Songwriting Process
Why Your Best Songs Start Before You Sit Down to Write
Most songwriting advice focuses on technique. Chord choices. Rhyme schemes. Song structures. Productivity hacks. All useful, all necessary, and all slightly incomplete. Because long before a song takes shape on a page or in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), something else is already at work. Songwriting often happens before you sit down to write. Lines […]
The Order of Responsibility in Songwriting: Why the Audience Should Come Last, Not First
One of the quiet traps songwriters fall into is thinking about the audience too early in the songwriting process. These questions feel responsible, even professional. But when asked too soon, they can quietly derail a song before it has a chance to become what it needs to be. In an interview, Rick Rubin once said […]
What John Steinbeck Can Teach Us About Songwriting Flow
John Steinbeck wasn’t a songwriter, but he knew something about creativity that every songwriter eventually bumps into: the moment you start editing too early, the whole thing can fall apart. He once wrote… “Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing […]
How Do You Find Your Own Voice as a Songwriter?
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I find my own voice as a songwriter?” you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common and important questions in songwriting, and the answer isn’t something you stumble upon overnight. Finding your voice isn’t about waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s about doing the work until something […]
10 Everyday Activities To Keep Your Songwriting Muscles Warm
As songwriters, it’s easy to slip into the trap of thinking we should be writing a whole song every time we sit down. The reality is, that pressure can stop you from writing anything at all. The good news? Songwriting isn’t just about finishing songs, it’s about feeding your creative mind every day so you’re […]
The Songwriting Pipeline: How to Finish More Songs (Without Burning Out)
One of the biggest struggles for songwriters isn’t starting a song, it’s finishing it. We’ve all got half-written verses, nameless chord progressions, and a graveyard of voice memos. And while those fragments might still hold magic, without a clear path to completion, they often just sit there. That’s where the Songwriting Pipeline comes in. It’s […]
How to Stay Consistent in Your Songwriting Process (Even When You’re Not Inspired)
One of the biggest struggles songwriters face (especially those juggling day jobs, families, or other creative outlets) is staying consistent. You might get a flash of inspiration, write a song you’re proud of, and then… nothing for weeks. So how do you make songwriting a regular habit instead of an occasional burst of creativity? The […]
The Power of Routines in Songwriting
If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a blank page, guitar in hand, brain full of static, you’re not alone. I’ve been there more times than I can count, flicking through chord progressions like they’re TV channels, waiting for the muse to show up like it’s fashionably late to the session again. That’s why I […]
Should Songwriters Have Eclectic Taste or a Signature Sound?
Once you’ve made the decision to really listen to music as a songwriter, the next question usually pops up pretty quickly: “What should I be listening to?” Should you go deep into the genre you write in? Or should you open the floodgates and take in everything from Mongolian throat singing to glitchy lo-fi hip […]
How Do We Write More Songs? Write More Songs.
It sounds a bit cheeky, doesn’t it? “How do I write more songs?” Well, the simple answer is to write more songs. But honestly, I think there’s something really powerful in that short, direct response. Way too many songwriters (myself included at times) just over-complicate the process. We wait for the muse to show up, […]