How to Improve Songwriting Abilities
What songwriter doesn’t want to improve songwriting abilities? If you have a desire to write great songs it is vital that you improve your ability to write songs. Learning how to write great songs in not really that difficult to do. Learn what other great songwriters are doing and emulate what they do.That way you are not re-inventing the wheel. Listen and learn from successful songwriters and study what works. That is how you can improve songwriting abilities
Listen to what works
The first step that will help you write better songs is to listen to the radio or Internet music sites. Go to the Billboard Music Charts to discover what songs people like. Know what people like will give you ideas of what makes a successful song. It will give you a pulse of the current trends. This is especially true if you write songs in a specific genre.
As you listen, pay attention to certain aspects of the song. Get a notebook out and write down these elements. One of the first things you need to listen for is those things that are common in each song. Figure out what the song structure is. Examine what the tempo is of the song. Observe the chord progressions, write them down and create a database of chord progressions. Try to pick out the main hook of the song. Make a list of the topic or main idea of the song. As you start to listen at songs in this manner you will start to see very specific trends. Don’t dismiss these trends because that is what makes them popular.
Get Learning Resources
Understand that songwriting is a craft. You need to treat it as a craft if you are going to improve. Improvement requires a time investment. To be great at any skill the key to success is consistent daily practice. It may take years to reach the level of proficiency of the top songwriters. To get better you need tools and resources. Get a hold of songwriting books and songwriting software and absorb the knowledge. Do the exercises. The more you know the better you will become. Learn what works and make it a pattern for your writing.
Stay Current
It is important to stay current on these trends. It is good to have a pulse on society. Understanding what appeals to people can go a long way in the songwriting success. Popular topics will become seeds for your songs. These seeds can then be developed.
You will never find a novelist who does not constantly read. The same idea applies to songwriters. Remember songwriting is not difficult but it does take a lot of dedicated work to do extremely well. If you think that everything should come easy you are delusional. You need to work at it.
Be Motivated or Die
On top of skill it is important to have motivation. Without motivation you won’t have the drive required to be successful. While tools will help you improve, without the right motivation can only lead to failure. Good songwriting skills along with motivation will take you a long way.
Final Note: Improve Songwriting Abilities
Keep in mind that there are no secret formulas for writing a song. It takes knowledge, motivation and skill. Discipline will take you a long way to improve songwriting abilities. On top of that it can be fun! Through songwriting you can express your thoughts and ideas in a creative manner. I encourage you to get a hold of some Songwriting Resources to assist you on your songwriting journey.
These are all really great ideas for moving a song career forward. Staying current is so important in order to stay on top of music trends today.