Songwriting is an artform, and no two people will do it the same way. Some people are naturally great songwriters and come out with hit after hit, while others may take a little bit of work to get to the same level. If you’re struggling to write songs that you think are amazing, use these songwriting tips. They come straight from celebs themselves, so you know they’re going to be good!
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- Know Who You’re Writing For
Think of the person you’re writing for. Is it a lover? A friend? An animal? The world? It could be anyone or anything, but you need to know who it is so you know exactly what to say.
- Write a Letter
Think of your song as like an open letter to them. Say things that you wish you’d have said to them at the time. Things you did say. What you wanted to do etc. The letter isn’t the song; the letter will help you to write the song.
- Be Honest
The more honest you are, the better. If you want people to listen to your songs, they like honesty. Don’t be afraid to include some things that you might not want people to know about…you can always say you made it up for the purpose of songwriting!
- Include Details
This one comes from Taylor Swift; include details. If you’re writing about a relationship, for example, include an inside joke. Your listeners don’t need to understand the inside joke, so don’t worry about that. They’ll still relate to the song because they’ve likely had inside jokes with people too.
- Take Your Time
Don’t worry if writing your song takes longer than expected, says Tiffany Alvord. Some people can whip up a song in a matter of minutes, others hours, others days. It can be a long, tiresome process. However, it’ll always be worth it in the end when you’re left with the finished product!
- Do it Every Day
Like getting fit or learning a language, songwriting should be done every day. This way, you’ll hone your skills much better. You’ll find that the songs you write get better and better as you go on. Exercise your songwriting skill and you’ll improve massively. Even if you have to have shorter sessions more frequently, you’ll improve more than if you were to sit for one day a week and write for hours. It helps to keep things fresh in your mind.
- Mix Things Up
The legend that is David Bowie likes to mix things up with his songwriting. He says he likes to think of a few different topics, and writes a bit about each. He then condenses each topic, mixes things up, and makes a song out of it. He says he repeats this process for as long as it takes to make a decent song.
You might even find your own unique way to put songs together after reading these tips. Remember, your songs don’t always have to seem like they make sense. Just have fun with it!
