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:
See the posts below for full descriptions.
– Geoffrey Keith
© 2022 Geoffrey Keith
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Not sure about how to write a pre-chorus or a bridge? Are you confused about how to shape the form of your song? Look no further! Read more to learn the elements of songwriting construction. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
Do you ask yourself, “What in the world is point of view anyway?” Does your audience sometimes get confused about who is singing in your songs? You may have problems with your point of view. Read more to learn about the narrator’s point of view in your songwriting. Estimated reading time 7 minutes.
Are you confused about how rhyme schemes work? Do you want to get away from using the same old rhyme scheme on every song? You’ve come to the right place! Read more to learn how to create songwriting rhyme schemes. Estimated reading time 6 minutes.
Why does one person say a song is great and another says it stinks? In the “Art vs Commerce” post, we looked at two versions of the song “32 Flavors” and how the Boston Songwriters Workshop members reacted to it. Then, we looked at how and when the art vs commerce question arose. Finally, we asked, “How do you measure a song’s success?” Read more to learn the answer.
Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Ever wonder if writing a hit song means you’re selling out? When pitching songs, do you worry about losing creative control? The question of art vs commerce has only been with us a relatively short amount of time. Read more to find out what changed.
Estimated reading time 6 minutes.
Tired of using the same old chords in your songs all the time? Want to create excitement in your songwriting? Adding a key change to your song can make your listeners sit up and take notice. Read more to learn about changing keys in your songwriting.
Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do you want to add depth to the characters in your songs? Writing about a celebrity or historical figure can be a great way to get the lyric crafting juices going. Read more to learn how to use archetypes in songwriting.
Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Want to be able to write catchy, memorable songs? Rhythm helps us to distinguish one melody from another. It can also add unity and variety to your melodies. Read more to learn about writing great songs using rhythmic motifs.
Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
Are you stuck in a rut like the guy in the picture above? Do you want to know how to come up with vivid and memorable titles? Most of the songwriting experts agree that you should first write your hook, which often ends up being paired with your title. This means you need your title at the beginning of the songwriting process. Read more to learn how to go about brainstorming your song titles.
Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Have you ever had trouble coming up with songwriting ideas? A creative dry spell can be one of the worst things for a songwriter to have happen. Read more to learn how to jumpstart the creativity in your songwriting.
Estimated reading time 4 minutes.