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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

 

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.

Chord Progression (Including the 12 Bar Blues) Read More »

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.

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

The C Major Scale (Including the C Major Chord Scale) - Red Guitar with Amp

The C Major Scale (Including the C Major Chord Scale)

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

Do you want to understand the notes, chords, and patterns in the C scale better? Figuring out how scales and chords work together will unlock your ability to improvise, compose, and play music. Keep reading to learn how the C major scale (including the C major chord scale) works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

The C Major Scale (Including the C Major Chord Scale) Read More »

How to Color Code Musical Diagrams - Guitar Chords - The G Major Scale (Including the G Major Chord Scale) - The C Major Scale (Including the C Major Chord Scale) - What Exactly Is a Chord and What Does the Term Harmony Mean - How to Play the Easy Beginner Guitar F Chord Without a Barre

The G Major Scale (Including the G Major Chord Scale)

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

Do you want to know what notes and chords are in the G major scale? Do you find the theory behind the G major chord scale confusing? To truly understand music, you must know how to construct scales and how to build chords from the scale tones. Read “The G Major Scale (Including the G Major Chord Scale)” to learn how they work. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

The G Major Scale (Including the G Major Chord Scale) Read More »

12 Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches (How to Write Them) - Writer with Notepad and Laptop

12 Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches (How to Write Them)

The Craft of Songwriting / /

Are you unsure about how similes work? Do all the similes you write seem trite? If you want your writing to move people, you need to make sure that you use original imagery that has power and presence. Read “12 Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches (How to Write Them)” to find out how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

12 Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches (How to Write Them) Read More »

https://successmusicstudio.com/17-songwriting-ideas-to-get-you-unstuck/

17 Songwriting Ideas to Get You Unstuck

The Craft of Songwriting / /

“Do you have tips on what to do when you get stuck?” We’ve all been there. You stare at a blank page and can’t come up with any ideas. To help you I’ve compiled a list of 17 songwriting ideas to get you unstuck. Each songwriting idea has a link that leads to an example showing how it works in a real song. Keep reading to get the 17 songwriting ideas. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

17 Songwriting Ideas to Get You Unstuck Read More »

Is There Any Method to Help with Writing Descriptions - Woman Working at a Laptop - 12 Simile Examples That Aren’t Cliches (How to Write Them) - Cadence Meaning and Definition (Examples for Music and Language)

Is There Any Method to Help with Writing Descriptions?

The Craft of Songwriting / /

“When I write, my descriptions seem lifeless. Is there any method to help with writing descriptions?” When it comes to creating vibrant descriptions in your writing (or songwriting), there’s a powerful method that can make a world of difference. You need to avoid static descriptions. You do this by using action words. Keep reading to find out how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

Is There Any Method to Help with Writing Descriptions? Read More »

What's the Deal with These I-VII-VI-V and iv-V-VII Chords and Stuff - Musical Coffee Mug

What’s the Deal with These i-VII-VI-V and iv-V-VII Chords and Stuff? (Part 4)

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

Do your eyes cross when you try to figure out Roman Numeral analysis? Roman numerals are broadly used to analyze chords in songs. However, you’ll use some Roman numerals to specifically describe harmonies in minor keys. Read more to find out the answer to, “What’s the deal with these i-VII-VI-V and iv-V-VII chords and stuff?” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

What’s the Deal with These i-VII-VI-V and iv-V-VII Chords and Stuff? (Part 4) Read More »

How Do I Write Good Songs Using Metaphors and Similes - Woman Working on Computer - Does ADD and ADHD Make People More Creative

How Do I Write Good Songs Using Metaphors and Similes?

The Craft of Songwriting / /

Do you want to write better songs using vivid imagery? Do you need to learn about figurative imagery? Figurative imagery expands your pallet of description beyond just literal imagery. Metaphors and similes are important literary tropes that help you to do just that. Read more to learn the answer to the question, “How do I write good songs using metaphors and similes?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

How Do I Write Good Songs Using Metaphors and Similes? Read More »