On my last post on using Evernote to help you write songs, one of my readers, Brad Lebakken, left a helpful comment on a songwriter’s inspiration. I thought it was so good that I wanted to turn it into a post.
He says:
“I love listening to a lot of bands that are doing innovative things and are on the forefront of creating good art in music. I get inspired by that a lot. Also I love writing songs on my guitar in different locations and times of day. I find I write different when I’m in my house than when I write outside at night on my deck. Sometimes I’ll write in the church sanctuary or in the sun in my yard. I also write by messing around with different instruments like drums, banjo, ukelele, or keyboard. Sometimes just putting a drum loop on and then riffing over that can be productive. Sometimes finding a good song title or lyric first can inspire a song. The best thing is to be constantly writing. Lately for every 5 -10 ok songs I write there might be one good one that makes it to the recording studio. I usually throw out a lot of songs but it’s good songwriting practice.”
Brad has left us with some extraordinary insight into overcoming songwriter’s block:
1. Listen to innovative music
Nobody has complete inspiration within themselves. We all have influences. If you want to improve as a songwriter, listen to great songwriters. Listen to innovative music. Listen to something, God forbid, that may be out of your listening comfort zone. This is typically the first thing I do when I feel stuck. It’s also helpful to experiment with a style and song structure that doesn’t come naturally to you. Great songwriters are great listeners.
2. Experiment with Location & Time
Do you typically write songs in the same place all the time? Experiment with a new location. Go to a park, to your deck, out in the woods, a friends house, a studio, or whatever. Also experiment with different times of the day. I happen to be most productive in the early mornings and sometimes late at night. To overcome your songwriter’s block, switch up where you write and when you write. You may just experience a breakthrough.
3. Experiment with Different Instruments
I think it’s easy for our creativity to deaden through routines. Always going to the same piano, picking up the same guitar, rocking the same pad on the same keyboard. If you’re able, try a new instrument in your songwriting. Sometimes a song idea can be birthed through the feel and sound of a different instrument. Want an inexpensive idea? Go hang out at your local music store for an hour and play different instruments. See what results. I remember when I first bought my Martin DC-16GTE
. I was instantly inspired by the look, feel, and sound of that guitar. I think it might be time for one of these. What do you say?
4. Look over past lyrics & song titles
Another option is to simply glance through your songwriting journal. Sometimes I’ll revisit ideas from years earlier and finally pull it all together. If you don’t keep a songwriting journal, that would be the first place to start. I recommend you use Evernote, as I talked about here.
5. Write constantly
This is actually my most recent challenge. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers
, talked about the “10,000 hour rule” which basically says it takes 10,000 hours to become a true master at something. I believe this applies to songwriting. If you want to be great, put steady, consistent time into writing. Instead of writing when you feel inspiration, make a discipline of writing every day or every other day. The point is, as Brad says, be constantly writing.
Question: How do you overcome songwriter’s block? Share your thoughts in the comments.
I enjoyed this post, David. I agree that great songwriters are great listeners and we should listen to a variety of music to find inspiration. Who are your favorite songwriters? Some of mine are Matt Redman, Martin Smith, and Stevie Wonder.
Matt Redman is on the top of my list. I also like Tim Hughes, Brian Doerksen, Phil Wickham, Derek Webb, Reuben Morgan, Sleeping at Last, etc. There’s others I just can’t think of them now!
Some other ideas: 1) Co-write both with someone familiar and unfamiliar. This can be very stretching.
2) Try writing “on assignment” for a particular topic like a sermon series or awareness campaign. Deadlines are amazingly helpful too.
Write on dude.
Yes! Co-writing is definitely a stretch but the honest feedback will make you better. Good stuff. Do you have a songwriting schedule that you maintain or do you write more sporadically?
Well, in Nashville there are many writers who schedule co-writing appointments just like any other meeting. I however must confess that I write best when the muse hits me.
Great post!
So I’m reading a book on songwriting called “the craft and business of songwriting”. Although it talks mostly about business it has some great things to say about writing lyrics and vocals. First in your songs avoid cliches and be as specific as possible. You might write the lyric about God saying ” you are good”. Well how has he been good, how can you expand on that. Be specific and keep your songs focused. Find new ways to say things, use some new imagery, alliterations, or tell a good story. Jesus taught in stories because we remember them and they resonate with us. Country music reaches a lot of people because it is full of stories, specific imagery, and usually a story twist. Like her or not Taylor Swift reaches a lot of people partly because every song is a story. When people listen to her songs the song imagery and stories are playing out, in scenes, in the listeners head. When she sing “he knelt down and pulled out a ring” you as a listener picture that happening in your head. So if we want our songs to be memorable and reach more people use those types of techniques in your lyrics. I think of the song “amazed” by Jered Anderson that says of God “You dances over me while I am unaware”. That’s a good little story and imagery. Makes it memorable
So Brad, when are you starting your songwriting blog? 🙂 Keep the comments coming!