Most musicians who make an attempt to write songs of their own go at it with the totally wrong expectations.
They think they know how to play and know some music theory.
“What more do I need? I should be able to create great songs now!”
In a way… yes, you don’t need more.
Except a whole lot of time.
Because songwriting is not just a skill that falls into your lap after you get good at playing.
That is the bad news.
The good news is:
With some practice you CAN write good songs.
But the approach (and your mindset) has to be right.
The mistake that most are doing is to take the very frustrating way of trying to compose a full song that HAS to be a hit, straight off the bat.
They have something they want to write about, they throw together some guitar riffs…
… and then they run out of “inspiration” and have to wait for it to strike them again.
Usually for another heartbreak, another tragic loss in their lives, another tragic thing on the news, more alcohol and other substances.
Does not exactly sound like a fun experience to me.
The way that I would suggest to write songs works a bit differently.
If you start to view your creative capabilities as something you want to develop and nurture and practice from now on, you can enjoy the path much more.
You have to start seeing yourself for what you are at the moment.
A “beginner songwriter”.
There is no shame in that.
And it’s not like you have to tell the whole world.
This is just for you to get off to a better start.
You simply write songs for the sake of writing, no high expectations, no judgement.
Total freedom to throw whatever you write songs into the trashcan without ever showing to anyone.
Simply to hone your skills more and develop and gain experience.
Imagine a child in a sandbox building stuff out of sand.
You have to care equally less about if what you are building right now is the greatest sandcastle in the world.
Just enjoy messing around with the shapes and putting them together in different combinations.
If you are serious about becoming someone who can write songs, you should from now on aim to write *something* every day.
Anything that you can call “complete” and be done with.
This does not have to be a full 3 minute hit song.
It can simply be a little melody over a chord progression.
I think it is important to get into the mode of “finishing what you started” as soon as possible.
That can mean pretty much anything and you are only answering to yourself in this.
If you plan to write just 1 measure of music, ok.
Is that measure even coherent?
Does it sound like something complete in itself? If yes, even better!
But we only ask that question once we are done writing 🙂
Judging your ideas WHILE you are writing is a sure fire way to never finish anything.
You are simply stopping yourself in your tracks.
I will write more about songwriting and creativity in the future but for now, this is all I am going to teach you!
Wanna do more for your guitar playing AND learn how to write songs with the guitar? Check this out:
