Tips to Improve Your Music Writing

On January 26, the top artists and songwriters took the stage to try for the coveted Grammy Award. Competing in categories like “Best Album,” “Best New Artist,” and “Best Song,” recording artists like Billie Eilish and Lizzo were watched and cheered on by over 20 million viewers.

But all of these incredible artists began as kids with just a piano and a song, and most worked everyday to create and perfect their music. If your dream is to one day perform at the Grammys, you probably also have a song in your heart. You might be a complete novice at songwriting, or already have an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.

Chances are, you already have favorite artists. Maybe you love to rock out to “Piano Man” or croon along with “Blue Skies.” Spend some time studying the songs you love, and even learn to play their music. Use their stories as inspiration for your own work. Humble yourself and soak up all the knowledge you can from books, classes or other professionals.

When writing lyrics, it’s critical to avoid overthinking. Generally, songwriters should write what they know, in a narrative fashion. While you might want to spend hours crafting intricately rhyming metaphors - the mark of a true hit is how relatable it is. Your song exists to tell a story.

Comb through every lyric and ensure each word is pertinent to the story you plan to tell. You should be able to justify every line in your finished work. There should never be unrelated phrases, even if they rhyme if you think they’re pretty.

Musicians practice daily - no matter their professional status. Songwriters and composers should follow the same rules. There is no reason you shouldn’t be writing everyday. Even if you have no ideas, set aside a daily time to write and let your ideas flow. Making songwriting a daily habit can give you practice as you learn to embrace your style.

Stream of consciousness writing was developed in the 20th century, and described a method of narration that follows the winding paths of the thoughts in the mind of a character. This method can be very useful in songwriting as well.

Find some inspiration through a poem, a word search, or limerick and spend several minutes freestyle writing. This style of writing has proven very effective in discovering new ideas and revealing dangerous writing patterns.

Continuing to improve your songwriting skills will take time and effort, no matter where you are in your career. Spending time placing pen to paper allows inspiration to flow whenever it hits. Orchestrating your fears and struggles can be extremely difficult, and sharing you music with others can be even harder.

Wherever you are in your songwriting journey, don’t be afraid to (gently) stroke your ego. Promoting a positive personal mindset can elevate your creativity and increase your morale when stuck in a rough patch of writers’ block.

Sharing your music with the world is a lofty, but extremely rewarding goal. Treat your passion as your career, write and practice every day, and you’ll be onstage at the Grammys in no time.