How To Write Songs

Tag: lyric writing

  • 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.…

  • Here’s the Solution to the Enormous Lie Beginner Songwriters Believe

    “Lyrics or music?”…Wrong question. If you’ve ever asked, “Should I start with lyrics or music?” you’ve bumped into the biggest beginner lie: that there’s a single right way to start a song—and a bunch of wrong ones that will “ruin” your idea. Today’s tutorial flips that. You’ll see how experienced writers actually begin: not with fear of doing…

  • Here’s How to Write Breathtaking Lyrics

    Here’s How to Write Breathtaking Lyrics  Every songwriter dreams of writing lyrics that resonate, tell compelling stories, and evoke deep emotions. Yet, even the most seasoned lyricists sometimes find themselves struggling to squeeze their story into a song. This often results in them overloading their song with multiple perspectives, thus muddling the clarity of their…

  • Uncovering Songwriting Techniques with Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”

    Uncovering Songwriting Techniques with Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” Joni Mitchell is a songwriting legend whose techniques continue to inspire musicians and lyricists around the world. In this article, we break down one of her biggest hits—“Both Sides Now”—to reveal six signature songwriting moves that you can incorporate into your own creative process. This article…

  • Make Your Songs Twice As Good with Power Positions

    Make Your Songs Twice As Good with Power Positions Every songwriter dreams of creating lyrics that not only tell a story but also resonate emotionally with the listener. What if a simple concept could take your lyrics to the next level, and make them unforgettable?  In this article, we’ll dive deep into the concept of…

  • Write Stunning Lyrics And Melody With This Remarkable Technique

    One of the hardest technical and creative challenges for songwriters is creating a natural relationship between lyrics and melody. In our tutorial on our YouTube channel, I break down how to master the rhythm of your lyrics, so that writing lyrics and melody together becomes natural – no need to sacrifice one for the other!…

  • The Zoom Method: Secrets to Better Lyrics Under 10 Minutes

    What does the classic Joni Mitchell song, ‘The River’ (1971) have in common with neo-RnB song ‘Super Rich Kids’ by Frank Ocean (2013)? These are 2 songs from wildly different artists, genres, and eras. And yet, when we look into the inner workings of how the lyrics deliver the ideas and emotion of the song,…

  • 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,…

  • Songwriting is “Easy” According to John Lennon

    Songwriting is “Easy” According to John Lennon In a 1983 interview with Molly Meldrum, David Bowie talked about how much he admired John Lennon’s songwriting capabilities. He recalled a time when Lennon said to him, “It’s very easy…all you have to do is say what you mean, make it rhyme, and put a backbeat to…

  • 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…

  • Musical Onomatopoeia – The Secret to Writing Amazing Hooks

    Musical Onomatopoeia – The Secret to Writing Amazing Hooks If you’ve ever heard a catchy, relatable hook from a songwriter you like and wondered how you can write like them, know that you’re not alone. This is a common question asked by many songwriters. Fortunately, we can study these techniques, and emulate them to create…

  • 4 Exercises for Writing Unique and Creative Lyrics

    4 Exercises for Writing Unique and Creative Lyrics Many songwriters find themselves in a rut when it comes to lyric writing. Often, the issue is that the lyrics they write don’t match up with the lyrics they admire. This might be because they perceive their lyrics as boring, overly literal or too stale. To help…

  • Lyric Exercise #5 – Power Positions

    Lyric Exercise #5 – Power Positions For songwriters, crafting lyrics that captivate and resonate with listeners is both an art and a science. Lyrics have the ability to convey emotions, tell stories, and create vivid imagery. In this article, we’ll discuss power positions and how we can use them to elevate our lyrics. This article…

  • Lyric Exercise #4 – Contrasts

    Lyric Exercise #4 – Contrasts Contrast is a powerful tool in the songwriter’s arsenal. With it, we can create amazing imagery through combining opposing elements together. In this article, we’ll discuss why contrast is important and study how it’s used in songwriting. This article is a summarised transcript of the fourth exercise in our video…

  • Lyric Exercise #3 – Use Specific Imagery

    Lyric Exercise #3 – Use Specific Imagery People listen to songs so that they can be transported to a different place. To that aim, it’s important for our lyrics to help listeners paint vivid images in their mind. In this article, we’ll discuss how using specific imagery strengthens lyrics, as well as methods to practice…

  • Lyric Exercise #2 – Upgrading Verbs

    Lyric Exercise #2 – Upgrading Verbs While every aspect of lyric writing is essential, the choice of verbs can make or break a song’s impact. In this blog post, we’ll delve into why verbs are important, and how you can upgrade your verbs to elevate your songwriting. This article is a summarised transcript of the…

  • Part 3 of The Songwriting Formula – The Song Map

    Part 3 of The Songwriting Formula – The Song Map It’s easy to think that once you have a concept and a title, that you’ll be able to plan out an entire song. In reality, a song requires structure of some kind. Similarly to how a building requires a good blueprint to model it after,…

  • Lyric Exercise #1 – Extending Metaphors

    Lyric Exercise #1 – Extending Metaphors A large part of songwriting is creating imagery for our listeners. By painting a vivid enough picture through our lyrics, we can draw our listener further into our story. In this article, we’ll discuss how extending metaphors can help put detail into our lyrics, and what we can do…

  • Part 2 of The Songwriting Formula – The Title

    Part 2 of The Songwriting Formula – The Title Songwriters regularly underestimate the power of a song title. Many think that a title is just a way of identifying a song and marketing it. However, this is simply not true and coming up with a title is a crucial part of the songwriting process. In…

  • 5 Easy Songwriting Exercises to Improve Your Lyrics

    5 Easy Songwriting Exercises to Improve Your Lyrics Are you tired of writing lyrics you don’t love? Maybe you constantly listen to your favourite songs, wondering how they wrote such amazing lines. In this article, we’ll discuss 5 incredibly powerful exercises for turning your ideas into lyrical gold. This article is a summarised transcript of…

Weekend Songwriting Intensive - January 4-5

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