One of the most common frustrations songwriters face is not a lack of ideas, talent, or inspiration. It is the growing pile of half-finished songs that never quite make it across the line. I’ve got them, you’ve got them. You…
Most songwriters don’t stop writing because they’ve lost their love for music. They stop because life quietly gets in the way. One week turns into two. Two weeks turns into a month. Nothing dramatic happens. No big decision is made.…
The start of a new year has a habit of turning songwriting into some sort of to-do list. And as we all know about setting songwriting targets, goals or resolutions in the past, by February, most of that energy has…
Revision is one of the most respected parts of songwriting. We’re told to rewrite, refine, and polish. To cut the weak lines, strengthen the chorus, and keep working until the song “gets there.” All of that advice is sound. Revision…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…