Songwriting tips...

[Eeva_r&b]

KEEP THE MESSAGE SIMPLE
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Write words that connect with other people!

What is the point of having the most clever, thought-out, deep and
poetic lyrics if nobody can relate to them?

Well, there isn't much point.

If you want a song that people can 'connect' with, then keep the
lyrics simple. Even the most experienced songwriters will come back
to this point over and over again - keep the lyrics simple.

This doesn't mean that you have to write the obvious 'catch
phrases', what it DOES mean, it that DON'T LET YOUR LYRICS GET TOO
COMPLICATED so that nobody can understand what you're trying to say!

While I certainly wouldn't disagree with using metaphors and
similes, I wouldn't use them exclusively. So just there's no need
to get too fancy,they're like jewelery,and too much bling looks tacky right?

Remember, you're not writing songs for English literature professors.
You're writing songs for the world to hear and relate to.

[Eeva_r&b]

WRITE WITH YOURSELF
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Of course technically speaking, you can't be a songwriting team
'with yourself' (unless you really do have a split personality) but
there IS a way to actually write 'with yourself'.

It's a technique most of us use without even realizing.

Have you ever started to write lyrics and didn't finish them? Have
you ever started to write a tune and then you just 'left it'? Have
you ever written a few chords only to not know where to go next?

Of course you have. I have too, on many occasions.

So often these unfinished idea's are left in a notebook or recorded
somewhere and then never to be seen again. This is where 'self
collaboration' comes in.

Usually, we barely remember what we were working on back then and
this is why you should go BACK to these idea's. So much time would
have elapsed and you will feel like you're writing with someone
else's idea.

You will have the advantage on gaining a perspective that you
didn't have the first time around.

Funny enough, with the gap of time, we can almost always tell why
we couldn't finish the song in the first place. But now we see the
flaws and all the cracks that we completely missed first time
around - and it now seems so obvious and apparent.

So, learn to write with yourself. Make it your secret weapon.

[Eeva_r&b]

CREATING MELODIES

The moment that people create a melody which they feel is great, many think it already sounds like another song.
This is common, and I suffered from this many times. What you've got
to understand is that ALL SONGS are RECYCLED MELODIES.

Every song has a 'portion' of the tune which will be the same as
another. So don't worry if you feel your song sounds like another.
It's perfectly normal to feel this way.

What's important to know here is that if your melody is a familiar
one, then that's a GOOD THING. I'm NOT talking about a 'rip off'
here, I'm talking about a part(s) of your melody that sounds like
another song(s).

Why is it a good thing? Because it means PEOPLE RELATE TO THE
MELODY even more. They will want to listen to your song because of
the familiarity.

Remember, most people aren't songwriters. So chances are, most
people won't even realize where it may or may not have been
inspired from.

And what if they do? Well... ultimately, as a whole, it will be
your own words, your own tune and eventually with your own music.
So it will be YOUR SONG. So don't fret.

Again, I just want to stress the point -- this ISN'T about ripping
off other melodies. This is about creating your own melodies that
sound like a familiar tune to the world out there. It's two
very different things.