How To Write Songs

Tag: how to write a song

  • Did You Know You’ve Been Writing Lyrics Backwards? Stop Now!

    Most beginners try to write their lyrics from the top down — first line, first verse, chorus later. It feels logical, right? Start at the beginning and work toward the end. But that’s actually one of the biggest reasons songs fizzle out halfway. When you start with the beginning, you’re guessing at what the song is about.…

  • Learn the Ultimate Method to Writing A Chorus

    You’ve probably heard it said — or even thought it yourself — that the chorus is simply the part where the lyrics repeat.But that’s not quite right. If the chorus was just the repeating part, that would be like saying your favorite TV show is “the bit where people talk to each other.” Technically true, but not remotely…

  • What’s the Most Crucial Melody Mistake Songwriters Make? Discover Now

    What’s the Most Crucial Melody Mistake Songwriters Make? Discover Now One might think that the biggest melody mistake songwriters make would be something that’s directly related to melody. For example, some might think it has to do with the repetitiveness of a melody. Meanwhile, others might think it has to do with the number of…

  • What’s Your Song’s Focus? Find Out with The Campfire Test!

    What’s Your Song’s Focus? Find Out with The Campfire Test! Imagine you’re sitting around a campfire with a bunch of your friends. The sun is setting, and someone hands you a guitar. As you go through your list of songs trying to choose something to play, you’re also asking yourself the question “Which one of…

  • Here’s 2 Simple Ways to Erase Music Theory Confusion Forever

    Here’s 2 Simple Ways to Erase Music Theory Confusion Forever If you’ve ever found music theory overwhelming, you’re not alone. Many songwriters feel frustrated —bogged down by dense terminology and abstract concepts that seem far removed from the creative process. But what if you could unlock a world of musical understanding with just two simple…

  • The Unexpected Secret Behind this Popular Song

    The Unexpected Secret Behind this Popular Song Many songwriters think that there are only a few traditional song forms which they can use to write with. However, the truth is that song form is modular – you can write a song arranged in any way you wish. To help you understand how to do this,…

  • Stuck? This One Change Made Me Write 20 Songs in a Year

    A few weeks ago, I asked some songwriters here what was stopping them from writing more.Here are just a few of the painfully familiar responses: “It’s not my job. Other things constantly get higher on my to-do list.”“When I finally have time, I’m too knackered to do anything decent.”“I have 10,000 lyric snippets… and 0…

  • Unlock Powerful Rhythms with These 12 Fingerpicking Patterns

    Unlock Powerful Rhythms with These 12 Fingerpicking Patterns If you’re a songwriter who uses guitar as your main instrument whilst songwriting, you may have run into the problem of not having enough rhythmic variation in your song. After all, strumming is great. However, when used too much, strumming quickly transforms from great to repetitive. We’ll…

  • Lacking Motivation? Here’s How to Reignite Your Passion for Songwriting

    Lacking Motivation? Here’s How to Reignite Your Passion for Songwriting For many songwriters, a big question they ask themselves on a daily basis is “Should I even write songs if no one hears my work?” This common dilemma can lead to self-doubt, perfectionism, and ultimately, creative burnout.  Inspired by the transformative ideas in the book…

  • How to Write a Song – 5 Simple Steps

    How to Write a Song – 5 Simple Steps Have you ever struggled to turn your lyrical or melodic ideas into a complete song?  Whether you’re an experienced musician or just starting out, finishing a song can be one of the biggest challenges in the creative process. In this post, we break down how to…

  • The Big Problem with Writing Melody First

    I recently got a message from one of the songwriters in our membership Community, Leigh Ann, who expressed a very common frustration: “I create melodies but get stuck with putting lyrics to them – or visa versa.” I get it. Finding the right words to a pre-written melody can feel awkward, and often feels like we…

  • When “Do What You Love” Fails You

    One question I’ve been asking songwriters who feel stuck is “what gets in the way of you writing regularly?” Of the hundreds of responses I’ve gotten in the past few months, there is a persistent theme. Recognise any of these in your life? “I have a full time job, and take care of my family, home,…

  • Mistakes Songwriters Make About Pitching Songs to TV

    When I was 24, I took a song of mine, ‘Waiting for the Avalanche,’ to a music industry conference— specifically a panel of music supervisors (the people responsible for sourcing and securing the rights to use songs in film and tv). I got the chance to play them this song. One of them said the…

  • A Songwriter’s Main Struggle and How to Fix It

    Every songwriter has 2 main struggles: Struggle #1: To consistently make work you are proud of. Struggle #2: To have lots of people listen to and love your work. One of these is something we have immediate control over (hint, it’s #1!). Let’s look at the one we do have control over right now: consistently…

  • Fast Track to Better Lyrics with One Easy Exercise

    In this article, I’m going to take you through a powerful lyric writing exercise, to show you that you can radically improve your lyrics if you have the following: Good lyric writing isn’t just for those struck by the lightning of the lyric-writing gods. It’s available to everyone. A Quick Story When I was 17,…

  • 5 Practical Tips For Beginner Songwriters To Embrace

    5 Practical Tips For Beginner Songwriters To Embrace Over the years, a common question we’ve been asked by budding songwriters is “What are some of your top tips for beginners?”. In this article, we aim to answer that question with 5 practical, and actionable tips that we wish we knew when we started out. This…

  • 5 Strategies to Ensure You’ll Never Have Another Unfinished Song

    5 Strategies to Ensure You’ll Never Have Another Unfinished Song If you’ve ever been stumped when trying to finish a song, understand that you’re not alone. You may feel that it’s because of a lack of inspiration. However, inspiration is only one part of the equation when it comes to finishing songs. In this article,…

  • The Secrets to Noel Gallagher’s Songwriting Success

    The Secrets to Noel Gallagher’s Songwriting Success Known to many as the primary songwriter, guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of British Rock band Oasis,  it’s undeniable that Noel Gallagher is one of the most prolific songwriters of his generation. As songwriters ourselves, it’s important that we take a step back to figure out the thought process…

  • 5 Steps to Turn a Good Song Great

    5 Steps to Turn a Good Song Great We previously wrote a first draft of a song in this video “How to Write a Great Song in Under an Hour”. In this article, we go through the steps we’ve taken in order to turn that song draft into a great song! It’s to be noted…

  • Analysing Sting’s Songwriting Process

    Analysing Sting’s Songwriting Process Studying the songwriting process of established songwriters is a great way to get an insight into other ways of thinking artistically. This in turn broadens our pool of creative knowledge to draw from. In this article, we take a close look at 17-time Grammy Award Winner Sting and discover some of…

Weekend Songwriting Intensive - January 4-5

Ignite 2025 with an immersive weekend of songwriting, led by Keppie and Benny.