Let’s forget about all the technique that goes into lyric writing and let’s look at why you like creating amazing lyrics in the first place. Professional songwriters know that lyric writing is all about what works for you creatively and not so much about the technical things. Lyric writing can present problems in many different ways and technique will help you move past these problems really easily, but just going with what feels right for you is the key to good songwriting.
Writer’s block is most likely the worst enemy of all songwriters. However, there is something worse. When you see inspiration flowing and ideas being born, you want to capture and record them all. Today I want to share 7 ways to never forget your next song. Here are some of the best tactics for capturing your inspired lyrics
In this process, you will most likely forget most and let your inspiration go to waste. The moment you have a burst of creativity, you should reign it and leverage it.
Thankfully, there is a myriad of tools and methods at your disposal. In this piece, we’ve decided to tackle the problem of forgotten lyrics. With these seven simple tips, you will always have access to your future hits. Let’s see how can you utilize your burst of inspiration. (more…)
7 Best Tactics for Capturing Your Inspired Lyrics was last modified: November 21st, 2018 by Serena Dorf
Sometimes a song overheard on the radio or TV can be quite catchy and can stick to one for a long time. Such songs, or ‘earworms’ as they are usually referred to, can cause a lot of trouble simply by humming its own tune in one’s ear for days, or even weeks. For this, there are certain ways of how to get rid of them or calm them down in order to restore the peace of mind. (more…)
How to Get an Earworm Song Out of Your Head was last modified: September 22nd, 2020 by Erica Fleming
Writing songs is a creative act. Here are some valuable lyric writing tips you can use when writing songs. As with most creative activities it does require a certain level of skill. In order to write better songs there are certain thing you can do to improve your skill. To improve your skill can try some of these exercises. (more…)
Lyric Writing Tips – Exercises to Improve Your Songwriting was last modified: August 1st, 2018 by John Pape
Every new songwriter can feel uninspired and lost at the beginning of this journey. The sole idea of having a blank page you need to fill with fine lyrics is overwhelming. As Peter Braxton, songwriter and an expert at a thesis writing service says: ‘The hard thing is to start the song. When you have an excellent beginning, the rest will just come rushing to you’. Here are 7 tips to help you begin writing songs.
Writing a song isn’t half as hard as it seems. There is basically no limitation or wrong answer as to how you should begin or which idea you have to pursue. The only forbidden thing is copying other people’s songs. In fact, if you ask any songwriter how they came up with the beginning of their song, they will all struggle to explain their start. (more…)
Songwriting: 7 Tips How to Begin Writing Songs was last modified: August 16th, 2018 by Joseph McLean
I really appreciate the chance to answer readers questions. One think I believe is helpful is many questions are never asked. Since that never are asked there is no opportunity to answer them. That is why I like reader questions. Many times the question asked could be the one that will help you with your songwriting efforts.
There are several ways to start writing lyrics. I will do my best to explore each one. Hopefully it will inspire you to write many songs. (more…)
What is the best way to start writing lyrics? was last modified: July 27th, 2018 by John Pape
Here is a question from a songwriter regard how to begin songs.
Do you need to have music before you can write the lyrics or do you work the music around the lyrics?
This is one of the most common questions beginning songwriters ask. Keep in mind that songwriting is a unique craft that bring words and music into unison. Words are matched up with a melody to create a song.
The short answer is you can begin either way. You can begin with the lyrics or begin with the melody. Every songwriter has a preference. There is no right or wrong answer in regards to how to begin songs. Regardless of how you begin songs the most important is to get started. (more…)
What is the Best Way to Begin songs? was last modified: July 27th, 2018 by John Pape
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. According to Writer’s digest, all the remaining differences are consequences of this difference.
Tools make things easier. That is why lyric writing tools are so important in the song creation process. Imagine trying to drive a nail into a board with your fist. Not only would it be painful, it would not do the job properly. Now imagine driving that same nail using a hammer. It is so much easier to accomplish the task using the correct tool. As a songwriter you need lyric writing tools.
Having the proper tools is vital to the songwriting process. Taking the nail example, imagine again driving the nail into the board. Except this time use a screwdriver. Obviously the screwdriver is ineffective in driving the nail. The same thing is true with lyric writing tools. It is important to use the right tool. (more…)
Lyric Writing Tools You Should Add to Your Songwriting Toolbox was last modified: December 19th, 2019 by John Pape
The most powerful part of any song is its chorus. A chorus can be in your face or it can be subtle. A poorly written chorus will get lost in the overall song.Therefore it is important to craft a great chorus that stand out in the song you are writing. Here are some ideas on how to write a great song chorus.
1. Bookend the Hook
You need a hook in your chorus. To make it more memorable, place the hook and the start and end of the chorus. This technique is called “book ending”. “Book ending” provides the listener repeated exposure to the main hook. In turn, they have a clear understanding of the key idea of the song. (more…)
9 Simple Tips Teach You How to Write a Great Song Chorus was last modified: January 6th, 2020 by John Pape
Song lyrics must communicate. Making some of the song lyric mistakes presented here will hinder the ability for a song to communicate. These mistakes will confuse the listener. When the listener is confused they will lose interest in a song. A loss of interest is fatal to a song’s ability to be successful. Here are five common song lyric mistakes to avoid when writing song lyrics.
1. Avoid Grammar Mistakes
Songwriting is the art of using words to communicate a story. Having song lyrics with proper grammar is important for communicating the story. It is not exempt from the basic rules of grammar. Grammar rules are important. Using grammar correctly will help present the song’s story the best way possible. Some mistakes that can happen include these items. The use of pronouns needs to be consistent in the lyric. Don’t move from “I” to “we” if the story is first person.
Another problem is verb tense. If your verse is in the present time don’t use past tense verbs. The next grammar mistake is using sentence fragments. Keep in mind that a sentence has a subject and verb. A prepositional phase is not a sentence, it’s a fragment. These are some of the common grammar mistake that a songwriter needs to avoid when writing lyrics. (more…)
Top 5 Common Song Lyric Mistakes To Avoid Right Now was last modified: January 6th, 2020 by John Pape
Songwriters write songs because they have something to say. A songwriter is also an artist. When a collection of songs are written, that collection becomes what is known as the artist voice. When writing songs it is important to have your own unique voice.
Be Original
One important aspect of developing your own unique voice is to be original. There are many ways an artist can be original. To start out you can take an existing concept and think of it in a new way. Take a fresh perspective on this concept and develop it into something different. To do this you need to be inventive. Using things in novel ways will also help you be more original. This transition will build your creative chops. (more…)
When Songwriting Lyrics Unique Voice is Important was last modified: January 6th, 2020 by John Pape
One fundamental part of a song is its rhyme patterns. This poetic device helps provide appeal to the song’s lyric. Lyrics are written according to certain patterns. These patterns are fairly predictable. That is because rhymes work in a manner that the listener expects to hear.
Do all lines in a song lyric need to rhyme? Not necessarily. With songwriting there is a unique balance between predictability and surprise. If there is too much predictability, then the song can sound trite, boring or uninspiring. On the other end of the spectrum, a song with too many surprises will lend itself to confusion and chaos.
When writing songs, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. You can begin with structures that are proven and work within that framework. As a jumping point for writing a song you can start with some common rhyme schemes. Most song verses will have 4 to 6 lines. (more…)
Rhyme Patterns and Types Used in Songwriting was last modified: January 6th, 2020 by John Pape
Originality is key to getting your sound known. In many cases, an original sound may be more important than technical talent. It sticks in the audiences’ head so they can later more readily recall you. Think about all the copycat bands you hear on the radio. Do you really remember their names? There are songs today getting major airplay that we have heard often but thought the band was another band that happened to sound the same. Influences should be a source of inspiration rather than a mold.