Do you like writing songs, but get stuck when inspiration dries up? Do you enjoy the songs you’ve made, but feel they could be better? Songwriting is both a craft and an art. That’s why I named the category The Craft of Songwriting, so I can help you learn how to write well-crafted songs.
The art happens when ideas seem to come out of nowhere, sometimes coming together like magic. The craft comes in when you look at what you have written and ask yourself, “Hmm… can I make this better?” Then, you use songwriting strategies to sculpt and shape the raw ideas in your song.
Also, how do you defeat writer’s block? It can be a pain when inspiration ditches you. What do you do then?
Let me tell you a story.
Back in 1988, I got my worst case of writer’s block ever. Up to this point, when I wanted to write a song, I just did it. But suddenly, the ideas just would not flow. Dealing with my writer’s block forced me to also work on my craft and actually made my writing a lot stronger.
Fast forward a decade, I became involved with the Boston Songwriter’s Workshop (BSW). I started sharing my starter ideas and writer’s tips in articles for the BSW Newsletter. When I became the director of the BSW, I organized and taught special events as well.
Now I am going to share these starter ideas and writer’s tips with you too in the blog category The Craft of Songwriting.
The Craft of Songwriting blog category obviously focuses on writing lyrics and music. However, the Rock Star series of posts from the Intonation Blog Category has information on playing in alternate tunings that guitarists will find helpful. Singers should check out the Singing in Tune Blog Category.
Cornerstone Category Post:
Songwriting Posts:
Guitar:
Ensemble:
Singing in Tune:
The previous topic lists will be updated periodically. See the post grid below for the full list and full descriptions with featured images.
– Geoffrey Keith
© 2022 Geoffrey Keith
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Do you love God and want to glorify His name? Do you need help learning how to write songs? Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) is a niche market that takes some specialized songwriting skills. Click to learn how to write authentic Jesus songs. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Do you want to know how to record using a digital audio workstation? When I was a teen, and recording my band, all we had was two mics, two mic stands, and a dinky little four-track tape recorder, which had severely limited audio quality. However, today’s modern DAW software can get you pro quality results without having to buy a whole recording studio. Click to learn how to record using a DAW (digital audio workstation). Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Do you want to be a disc jockey? Do you need to know how to get a professional sound? The term disc jockey comes from the early days of radio when on air personalities used to play disc-shaped records. However, it’s come to mean a whole lot more. If you want to be a DJ, you’ll need a pro sound, and to get that you’ll need the right gear. Click to learn how to sound like a pro disc jockey. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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