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If you don't know where to begin writing a song, remember that you can only begin where you are. You can only use what you already have. If you have nothing, then it really doesn't matter where you begin, as long as you begin.
There's a limited number of places you can begin writing a song. You can begin writing the lyrics, you can begin writing the music, or you can begin writing the song's premise or concept. You can begin writing the lyrics to the verse, chorus, or the title. You can begin writing the melody or chord progression to the verse, chorus, or hook. When you give yourself only a few choices to begin with, you will be more motivated to start.
One very useful place to begin writing is the song's premise. Think of the song's premise as the defining purpose of your song. What is it that you want to communicate? What do you want to say? How do you want to say it? How could you develop this premise to keep the listener interested until the final word is sung?
For example, let's say you want to write a love song like so many songwriters before you. How will you make your love song unique? Think of all the different ways you could tell someone you love them. What's the setting of the song? Are you daydreaming about your lover while driving or at the office? Are you singing directly to the person you love? Are you in the bedroom? Are you serenading your lover from outside their window?
Take a snapshot of the scene and begin your song's premise from there. Then think about the song from the perspective of time. How will your premise develop from your first line to the last line? Take the example above, you're singing to your lover from outside the window. How can you make the listener's patience pay off? Give them a present at the end, a gift that they weren't expecting. Maybe the cops came and gave you a ticket for disturbing the peace, but you still think it was worth it. Perhaps you were singing to the wrong window and woke her protective father.
Imagine how easy it would be to come up with a song title when you have a concise premise to your song. We could call the above song examples, "Next time, turn a light on" or "The price of my love." Both of these titles are fine places to begin writing. They have a rhythm that you can play with, they help shape a metaphor for your verse development, and they are memorable.
In your songwriting life, you will always begin writing from one place, emptiness. In this silence, you will find many ideas. These ideas will be developed with a beginning, a middle, and an end. The main point is to write with purpose. This is the Way of the Samurai Songwriter.
Write More Songs Faster
Become a prolific songwriter and create your songwriting legacy...
Write Better Songs
Touch people with your words and music...
Write Interesting Songs
Become more memorable so your songs will touch people for years to come...
Improve Your Creativity
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Improve What You Already Know
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How To Become a Samurai Songwriter
Begin by committing a large part of yourself to writing songs. Then, do whatever it takes to sharpen your songwriting skills. Finally, never quit.
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Here's what our subscribers have to say...
I am a total amateur when it comes to songwriting, but after Samurai Songwriting issue 1 and the recent John Lennon teleseminar, I'm already quickly developing song ideas. The Samurai Songwriting 'Songwriting Tool Table' is such a valuable tool for breaking down the structure of songs and giving you insight as to how the masters came up with such great hits that stand the test of time.
- Rich
I have received lessons 1 and 2 and am quite happy with the contents; the audio, the pdfs and the spreadsheet file. One of the things that aspiring songwriters hear all of the time is to analyze other well written songs, but there is no instruction on how to do that. The Songwriting Tool Table provides the means to do that, and the example given with the lesson shows exactly how to use it to get the most benefit. I also like that there is no long term commitment, so, although I am quite satisfied with the program now, I am free to stop if my situation changes or I feel that I am not getting value from the program. Thanks, and keep 'em coming.
- "Famous" Patrick
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