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 have a problem with mis-accented syllables in your lyrics? Learning about prosody will help you deal with the issue. Read more to understand prosody in your songwriting.
Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
Tired of writing cliché rhymes in your songs? Want to know more about rhyming? Rhyming in songs seems straightforward. However, a lot more craftsmanship needs to go into it than it seems. “Learn Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting” will start you down the path toward your goal. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do you have lyrics but need a melody? Starting with the text’s rhythm helps you create the melody you need. Read more to learn how to extract a melody from your lyrics. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do people have a hard time figuring out what your song is about? Do your lyrics lack direction? Read The Plot Thickens: Focusing Your Songwriting Story Ideas to learn how to keep your lyrics from wandering. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do you have writer’s block? Have you run out of melody ideas? “Ten Ways to Spice Up Your Melodies with Melodic Variation” gives you the tools to multiply your songwriting ideas. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do your lyrics lack powerful emotions? Do you want to learn how to write using stronger images? Take Mark Twain’s advice, “Don’t say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.” The first of Twain’s sentences uses abstract language, but the second uses concrete images instead. Simply put, when you describe a scene, you need to show it rather than tell it. “Songwriting – Let Her Scream” shows you how. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Have you ever looked at a blank sheet of paper and couldn’t think of a single lyric idea? Try these tips for overcoming writer’s block in songwriting. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.