creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties

There are a lot of resources out there that talk about song structure, rhyme and other theories about constructing songs but I will not touch on those in this article. This article is focused on getting you to write. Naturally, there are a number of road blocks a person can face when it comes to writing. Pressures for results, fear of rejection, failure, are just some of the big ones that can really hinder a song. The thing about writing is that you have to try and rid yourself of all those things otherwise your creativity will constantly be interrupted never given the opportunity to really flow. I remember times in my own song writing journey where I would analyze everything and start critiquing it without giving it a little room to breathe. No good! Write because you enjoy it first! Let go of the inhibitions and get that ball-point rolling.

No instruments required

It’s easy to get into a working style of constantly “needing things” to really be productive. “I just can’t write without my Pro Tools system” or “I need a room full of Instruments or a band to help me write.” Those are all helpful and needed at times know that they can act as distractions too. My philosophy is to try and start with as little distractions as possible. Focus on writing a solid song and then you can spend time adding instruments and efx. Remember; a great recording starts with a great song, a great music video starts with a great song, it all starts with the song.
So my suggestion would be to grab a journal, a pen and any place you can be left to your thoughts and start writing.

You may find that your writing style is more musical driven. For example, you hum a melody or beatbox a drum line idea before you start getting lyrics or themes. I would suggest that you invest in a 40 dollar digital recorder and keep that with you. Something with a USB connector so you can move the files to your computer later for editing is good too! I have one in my car for those days that I get an idea while on the road. This is a great song writing tool as it is super simple to operate. The best thing about it is that you’ll always be able to remember what you were doing!

The gulf that separates you from the great songwriters may not be as wide as you think. As far as the raw materials are concerned, we’re all in the same boat. Some folks may be better singers, some better guitarists; some are verbose, others write of simple things but at this point it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you start writing!

Your Style

You will find as you put your focus on being creative and allowing yourself the room to just “try stuff” (regardless of how it sounds) that a sound or a style may emerge. This can be one of the most gratifying times in your career because something was birthed out of complete freedom. You will find that your “sound” or “style” is something you discover rather than deciding. Hopefully this attitude and mindset only evolves and becomes more prevalent in your life. I have been in studio sessions where a number of tracks were dedicated just for the artists to try things. Sure much of it was unusable but it never failed that something would hit the nail right on the head and everyone would say “that’s it!” Not only are those defining moments for the artist but also for the song as personality and creativity are all of a sudden injected into it.

Learn to Translate

Every day your life is filled with hundred of experiences, some small and hardly noteworthy, while others may be life changing in any case these are all potential topics for your writing. These topics are also great because tapping into them allow us to tap into a human condition or struggle common to others with very little effort on our part. This is what makes some songs really resonate with an audience. Consider Sheryl Crow’s line from her hit song “Soak up the sun”

I don’t have digital
I don’t have diddly squat
It’s not having what you want
It’s wanting what you’ve got

It’s very simple and communicates an idea (regardless if it’s true or not) rather effectively. Although we aren’t focusing on the audience right now just know that focusing on your season of life and learning to translate what you are going through onto a piece of paper is key not just to finishing tunes but to connecting with an audience.

There is enough here to get you started and so much more I will cover in future articles. Remember these are some simple guidelines to get you started or to get you back on track. There really aren’t any rules when it comes to music so have some fun with it.