From the beginning of human interaction, songs have been the most powerful means of communication. We've all been moved by improvised stage performances that occur instantly and touch our souls, sending chills up our spine. It appears so spontaneously, yet, there are years of study and practice behind the scenes to be able to go on autopilot and reach that next level. The same principle applies to songwriting. It's takes hard work and preparation, to become a great songwriter. There are tricks and tools that will help you get started, but it will be up to you to exercise your songwriting muscle.
MAKING A SPACE & COLLECTING YOUR TOOLS - Find a corner or a room in your home that you can call your own for songwriting. Assemble your tools and keep them there when not in use. Gather your lucky pen, paper, three ring binder, reference books, your instrument, a a small portable recorder. You might want to designate a briefcase or something portable in which you can carry supplies to your co-writing appointments or the studio. If you use a laptop for writing and recording, that's even better.
SONGWRITING NOTEBOOK - You'll need a three ring binder in which to keep your work.
Here is a list of tabs for the notebook sections that I have suggested to my students.
- Object Writing
- Ideas
- Titles
- Works in Progress
- Completed Songs
- Assignments
- Educational Articles
- Quiz
- Contacts
- Pitch Opportunities
- Agreements
You can arrange the above suggestions to fit your own needs. I'll talk more about each one of these points later.
REFERENCE BOOKS - You'll need to acquire and exercise your verbal skills to compete with hit songwriters. Play games that focus on vocabulary and language skills. Read to develop language skills and get ideas. Also, keep up with pop culture and developing expressions of slang. Here's a list for a start. Much of this list can be found online, as well.
- New dictionary that includes slang terms
- Rhyming dictionary - The Complete Rhyming Dictionary, editied by Clement Wood, Doubleday http://www.rhymezone.com
- Thesaurus -Pat Pattison recommends the original Roget's Thesaurus http://www.thesaurus.reference.com
- Book of popular quotations
- encyclopedia
- Newspapers & magazines
SET ASIDE TIME - You may have a space, but if you don't spend time in it, you'll never write that hit. You'll need to free yourself from distractions. The best way to do that is to schedule songwriting time on your calendar, and ask your family members not to distract you. Keep your date with yourself. This may be the hardest thing to do, but if you want to be in the business of songwriting, then you need to treat it like a buisiness and report to work. Turn off the phone, put a note on the door, and send the kids to a movie.
You also will want to network and find songwriters with which to co-write. When you've found someone compatible, you can set a regular work time each week. Nashville is full of active songwriters who are daily exercising their songwriting muscle as evidenced by a crowded co-write calendar.
