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A songwriter is a professional musician who composes musical compositions and writes lyrics for songs, advertisement jingles, or theater performances. Producing creative lyrics and unique melodies one after another can cause the writers to run out of ideas quickly and leave them feeling stuck and frustrated.
Here are five tips and tricks to get songwriters out of their ‘writing slump’ and improve their songwriting skills while avoiding some basic songwriting mistakes.
1. Getting Help When Needed
It is a common saying that one head is better than two. Especially when it comes to any creative process, a good way to move forward is to discuss your work with other professionals or with friends and family.
The ability to get different perspectives and advice from other people can often spark new ideas that can lead to the creation of a better, more unique piece that would not have been possible without the assistance of others.
It is better to sort through the ideas before getting started on a song in a secluded place if you have too many ideas and advice.
2. Change Of Scenery
Songwriting is a creative process; it requires a constant flow of new and unique ideas every day. Creativity does not exist in a void. Relocating your workstation in a new place away from its usual settings or simply taking a long walk instead of staring at a blank paper is more likely to inspire new ideas for your song.
There is nothing like a change of scenery and some fresh air to rejuvenate your mental health and creative process. There is no doubt that a walk can at the very least relax the mind, which can ultimately lead to improved songwriting work since stress can be a major hurdle when it comes to writing songs.
3. Find Inspiration In Other Songs
While it is not a good idea or even legally or ethically correct to copy someone else’s work and take all the credit, finding inspiration is another thing. Listening to songs similar to the genre you want to compose and jotting down lyrics, chord progression, and licks that you find interesting is a useful tactic to overcome a lack of creativity and motivation.
Playing around with different elements from a number of different songs, inverting some chords, trying a different tune, and adding your own touch to these elements and integrating them into your own work is a sure way to get the creativity and ideas flowing.
Having made all of these changes to your song, you will notice that it sounds completely different and unique from the previous versions of your song.
4. Learning Music Theory
The thought of learning about official musical theories may sound boring and unappealing, and you may feel like it would choke your creative freedom, but if you don’t learn about the rules around music, it would not be possible to break them into a well-executed and purposeful way.
This applies to every genre, whether rap, pop, rock, or EDM. Knowledge is a powerful tool that can make your work easier, better, and unique if you know exactly what you are doing. Learning music theory can make all the difference in producing catchy, never heard before tunes for your clients and land you bigger gigs.
5. Creative Exercise
After a long-running music career, your songs can come off as repetitive and boring. While it is not a bad thing to have a signature sound, using the same elements in every song can lose its appeal. Taking some time to participate in a creative exercise may help come up with something new.
For example, jot down different notes, keys, chords, lyrics, and other elements on different pieces of paper, put them in a bowl, give it a good shake, then take out five pieces at random and mix all the elements together in a song. The new sound may come off as strange or mismatched, but it would lead to out-of-the-box thinking and a unique piece of work.
Engaging in creative exercises is a great way to create something unexpectedly beautiful or catchy, and it is a great way to keep your mind healthy and promote creative thinking.
Final Thoughts
Facing a blank page and not coming up with something to write can be one of the most dreadful feelings for a songwriter. It is as difficult to start a new piece as it is to finish it.
However, armed with these surprisingly simple and easy tips and tricks, you can improve your writing skills almost overnight and get your creativity flowing. It does not matter if you try all of them out at the same time or try a few of these at different times. Practicing these tips will result in a new and improved song for your client.
