Writing songs is an integral part of music composition. Getting into a flow state and letting one’s creative side out can be a fun and rewarding experience. While writing a new song may seem effortless from an outside perspective, the best songwriters are fully aware that there is more to the process than just throwing together a few notes and calling it a day.

This article outlines some useful songwriting tips that can help you on your journey to becoming a great songwriter.

• The songwriting process
• Before writing a song
• When writing a song
• After writing a song

Overview: the songwriting process.

Before you start writing your next song, you’ll need a clear idea of how to approach each step of the writing process. A simple yet effective way to stay organized is to think of songwriting as a three-phase process. All three phases are important:

1. Before writing a song
2. When writing a song
3. After writing a song

Consider the detailed breakdown of the best practices a good songwriter should adopt for each of these phases.

Before writing a song.

Constantly listen to music for inspiration. A major contributing factor to success as a songwriter is having the ability to draw inspiration from an eclectic variety of musical styles..

Listening to music on a consistent basis will help you develop song ideas for your own songwriting and introduce you to new concepts that you have not been exposed to before.

Just make sure it’s your own creation and not something you may have accidentally taken from another song. To that end, create a playlist of different songs and try to listen to them throughout the day.

Take your time when coming up with the right themes. If you happen to be a beginner, there’s no need to rush the songwriting process and commit to a specific theme early on.

Take some time to figure out your musical direction and explore different ideas before making a decision.

Letting writing ideas marinate gives you the opportunity to explore them in a deeper way, which increases your chances of coming up with the right themes for your style and interests.

Practice your instrument and try to improvise. Great songwriters have a number of traits in common, like the ability to improvise with and master their respective instruments.

If you want to get the most out of your abilities and craft the best songs possible, you need to practice your instrument diligently and improvise often to sharpen your songwriting chops.

Additionally, be sure to brush up on music theory to understand chords and scales at a deeper level.

When writing a song.

If you have an idea, record it on your phone. A creative flow state is difficult to access. Spontaneous inspiration can be temporary and fleeting. It’s not unusual for a catchy riff or clever rhyme to pop in your head out of the blue before fading away seconds later.

Make a habit of recording every idea that comes to you so you never miss out on great potential songs.

Constantly evaluate your recorded material, but don’t overthink it. Becoming a good songwriter is partially predicated on your ability to assess your recorded material and objectively evaluate it.

Challenge your own song ideas with questions: Would this be good for a live performance? Could this be recorded in a studio? Is this something I would listen to? Avoid overthinking this process, as it could lead to motivation loss or severe writer’s block that prevents you from finishing your song or starting on the next one.

Try multiple variations, changing chords, progressions, and lyrics. It’s said that experimentation is the mother of all innovation. This adage applies to music as well. To increase your odds of finding your ideal sound, try different chord progressions and lyrical approaches to see which style fits your concept best.

Immerse yourself in music production. Even if you don’t plan on pursuing it as a career, it is important to familiarize yourself with the main processes and stages of music production.

Learning the basics of production will give you the ability to tweak and adjust your recordings to find the right sound for you.

Invest in a DAW (short for digital audio workstation), such as Ableton Live or Logic Pro, and take some time to learn all the features and functions that the music production software offers.

Don’t get stuck on your first idea. One of the common mistakes that novice songwriters make is falling in love with their very first musical idea. In all likelihood, your first idea won’t be your best—nor will it be the basis for a great song.

Getting stuck on it will hinder your creative flow and prevent you from developing better song structures and ideas.

After writing a song.

• Mix and master your songs. Mixing is the process of adjusting the different tracks that make up a song to make sure they sound good together. Mastering enhances the overall sound of the recording and ensures it sounds great across different formats, streaming platforms, and devices. Much like production, familiarizing yourself with the basics of mixing and mastering will help you better understand the nuances and intricacies of music and improve your ability to create professional-sounding songs at home.Look up mixing and mastering tutorials for your DAW of choice and learn each step at your own pace.
• Play your music for others. Great music is rarely created in a vacuum. Playing your music for others is a great way to get a feel for how a potential audience may engage with your songs. A practical and simple way to do this is to upload some of your recordings to Soundcloud and share them on your social media pages. You can also play live renditions for some of your friends.
• Be open to feedback. Getting feedback from others is crucial to your progress as a songwriter. You need to be open to receiving critiques from various sources. While some feedback may end up being unhelpful, you’ll often get valuable insights that will put you on the path to writing an inspired piece of music. Remember to keep a receptive attitude and see every piece of feedback as an opportunity for growth rather than a personal attack.
• Trust the advice of a professional music writer. While feedback from friends and social media audiences can be extremely helpful, the insight provided by professional music writers is simply invaluable. This is especially the case during the embryonic stage of songwriting. Unlike an audience member, a professional music writer will be able to dissect the minutiae of each instrument and vocal track to give you a detailed breakdown of what you’re doing right and where you need to improve.

Assistance from professional music writers.

Ndiwano.com can help you contact a professional songwriter to assist you in writing an entire song. These professionals have extensive experience in the music industry and are qualified to compose music and provide the necessary guidance that a beginner needs for writing their first song.

The assistance that professional music writers can provide to aspiring songwriters can be crucial in avoiding common beginner mistakes and beginning to write cohesive songs.

For instance, the input of an experienced songwriter can help you better structure your songs and write intros and outros that match the other parts of the song. Whether you’re looking to become a singer-songwriter, a composer, or a band member, trusting the advice of professional music writers can be your first step to success.

In review

Now that you have a clear idea of how to approach the songwriting process, you can start developing a basic outline and premise for your song. Keep in mind that these songwriting tips are only meant to give you basic directions on how to tackle each step of the songwriting process and are by no means a comprehensive guideline for writing a Grammy-winning hit song.

Moreover, the applicability of these tips will depend on various factors, such as your level of experience, personality, and the amount of time you can dedicate to this endeavor.

Work as a songwriter or hire a professional

Embarking on a musical journey is as fun as it is challenging. Self-doubt, loss of motivation, and distractions are just some of the obstacles you need to overcome when trying to write a whole song.

Applying the tips outlined in this article will help put you on the right track to unleashing your creative potential and crafting well-structured songs that perfectly reflect who you are as a musician.

Whether you’re looking to work as a professional songwriter or hire one for your music production needs, Ndiwano.com makes it easy to find what you need. To get in touch with a talented freelance songwriter, write a project description that accurately outlines the services and skills you’re looking for and post it on Ndiwano.com.

You can begin the process of interviewing candidates once you start receiving proposals.

If you want to put your songwriting skills to work and seek opportunities as a songwriter, head to the freelance section of Ndiwano.com to explore a wide range of songwriting jobs that match your style, level of experience, and financial objectives.