4 Unusual Songwriting Tips That Work!

You can always search and find various songwriting tips online. Through Google alone, you can already discover millions of related resources in just a matter of few seconds.

However, let me tell you that a majority of these tips are superficial. And sometimes, that causes them to be ineffective. After all, songwriting is an art that heavily relies on personal motivation and desires. Although it is true that there are technical aspects that you should follow in songwriting, the art still boils down to how creative you can get.

The tips that I have listed here are something that you wouldn't find elsewhere. They are unique because I am far familiar by the idea that songwriters and other artists operate differently. I am not assuming that I know you guys thoroughly. Instead, I am just stating that what I have here can help you eventually.

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1. Playing Multiple Radios Simultaneously

I know that this is a wild idea. However, this is something that you should try one of these days. Playing different radios at the same time might help you out in this endeavor.

Although this act sounds ridiculous, it is actually a helpful songwriting technique. Specifically, it is a raw form of aleatory music. The latter is a term used when several parts of the composition or song are being created through chance. In short, you are allowing a storm to put the pieces for you.

Of course, this is not the first time the technique has been used. The iconic Tom Waits is known to use this procedure whenever he is writing songs. When there are numerous radios that are playing, the guy listens so that he can spot some unique pieces and intersections.

Well, before you do this, make sure that there are no people around you. You can also use this technique on a soundproof room or an area where you can't disturb your family and neighbors.

2. Keep Silent

This is one of the most interesting things that you can do as a songwriter. Being able to shut your mouth for a complete day or more can somehow stretch out the creative genius that is within you. Always take into account that talking, despite its commonness, is still a complex task. Your brain has to expend some of its energy and working power so that you can continue blabbering.

When you let yourself fall into silence, your brain will be automatically shifted to its full potential. You can expect that your brain can pull off some serious poetic ingenious when it is on its top shape.

Once you are silent, your brain will be able to relish those feelings and sensations that could inspire you. After all, these things serve as our main driving force to pursue the art of creating great musical pieces.

There's nothing wrong if you will zip your mouth once in a while. Try to be aloof in the meantime, and you'll see some drastic improvement on your outlook and overall thought process.

3. Placing a Time Limit

Some of us are always prone to being complacent and idle. There are various instances where a sudden spark of imagination and inspiration can be turned into a dull and weary state of mind. Many artists, including songwriters, are susceptible to this case. And interestingly, this situation happens when they are doing something important.

You can attribute various causes why this phenomenon takes place. However, I can put one culprit immediately, and that is the lack of time limit.

When there are no time limitations that are set in your activities, your drive and intention to finish it gradually diminishes. That's the kind of complacency that happens when you are letting yourself do what it wants to do on its own pace. Well, this is not really a bad thing. But if you are serious and committed enough in your songwriting endeavor, you have to break this calmness.

Putting yourself under pressure will squeeze the innermost contents of your mind. You can generate a lot of ideas whenever you are pushing your brains to its utter limits. Did you know that the lyrics of the song "Diamonds" by Rihanna was written under 14 minutes only? Can you imagine the kind of time constraint there? But still, the songwriter Sia was able to pull it off.

I know it very well how difficult it is to control and balance time. But you should practice it on a daily basis. It is a form of discipline that you should inculcate to yourself as a songwriter.

4. Starting Small

A lot of songwriters out there are struggling to write cohesive lyrics. In fact, even the most proficient lyric artisans can find themselves in this situation.

You see, the biggest cause for this is due to our persistence to write cohesive lyrics. We want to start from top to bottom strictly. And this kind of regimen is somehow placing us in a stiff situation. We are pressing our minds too hard to be as fluent as possible.

Fortunately, there's a way out of this. If you are writing a song, I do recommend that you start with simple words or phrases. Always start with the lines that you want to be written or sung. A song doesn't have to verbose for it to be great. For instance, the song "Love Me Do" of Beatles only contains 19 words, of which are all unique to one another.

Being simple is actually hard to master. It requires commitment and change of habits. You have to unlearn some of those complex jargons and start using fluid but simple terms. Trust me. Doing this thing is very challenging. I have known a lot of songwriters who struggled on this part. But in the long run, you'll be able to practice it eventually.

Always treat songwriting as a similar art to writing. For it to be great, it has to be understandable. You don't have to flaunt those flashy words, especially if they don't sound too well in the song. You can just use them on instances where it is necessary. But never do it just because you want to show off.

Conclusion

As a songwriter, these following tips can help you become more proficient and efficient in your field. They are not the techniques that you can typically find on some internet sites. Instead, they are pieces of advice that have been given by practical songwriters like you. Therefore, applying these said techniques might benefit you greatly.