possible.
I am making some assumptions here but as songwriters, one of our major goals with our writing is that we want more people like what we do and listen to our songs than not.
I came across an article by Sheena Metal which outlines some of the barriers that songwriters put up and how you can remove them from your audiences way.
Songwriting Tip - Don't Put Up Listening Barriers For Your Audience
August 01, 2007Songwriting Tips - General Lyrical Advice
July 29, 2007Sometimes it's nice to know you're on the right track
I came across a simple article by Jason Bridges called "Lyrics and Songwriting Ideas" which outlines some general principles to writing lyrics.
When I was reading this I realised that what he was saying reflected my opinions as well. It's good to know that great minds think alike ;)
Songwriting Tip - 10 Songwriting Myths Busted!!
March 30, 2007There is a lot of songwriting mis-information out there, choose your info wisely.
I happened to come across an article by Andrew Hacker of ARTS Recording Studio in Newcastle NSW called "10 Songwriting Myths Busted". It certainly breaks open a lot of the misconceptions about songwriting and what the related process is really about.
Here it is for you to read and judge for yourself...
Songwriting Tip - Ways To Share Your Songwriting With A Day Job
March 05, 2007You can be a songwriter and have a day job at the same time and still remain sane.
Here is an article outlining some hollistic time management tips for artists from Linda Dessau of Genuine Coaching, an organisation that helps artists (including songwriters) enhance their creativity.
I wish I had this information when I was working day jobs to supplement my musical income...
Songwriting Tip - Join A Songwriting Forum
January 29, 2007Get in where the action is - Join a Songwriting Forum (or two).
When I came across an article titled "Join A Songwriting Forum - It's A Good Idea!" by Kathy Unruh of www.abclearnguitar.com I found yet another way of starting your songwriting right for 2007.
Here is the full article for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.
Songwriting Tip - Start Your Songwriting In 2007 Right
January 21, 2007It's up to you to make 2007 a great year for your songwriting
I'm not going to tell you how to set goals or how to keep those new years resolutions that you made for yourself however, I do have some suggestions that could make 2007 your best songwriting year yet.
Songwriting Tip - Write Your Songs With The Listener In Mind
October 05, 2006Always remember, without a listening audience the music industry wouldn't exist.
Why are some songs embraced by the general public and some are not? Does it have anything to do with talent? Or how much money is thrown at it? Or the production values? Maybe.
However, I think the main reason that a song gets embraced by the general public is that the songwriter wrote that particular song with the listener in mind.
Songwriting Tip - Organizing Your Songwriting Ideas
September 19, 2006Organization is one of the main keys to a successful and productive songwriting process.
It's no good having a system that successfully pulls songwriting ideas from the creative ether and onto paper without the ability to store the completed creations in a way that makes them easily accessable to you.
If you are looking for a better way to organize your finished songs here are some suggestions for you.
Songwriting Tip - Falling Off The Wagon
July 31, 2006Setbacks are part of life so you might as well get used to it.
For the past few weeks I have not been the productive singer/songwriter that I normally am. It has been a while since I have written a song.
Here's how I got myself back onto the wagon again. By just writing...
Songwriting Tip - Turning Lemons Into Lemonade
April 02, 2006Absence makes the heart grow fonder
This is a great example of turning a bad situation into a wonderful songwriting situation. Necessity is definitely the mother of invention.
Songwriting Tip - Make 2006 A Year To Remember
January 01, 2006A happy new year to all!!! :)
Well, it's that time again. It's the start of another year and for me that means revisiting my new years resolutions and goals and promising myself that maybe this year I am going to stick to my guns.
Songwriting Tip - One Song, One Idea
November 07, 2005The average length of a song is about three and a half minutes - use it wisely!!
As a judge of songwriting competitions I see and hear this all the time. You are settling into a song and then 'whammo' the whole story changes or yet another subplot has been introduced.
All I ask is 'why?'
Songwriting Tip - Have Fun With The Muse
October 12, 2005Having fun is half the fun.
I reckon that songwriting is not meant to be that hard. I mean, if you are at peace with your inner voice and you are not afraid to be playful with your creative urges you can actually have fun and write a song at the same time.
Songwriting Tip - Eliminating Cliches From Your Songs
July 22, 2005"The language of today will always become the cliches of tomorrow" - anon
I was doing some research on cliches and discovered how deep rooted they are in our everyday language. With this being the case I pose the question.
'Is it possible to completely erradicate cliches from songwriting?' Yes, I believe that there is a way......
Songwriting Tip - Learn The 'Rules' Then Break Them
May 19, 2005"Do not fear mistakes, there are none" - Miles Davis
I found a good little article called 'Rule #1 - There Are NO Rules' written by Canadian songwriter Irene Jackson on her fantastic website. It stuck out for me because this very topic has popped up in my mind of late.....
