You’ve probably heard the “starving artist” expression more than once in your life as a musician. And while there are plenty of stereotypes about songwriters and their financial struggles, unfortunately, many of those stereotypes are true. Songwriting isn’t always a lucrative profession, especially when you’re just starting out.

When a songwriter wants to write a song, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the words? The melody? The rhythm? A great songwriter knows that it is none of these things. It all comes down to the spirit of the song. The reason why the songwriter is writing the song in the first place. The purpose or meaning behind it. The message it communicates. The feeling it cultivates. What I hope to present to you today are 7 smart ways to integrate mindfulness into your songwriting.

Have you ever wondered what the difference between a hobbyist and a professional songwriter was?

It’s pretty obvious: the professional songwriter considers songwriting to be their profession. It’s their main source of income, and they simply see this activity as their job. They engage in it on a daily basis.

The hobbyist, on the other hand, writes when they get inspired. This is the kind of person with great musical talent, but with another main profession. They may have a job in any field and write a song whenever they feel like it.

As a songwriter you probably come up with ideas for songs quite often. These ideas float around in your head until you take the time to start writing. Going from the head to paper can sometimes be a challenge for many songwriters.

If you are confused on whether to start writing lyrics or music first, you are not alone. Many musicians are still struggling with this issue too. The thing is you can choose to write either of them or both at the same time. You can write your lyrics without any musicals or after composing the music. You have to select a strategy you feel suits you. You can also experiment with various approaches to know the challenges and advantages.

Poetry and songwriting are undoubtedly related. But, unlike what many think, songwriting does not come from poetry or vice versa. The difference between these two lies in the fact that the first is created mainly for reading, while the second for listening. All it takes is a little bit of poetry. When you learn to combine poetry and songwriting, you are one huge step towards creating a song no one’s able to get out of their head for a long, long time.

Music surrounds us every day – we hear it while driving the car, shopping in the mall, or eating in a restaurant. It has become a part of our everyday routine, and some of us can’t imagine an hour of our lifetime without a favorite song.
Music is something we aspire to. It’s something that communicates emotions rather than words. It motivates us to work, rest, cook, exercise. There’s a song for everything we do. It awakes right emotions, so that we can get more motivated.
And if you belong to that type of people, who like to sing about their emotions, you’re probably a potential songwriter. It may seem that if you have an ear for music and a poetic talent, it would be super easy for you to right a hit song.
But you’ll be surprised to find out that world’s top hit songs weren’t just an occasional alphabet soup put to music. They’ve all been created according to laws of songwriting.
So if you’re really into pursuing a dream of being a successful songwriter and want to improve your poetic and musical talents, here Discover the 7 basic laws for smart songwriting.

  1. The Law of Ubiquitous Inspiration
  2. The Law of Non-Linearity
  3. The Law of Organization
  4. The Law of Practice
  5. The Law of Retrospection
  6. The Law of Feedback
  7. The Law of Persistence

Songwriting News

  • Songwriting Giants Webb And Harnick Write New Books, While David Is The Subject Of A New Biography
  • A Sought-After Songwriter With A Powerful Pedigree Offers Her Best Tips On Finding Happiness
  • Mitchell Tenpenny Carries on Family Legacy With Songwriting , Debut EP
  • Songwriting workshop gives CPS students a ‘shameless’ voice
  • Carly Rae Jepsen keeps ego out of songwriting
  • A View From Lubbock: The poetic songwriting of alt-country pioneer Joe Ely
  • Arcade Fire’s Win Butler explains his ridiculous songwriting methods
  • A Conversation With Dan Wilson, the ‘Closing Time’ Singer Who’s Written Hits for All Your Favorite Female Pop Stars
  • Moby Reflects On ‘Last Night,’ Songwriting, “Everyday It’s 1989

Songwriting News for August 2017

Articles Include:

  • Teen songwriters in NYC compete for a recording session
  • Louis Tomlinson: ‘Songwriting helped me forge my musical identity
  • Clever Girls’ Diane Jean Talks Songwriting, Fronting A Band And Rock-And-Roll Sleepaway Camp
  • Zayn Malik Discusses His Next Album: ‘My Songwriting Definitely Developed
  • Zayn Reveals How His Second Album Is More ‘Organized’ Than Mind Of Mine
  • Jason Mraz Joins Hawai’i Songwriting Festival
  • UCLA alumna channels, overcomes struggles through songwriting, singing
  • Talvin Singh joins line-up for Pro7ect songwriting retreat
  • Songwriting 101: Dean Brody

What nobody tells you about songwriting? If you are an aspiring songwriter, you might have asked yourself this question. Are there some things that you should know before you thread this career? Is this path even worth pursuing for? Well, these queries surely need elucidation. After all, it would be bad to leave amateurs clueless and blindsided. 

It is a common sight that songwriters don’t get enough training to get them started. In fact, we could say that it is formal education regarding songwriting is a rare thing. You can only get it if you enroll in music schools. Of course, we have to emphasize that not all music academies will offer such course. 

Songwriting is not a simple stint. Just like playing guitar and other instruments, there are some complex fundamentals that you should learn about this musical path. We are not saying that it is a rather difficult career. But at the same time, you cannot just take it lightly at all. 

If you are serious about songwriting, then you should know that it is not all fun and games. You need to learn all the ropes so that you can get the hang of it. Later on, you will be able to make something out of this endeavor.

Having a knack for songwriting is a gift. Being able to share that gift with the people is a blessing. Most amateur songwriters join in a song-writing contest to be able to showcase their talent to the people. Well, it’s nice to have people listen to your song, but it would be better if you would win that contest and be given an opportunity to share your song to a wider market. What are the things to consider when joining a songwriting contest? Read on and keep this list in mind.

If you ever take time to analyze modern pop songs you will find that they have many element in common. Understanding these elements may increase your chance for success. Will it guarantee success? In life there are no guarantees. But, doing certain thing the right way will increase the odds in your favor.

In baseball there is a thing called the “sweet spot” That is a location on the bat that provide maximum performance from the bat. When the ball hits the sweet spot just right the result is usually a home run. Does the ball always contact the sweet spot? Of course not. But, the hitter practices and strives to make it happen. In song there are also certain “sweet spots”. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Think this information as a blueprint you can follow when you write or rewrite your songs. It may seem easy but you will soon find out that writing to these specs will be a tough job. Hitting these points in a song take skillful and innovative writing ability.

Songwriting is most definitely a skill. In time, you will come up with many of your own tricks, tools and guidelines. My “three rules of thumb” have proven to be my most valuable tools when it comes to the art of writing songs. Here they are!