Songwriting 101 (Tips On Building & Writing a Great Song)!!!

Songwriting 101 (Tips On Building & Writing a Great Song)!!!

I put together this topic for those interested in the craft of songwriting, to provide tips on how to write a good/great song and master your craft. I am collecting tips om songwriting and will try and provide some of what I learned pursuing the craft and I invite others who partake of the art of songwriting to provide their tips. This is a forum for those interested in songwriting professionally to learn more about the craft and improve their skills as a songwriter. Her are some tips (info) I found;

Songwriting 101: Top 10 Tips from Country Songwriters...
(http://radio.com/2015/04/17/songwriting-101-advice-top-10-tips-from-country-songwriters/)

1. There's no set way to write a song
"There's no right or wrong way to write a song," Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley advises. "We've written many different ways. We usually start with the melody first and then it always evokes some kind of feeling, whether it's a song or melody. It always finds its way. Some people come in with lyric ideas or a poem."
Clint Black says many times his songs take their first shape as poetry and then he puts music to them.
"Sometimes I'll have a musical idea that I have to come up with a lyric for," he says. "The music beats the lyric to the finish line and the lyric becomes the Rubik's Cube. I have to figure out how to make it all work, to say something in a unique way and make it rhyme."
"My process is I write and try to write a great song," Steve Wariner admits. "Write something unique or clever. I may have a guitar riff and something may fall out. Sometimes I start with no title or anything and I'll keep building around a that. Try to discipline yourself to be able to do it in different ways always. I've also been in a restaurant where I'm trying to not eavesdrop but you hear a great phrase [at] the next table and you're like, 'That's a great song title.'"
2. Be aware of your surroundings and stay tapped in
"Songs are everywhere," Wariner confesses. But, he adds, as a writer you must always be paying attention so you're ready for that inspiration to strike.
This is something both Caitlyn Smith ("Wasting All These Tears," "You Can't Make Old Friends") and Charlie Worsham ("Could It Be," "Want Me Too") agree on.
"There is always a song in something, somewhere," Smith adds. "You just have to open your eyes a little bit."
Related: Caitlyn Smith's Long Road to Radio
Worsham adds that songwriting is "just a switch you can't turn off. I'm always jotting something down on an airplane. It's this thing that keeps you up at night. It wakes you up in the middle of the night, it gets you up early. You just can't shut it off. You can't ever put the pen down. It's constantly gnawing at you in an excruciatingly beautiful way."
Meanwhile, Big Kenny of Big and Rich said the thing that makes great songwriters is paying attention when those great ideas hit you. "If you're not open than it won't happen." Bandmate John Rich passed along advice from another recognized songwriter. "Tom Petty said it great, 'I don't get ideas. I just stick my antenna out.'"
3. Write from the heart
Most of the artists I spoke with said the best songs often come from something he or she has experienced firsthand, Kacey Musgraves being no exception.
"The best songs for me come from things that I have actually experienced or have some kind of insight on," she says. "It all has to resonate somewhere within me. It can't be completely fabricated. It always starts from me and that's my favorite kind of music. You can tell it's truthful."
Westin Davis, who has played a part in co-writing Kip Moores' past three singles "I'm To Blame," "Dirt" and "Young Love," says the only way he knows to write is by being totally honest.
"I carry all of my yesterdays into my co-writes. I carry my hometown, I carry everything bad that ever happened to me. So when I'm writing, I'm giving everything I have just like an entertainer would if he was performing for an audience," he says. "I'm not trying to be nobody but me. Even later in life, I've battled demons with addiction and drugs. Most people, they try to hide from that. To me, it's therapeutic to get it out there. This is who I am. I'm a long way from perfect but I'm trying."
4. Be a student of songs
"Study writing. Don't just study songwriting. Study writing period. Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, go all over the place. Study lyrical geniuses too," Davis stresses.
Kip Moore says this is exactly what he did, adding that when he got in a room with writers he admired he paid attention to how they did things.
"I just studied my butt off with great music and I taught myself how to write songs. I just did it over and over until I figured it out," he recalls. "I can remember how discouraging the whole process was for me and how much it beat me up to where I just don't know how to tell people. It was such a tough road. It was all I wanted to do, that's what kept me going."
Related: Kip Moore Is a Huge Fan of Dierks Bentley's Song "I Hold On"
He adds: "Study who you like. Figure out. You've got to sit down and you have to listen over and over for hours and hours of laying there at night and trying, understanding who the greats are, who your favorites are and paying attention to how they did it. It will soak into your mind and teach you how it's done. That's what I did. I studied the greats and the guys that I loved and that's how I learned how to write songs."
Erik Dylan, a Nashville-based songwriter who has written with Moore and Eric Paslay, says it is the writers he admires that keep him writing for a living.
"A lot of that comes from listening. I have my go-to artists and writers that I listen to be inspired," he says. "That's why I started writing. They keep me in my happy place so I can continue to write."
Smith says that she learned similar advice from songwriter Don Schlitz ("The Gambler," "Forever and Ever, Amen"), who she calls her Yoda. "He very much encouraged me to be a student of songs. He kept giving me music and would say, 'Go listen to this person and go listen to this person and try to write a song like that,'" she recalls. "I think it was one of the best exercises as a new artist to town. Go listen to all these writers who people have listened to for years and years and learn how they did it."
5. Don't fake it
"One thing I've noticed after writing in town for a publisher for almost four years is that I write my best stuff when it's coming from the heart and it's exactly what I want to be writing," Dylan notes. "If I'm trying to chase something that's out right now, that's on the radio...some people will ask you to write songs to sound like this type of song that's out on the radio right now. I've noticed when I've tried to chase things that I don't feel the songs are going to be that good."
He adds: "Write what you know and write from the heart and hope someone else understands that. The listener will understand the emotion in the song. If it's fabricated they're going to know it's fake. If it's real and from the heart people notice that. They believe it."
6. Write every day
It's hard to imagine a time when Dierks Bentley hasn't been on the radio. He has had hit after hit but things didn't start off that way. He took some songwriting advice with stride early on in his career.
"One guy said to me, 'You know what? You need to write about 500 songs, and just put them all in a drawer. When you get done doing that, call me up and I'll write with you,'" Bentley recalls. "I thought he was being a d-k, but basically what he was saying was--you can't be precious with your songs--you just got to write 'em and file 'em."
Related: Dierks Bentley on "Riser" and Keeping Live Shows "Dangerous"
He continues: "You want to be a songwriter? Write every day. 500 songs is a lot, but I got what he was saying. Don't type them up on a nice sheet of paper and put 'em in a three ring binder. Just write 'em up, then go on to the next one. Keep writing."
Bentley's upcoming tourmate, Moore, said he would often force himself to sit down every day and write two songs.
"I would force myself to write, write, write. Now it's more of an organic process, where I almost always come up with the guitar groove or melody in my head, and then I sing it into a recorder, and then I live with it for days in my bunk and let it soak into my brain and what I feel like it's supposed to be saying," he admits. "The more you do it the better you get for sure. My songwriting process changes from day to day, it's not always the same."
Davis makes the analogy that songwriting is just like working out. "If you went to the gym everyday and worked out your biceps every day, they're gonna grow. If you exercise your brain it's going to grow," he says. "If you want to be the best writer, read books. Find out words. Follow the people you look up to. See how they said something and [realize], 'Oh my gosh, they said that in a different way. How could I do that?' It's like anything."
7. Write with people you connect with
"A lot of times writing appointments, that's like our therapy," Angaleena Presley confesses. "We can't really afford therapy at that stage in our career so we are literally each other's therapists. A good therapy session you have a great song about whatever problem you're going through."
Related: Angaleena Presley Talks Breaking Down the Door for Solo Debut American Middle Class
Dylan says he often writes with songwriter Victoria Banks who he doesn't even have to pitch ideas to anymore.
"We know each other so well in the room that we don't have to think about whether the other co-writer is going to like the idea. We already know," he says. "What I start seeing in certain writers that I write with a lot is, I know we write this type of a song well together. I know how to pitch my ideas to certain writers."
Often, it's these songwriters that keep you grounded and show you the ropes, which was the case for Davis.
"I've been doing this professionally now for five to six years," he says. "Writing every day you find your circle of people that you connect really well with. And then also they're seasoned as well. I still have days when I go into a room with a newbie that comes into town and I remember being that newbie and thank God for people like Dan Couch ("Somethin' Bout a Truck," "Hey Pretty Girl"). When I first got to town, he showed me from right from wrong."
8. State powerful truths
Stuck on a chorus or song idea? Worsham suggests stating a universal truth.
"Some of the best advice I ever got on chorus writing was listen to the Beatles and Tom Petty," he admits. "If you listen to their choruses, 'And I'm free. Free fallin.' 'All you need is love.' If it's a really powerful truth sometimes all you need to do is say it and then repeat it two more times."
Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles says it even more succinctly. "Keep those big topics simple."
9. Don't play an instrument? Use karaoke instrumentals
"A lot of writers who don't play instruments, I recommend to get karaoke music to the genre that you're trying to write to and sing along with those songs," Dylan advises. "A lot of the chord changes are similar no matter what song it is. You could start finding other melodies just by listening to that music. It's a really good way to think of new melodies. You don't have to think about playing guitar or lyrics."
He adds: "I'll play karaoke from different artists, they have instrumentals of everything and I'll start singing melodies along with that music. Usually I'll find something that falls out. It's always a good way to cure writers block. It works, I'm serious. Because you're singing along with songs that are on the radio and you're not hearing that melody, you can take the melody and take it to a different place and change the music to what you're doing and you have a song. It's a good thing to do if you're not an instrumentalist."
10. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable
"As a songwriter you have to not be afraid of telling these stories," Brett Eldredge stresses. "If you want to be 100% honest, you can't be afraid to tell it."
Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott agrees. "You have to keep your heart open and your ears and eyes open. The best songwriters are those that allow themselves to be vulnerable," she confesses. "When people really feel what you're singing about is when you allow yourself to be vulnerable going into the room. Don't be afraid because we all feel alike. We all feel the same emotions. The listener knows when you're being authentic."

How to Write a Song in Ten Steps!
by Robin Frederick

1. Start with the title. Create a phrase of one to five words that sums up the heart of your song's message. Try using an image or action word in your title to give it energy and interest.

2. Make a list of questions suggested by the title. What are the questions you want to answer in your song and what do you think your listeners might want to know? Your list of questions might include: What does the title mean? Why are you saying that? How do you feel about it? What happened to cause this? What do you think or hope will happen next? You'll need three to four questions.

3. Choose a song structure. Currently, the most popular structure is: Verse / Chorus / Verse / Chorus / Bridge / Chorus. Many recent hits add a short section called a "pre-chorus" or "lift" between the verse and chorus to build anticipation..

4. Answer one question in the chorus and one in each verse. Select the question you want to answer in your chorus. Look for images and action words to bring your answers to life. What emotion are you describing? How does it make your body feel? Is it warm or cold? Dark or light? If you get too poetic, add a line that makes a clear statement so listeners don't get lost.

5. Find the melody in your lyric. Choose the lines you like best for your chorus. Say them out loud. Now say them again with LOTS of emotion. Exaggerate the emotion in the lines. Notice the natural rhythm and melody of your speech when you say the lines with lots of feeling. This is the beginning of your chorus melody. Play with it until it feels comfortable.

6. Begin to add chords to your chorus melody. Try a simple, repeated chord pattern. Play with the melody and chords until you find something you like. Record a rough vocal - even if it's only on your iPhone. Just be sure you get it down so you don't forget it.

7. Choose a question to answer in your first verse. Make it one that will draw the listener into the situation. Go through Steps 4 - 6 with you verse lyric and melody.

8. Connect your verse and chorus. After you have a verse and chorus create a transition between them. You may need to raise or lower your verse melody or change the last line to get to your chorus smoothly. TIP: Chorus melodies are usually in a higher note range than verses. When we get emotional our voices tend to rise. The chorus is the more emotional part of your song so it's higher, while verses add information about the situation.

9. Build your second verse and bridge. Choose another of your questions to answer in Verse 2. Proceed through Steps 4 - 6. Your second chorus will have the same melody and lyric as your first chorus. You are now almost finished with your song. You just need to add a bridge. The bridge section adds a peak emotional moment to your song, a realization, or an "aha!" moment. Try two or three lyric lines that give the listener the best insight you can, or sum up what you hope will be the outcome. The melody should be different from both verse and chorus. Try using a chord you haven't used before or changing the phrase lengths or motion of the melody. A bridge isn't a requirement but it can add a lot of strength to your song.

10. Record your song. A simple piano/vocal or guitar/vocal can often be the most effective emotional statement of your song. If you wrote a Rock song, do an "unplugged" version. You don't need lots of strings and synths - in fact, these can detract. Practice both the instrumental and vocal parts until you are comfortable with every chord, every note, every word. The less you have to focus on playing or singing, the more you can focus on the emotion in the song. Try singing it as if you are speaking it to someone. Record for short periods then take a break. Keep the song and the emotion fresh!

Five Myths about Achieving Success as a Songwriter

(http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/five_myths_about_achieving_success_as_a_songwriter)

1. Industry people are open to homemade, rough recordings. I get it. A song is made up of a melody and lyric and as long as you can hear those, any reasonable person ought to be able to tell whether a song is good or not, right? Well, not really. The reality is that a&r reps and publishers spend their entire day listening to music and a lot of it is beautifully recorded. Whether it's fair or not, your homemade recording is being held up to that level of quality. The analogy I tend to use is one where you go on a blind date and, while you may be a terrific person, you don't bother to shower. My guess is that your personality is not going to be the first thing your date will notice about you. Finally, given that you've only got one chance to make a first impression, a professional recording of your song (even if it's a simple guitar or piano and vocal) will go a long way towards marking you as someone who is serious about his or her craft.

2. You'll get "discovered" at a music conference. Music conferences provide many valuable functions, including opportunities for learning, connecting with your peers and, yes, networking with music industry professionals. Conferences are a great way to begin your relationships with the decision-makers in attendance. I say "begin" your relationships because conferences are, at best, only a couple of days and, last time I checked, no deep and lasting friendships or working relationships are ever fully realized in two days. If we're honest with ourselves, our secret dream at a music conference is that someone will hear one of our songs and either immediately put it in a movie or bring it to their artist to record. This mindset not only places too much pressure on your interactions at these conferences but also tends to make it uncomfortable for the industry folks who are there because they end up getting mobbed or interrupted at inappropriate moments. If you look at these conferences as an opportunity to learn and begin to develop relationships with people in the industry, you'll have a much better time and get a lot more out of them.

3. A publishing deal is the answer to your prayers. Being a songwriter is lonely work, which explains why we tend to crave industry recognition and approval of our material. While it's always nice to have people in the industry appreciate what you do, it's even better to know that you're doing quality work and not to give away your publishing just because someone in the industry tells you they like your songs. A publishing deal is a business arrangement where you'll be giving up part ownership in your songs (sometimes more than part and sometimes forever), so you should be very sure you know what you'll be getting in return. There are a lot of functions that publishers perform that we, as songwriters, can take care of ourselves -- not the least of which is pitching our own material. While it's nice to have a publisher with industry relationships shopping your material, sometimes it's better to develop those relationships yourself over time and keep ownership of your songs. Publishers provide a very valuable function in the music industry but don't assume that having a publisher is the only way to succeed.

4. Anything of lasting value happens quickly. Being a songwriter is a game of patience and perseverance. For that first cut or movie placement, you'll have most likely spent hundreds if not thousands of hours working on your craft. We all want success to come quickly but often, success as a songwriter is the result of reaching a critical mass of songs, pitches and networking. The key to success is sticking around, doing your work and not getting discouraged by the disappointments you'll undoubtedly encounter along the way. Since financial success comes slowly, it's even more important that you enjoy your day-to-day work as a songwriter, since that's what will sustain you on your road to eventual success.

5. It's impossible to have success as a songwriter. While the road to success as a songwriter is an unpredictable one, it's by no means a dead end. There are things that you can -- and should -- be doing every day to improve your odds and to give yourself more than a fighting chance of earning income from your songs. However, the fundamentals of this approach are similar across any business and not just music. By being methodical, focused and willing to do the unromantic work that any business requires as well as the fun, exciting musical work, you'll be amazed at just how attainable success can be.

I've come to believe in my 20-plus years in music that by setting reasonable expectations and doing the work, it becomes much harder to be fooled or discouraged by some of the pervasive myths that exist around songwriting success. As long as you're not planning on only being a songwriter this week, take a deep breath, keep your eyes open and know that by taking a more realistic and constructive view of your career as a songwriter, you'll be headed in the right direction.

How to Become a Lyricist
(http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Lyricist)

Three Methods:

A songwriter can be either a lyricist, a composer or both. While a composer creates the melody, it is the lyricist who writes the words that others sing to that melody. To become a lyricist requires dedication and practice to master the skills of writing effective and memorable song lyrics. If you want to "write the songs that make the whole world sing," here are the steps to go about it.

1)

Learn what it takes to write a good song lyric. Although a song lyric looks like a poem and uses many of the same poetic techniques and descriptive imagery, a song lyric needs to be written for the ear instead of the eye. While a poem can deliver complex ideas in a complex format, a song lyric must rapidly deliver simple, powerful ideas in a clear and focused manner. A good song lyric needs the following:

- A memorable title. Many country songs are famous for their titles, such as Paul Craft's "Drop Kick Me, Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)."

- A "hook," or memorable phrase in the body of the lyric that often connects back to the song's title. In Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell's "Georgia on My Mind," the hook is "Georgia, Georgia," which begins most lines of the song.

- A clear theme or story that can easily be followed throughout the song. Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" is about a convicted murderer lamenting the loss of his freedom while watching a train pass his prison cell.

- Imaginative and engaging rhymes. The Toby Keith song "A Little Less Talk," written by Keith Hinton and Jimmy Alan Stewart, features the lines "The look she shot me through the glass refraction said, 'A little less talk and a lot more action.' "

- Imagery that lives in the mind. In Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville," the line in the chorus "Searching for my lost shaker of salt" shows the singer's emotional state of feeling he can't do anything worthwhile.

2)
Learn how to structure a song. In addition to having the components described in the previous step, a song lyric has a structure of 1 or more verses, a chorus that repeats after each verse and frequently also a bridge separating the last repetition of the chorus from its next to last repetition.

- Each verse usually has different words, but all verses are sung to the same melody. Some verses include a "pre-chorus," a line that prepares the listener for the chorus.

- The chorus uses the same melody and the same, or nearly the same, words each time it is sung. It provides the song's emotional impact, often incorporating the song's title in its lyrics.

- The bridge has a different melodic and lyrical structure than either the verse or the chorus. It provides a break in the song and often includes a moment of revelation.

3)
Continue learning your craft. Read books, attend classes and seminars, and incorporate what you learn into how you write lyrics.

- Attending songwriting workshops and seminars also provides an opportunity to network.

Now, what I learned is to write with symmetry. I think it is important to write under one umbrella. (Know what you're trying to do and do it). You're song can have different voices. but all voices must speak to what your song is built around. Also, pay attention to how you transition from verse to chorus and chorus to verse. You want it to be as smooth as possible and for your song to have harmony of structure. Pay attention, also, to how your song flows, whereas, it presents in the fashion you wish, desires, that it's style and manor is appropriate to what you are trying to achieve. Also, whatever the voice (vernacular) you're using, your song must be well written, in that. A good song has "well crafted lyrics" - even a bubblegum pop one, so always strive to write well - even if, not grammatically proper.