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The Craft of Songwriting

 

The Craft of Songwriting - turntable and computer.jpg

 

The Craft of Songwriting Blog Category

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.

 

My 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.

 

Songwriting and More

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.

 

Posts

Cornerstone Category Post:

 

Songwriting Posts:

 

Related Content

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

 

Back to the Successful Music Student Blogs page

 

What Exactly Is a Chord and What Does the Term Harmony Mean - Abba

What Exactly Is a Chord and What Does the Term Harmony Mean?

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics, The Craft of Songwriting, Uncategorized / /

Are you unclear about what harmony is? Do you want to know how it works? Harmony is a major subcategory of music theory that helps musicians to understand how notes should go together. This in turn impacts how they arrange their music. Keep reading “What Exactly Is a Chord and What Does the Term Harmony Mean?” to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

What Exactly Is a Chord and What Does the Term Harmony Mean? Read More »

Pronoun Definition & Meaning - Unlocking Your Knowledge [Video] - Vintage Typewriter

What Does Pronoun Mean – Can Pronouns Keep My Writing Focused?

The Craft of Songwriting / /

Do you need to know how pronouns work? How do you unlock the power in these small yet potent words? These words will have a colossal impact on your writing, poetry, or songwriting. The magic happens when you substitute them for other words, making it so your writing becomes concise and (by extension) less wordy. Keep reading “What Does Pronoun Mean – Can Pronouns Keep My Writing Focused?” to find out how they work.

What Does Pronoun Mean – Can Pronouns Keep My Writing Focused? Read More »

I’d Like to Know the Meaning of the Word Cadence [Video] - Triangle

I’d Like to Know the Meaning of the Word Cadence [Video]

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics, The Craft of Songwriting / /

“I’d like to know the meaning of the word cadence. How does it differ in language vs music?” Candence in music and language both have to do with regulating the flow of sound. However, even though the definitions are related, they’re not the same. Keep reading to learn more. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

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Noun Definition and Meaning (Video Noun Examples and Types of Nouns) - Dictionaries

Noun Definition & Meaning (Video Noun Examples & Types of Nouns)

The Craft of Songwriting / /

Are you foggy on how the parts of speech work? Do you need a noun definition with examples? To communicate clearly, writers, poets, songwriters, and well just about anybody will need to understand how they work. Keep reading “Noun Definition & Meaning (Video Noun Examples & Types of Nouns)” to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

Noun Definition & Meaning (Video Noun Examples & Types of Nouns) Read More »

Song Structure, Musical Phrases, Musical Structures and Forms - Music Ipod

Song Structure, Musical Phrases, Musical Structures and Forms

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics, The Craft of Songwriting / /

Do you want to know how song structure, musical phrases, musical structures and forms work? Musical structures and forms in instrumental music works differently than popular song structure. However, motifs and musical phrases works pretty much the same in either type of writing. In this post, we’ll talk about all that plus the difference between motifs and leitmotifs. Read more to get music structure examples for both songwriting and instrumental music. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.

Song Structure, Musical Phrases, Musical Structures and Forms Read More »

How Can I Learn the Basics of Music Theory - Books on Music

How Can I Learn the Basics of Music Theory?

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics, The Craft of Songwriting / / , , , ,

Do you want to understand how music works? Studying music theory is a worthwhile experience that’ll deepen your understanding of music and enhance your creativity. Where should you begin? In this post, you’ll learn what the basics of music theory are and be given the resources to learn them. Keep reading “How Can I Learn the Basics of Music Theory” to start your musical journey today. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

How Can I Learn the Basics of Music Theory? Read More »

Chord Progression (Including the 12 Bar Blues) - Guitarist Playing Chords

Chord Progression (Including the 12 Bar Blues)

All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics, The Craft of Songwriting / / , , ,

What’s a chord progression? It’s when you have a sequence of successive harmonies. In this post, we’ll look at common chord progressions, including rock n roll, the 12 bar blues, and jazz chord progressions. These can work as either piano chord progressions or guitar chord progressions. Read “Chord Progression (Including the 12 Bar Blues)” to learn the harmonic structure for these three styles of music. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

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How to Write a Song with a Catchy Chorus (Including Lyrics) - Singer-Songwriter with Guitar

How to Write a Song with a Catchy Chorus (Including Lyrics)

The Craft of Songwriting / / ,

Do you want to learn how to make your own songs? Do you need help with your lyrics? There are many different song forms, and not all of them use a chorus. However, the verse/chorus form is one of the most popular. Songwriters and lyric writers both will find this post helpful. Keep reading to learn how to write a song with a catchy chorus. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

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