Songwriting Articles
Songwriting Zen Article Directory Is Here
I love songwriting articles, I love writing them and I love reading and learning from them.
There’s so much free songwriting information around that you’d have a huge songwriting resource if you somehow bundled it all together. The main problem is that, at the moment, you have to search high and low to find all of these gems of information.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if it was all in one place?
In “Create Your Own Comprehensive Songwriting Resource” I talk about an article written by Orlando Gutierrez outlining the concept of putting together a songwriting resource through researching free songwriting information found online.
I thought I’d take this concept one step further and build my own songwriting article directory. A place where you can find songwriting and other related information all in one place.
So, from today I’ve launched the Songwriting Zen Article Directory.
On it, you’ll find a link to my FREE eReport “11 Ways To Eliminate (Song) Writers Block FOREVER” plus, hand picked songwriting and other music related articles for your reading pleasure that I’ve gathered from my online research. I’m constantly surfing the web looking for songwriting information. Now I have a place where I can put it all.
If you have written a songwriting article and you want it published or, a favourite songwriting article you want included in the Songwriting Zen Article Directory then contact me and I’ll have a look at it.
Even though I only finished building it yesterday I already have five songwriting articles for you to read. They are:
- It’s Time To Thank A Songwriter – Orlando Gutierrez
- 7 Tips For Better Songwriting – Kyle H
- Great Songwriting Resources Are Yours For The Taking – Orlando Gutierrez
- Tips On Songwriting – Darren Monson
- 5 Songwriting Tips – Mahmoud Ibrahim
I’m excited by the possibilities of having my own songwriting article directory to share with you all. We can all hone our songwriting craft together.
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: songwriting article, songwriting resource, songwriting, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting zen, songwriting blog, corey stewart
Using A Thesaurus To Conquer Songwriters Block
I believe that as songwriters we need to do whatever it takes to get our songwriting ideas out of our heads and onto paper.
I started Songwriting Zen to document the many different tips, tricks and techniques that can be used to enhance the songwriting process.
I have written about using a Thesaurus in an earlier post called “Songwriting Tools – Rhyming Dictionary & Thesaurus” however, I came across an article by Orlando Gutierrez from www.songwriteradvisor.com, detailing the way he uses a thesaurus to help him write songs.
The article is called “Songwriting Help For Songwriters’ Block”. I hope you get as much out of it as I did.
By Orlando Gutierrez
Few songwriters use thesauruses during the songwriting process, thinking it’s either a form of cheating, it ruins their natural creativity making lyrics sound forced, or simply because they don’t own a copy of one!
But a thesaurus offers the most songwriting help when it comes to songwriters block and there are actually several techniques on how to use it.
First, I assure you it’s not a form of cheating. Furthermore, when used properly, a handful of related words fished from a thesaurus for a given theme can open your mind up to possibilities you would never think of on your own.
Guess what happens after that? Yep, your natural creativity follows, springing ideas from each useful word you can find.
Plain lines become original and interesting, small ideas turn into larger ones with perhaps alternate story lines or feelings for your song themes, and you ultimately become more and more creative on your own as you write each song.
I call that totally original with a helpful push!
By using a thesaurus correctly, you can actually get rid of writers block forever. Understand, however, that you’re going to have better songwriting sessions than others, but you will certainly not fall into writers block!
Next time you proclaim, “Help, I’ve got songwriters block. I need some songwriting help,” don’t feel so frustrated. We’ve all been there and share your pain.
Use this awesome “use-a-thesaurus-to-get-rid-of-writers-block” tip to get you started on the right track, and you’ll be on your way to getting rid of songwriters block forever:
1. Pick a theme for your song. (i.e., let’s say your song theme is something plain like, “I feel so alive because I’m in love with this person”).
2. Pick an interesting or even bland word from your song theme (i.e., the words feel, alive, and love stand out, so we’ll pick the most interesting one first- “alive”). Don’t worry if the original word is bland. One average word brings others to life!
3. Look in your thesaurus or use an online thesaurus such as Rhymezone, and find related words to the word “alive” while thinking of your theme.
These are the related words I found in Rhymezone: aware, awake, vital, give, exist, breathing, life, remember.
4. Now write down these words in a single column on the left side of a paper.
5. Repeat the process with every single related word retrieved from the word “alive”, starting with “aware”, keep building your word list , and keep writing each word until you have two to four columns.
6. Now you have a worksheet to pick words from, which will naturally spring ideas as they relate to your song theme!
As an example let’s review the original words we found on Rhymezone from the word “alive”: aware, awake, vital, give, exist, breathing, life, remember.
Here are four original, interesting lines quickly sprung from this process:
I keep staying awake
Too aware of my breathing
My pulse is amplifying
Everything I’m feeling
It took less than 1 minute. These lines are definitely keepers and can definitely be the start of a solid song. There are some added words not on the list (last two lines), but that’s the whole idea!
These words naturally came to me by using the other words. Mr. Thesaurus once again to the rescue!
Orlando Gutierrez is a former Warner/Chappell Staff songwriter who dedicates most of his time to his website, www.songwriteradvisor.com, in order to provide innovative songwriting tips and techniques to give songwriters an edge over the competition in an ever-changing music industry.
Look at the free 7-step songwriting blueprint, and sign up for your free monthly newsletter “Tune Sleuth” today at www.songwriteradvisor.com
© Copyright – Orlando Gutierrez – All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Orlando_Gutierrez
I’ve always felt that when used correctly, the thesaurus could be a powerful songwriting tool but after reading this article I now know for sure that a thesaurus needs to be an essential tool to help with your songwriting process.
Just in case you feel a little blocked from time to time.
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: thesaurus, songwriting, songwriter, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting blog, songwriting idea, songwriting process, corey stewart
Lyrical Ideas Are Everywhere. Just Listen!
It’s amazing the amount of lyrical ideas we can pick up if we just listened out for them. This concept is explained very clearly in an article by Shamir Rele from his “Songwriting & Beyond” blog called “Songwriting Tips – Listen For Lyrics”.
Personally, I found this article very useful. I hope you do too.
Do you ever have a time where you’re searching for lyrical ideas? I know I do.
Some of you may have already read my newsletter ‘Super-Charge Your Lyrical Ideas’ – and hopefully you’ve grabbed some idea’s from it. Here, I’ll go into it a little bit more.
You should certainly take what is happening in your daily life and try and ‘listen for lyrics’ as they happen to you.
Overheard Chit-Chat
For example, I overheard a conversation at a restaurant the other day (which usually isn’t very difficult) and somebody said the phrase “there’s just no use in me trying”. I immediately jotted it down, came home and starting to write a song based around that phrase.
The song was about a relationship and the girl tried her best to keep it together, but it was sinking situation and the hook (chorus) would sing “there just ain’t no use in my trying”.
This is a very simple yet powerful idea.
Write about your Friends Situation
There isn’t anything like taking ideas from your friends or relative’s life. Of course, if it’s seemingly negative then you may not want to tell them where the inspiration came from 
If your friend’s mother just had a heart transplant and the family is going through grief, then why not write a song about it? In fact, why don’t you go one further and make out like the father is cheating with another woman?
Fictionalizing a real life story is often a great way to write a song. Perhaps the father cheating can be a feature of the song.
Yes, this may seem harsh – but look, who’s to say you have to reveal your sources of inspiration? Remember, you are only writing a song here.
Grab the Daily News
What’s happening in the world today? Earthquakes? Tsunamis? Politics? Violence? Racism? Think about the implications of events that are unfolding before your very eyes.
These are the things and the people of the world are listening and watching.
Remember to take things to a new level with your song – meaning think of the depths of these events and circumstances and write from a ‘how this effects us’ stand point.
This is incredibly powerful because people will WANT to sing your song as it effects them too.
Ideas from TV and the Movies
How many times have you watched a movie and have been completely moved by it? This is exactly the feeling people experience when listening to a song they love. It makes them feel validated in some way.
The lyrics are totally congruent with their emotions. Writing about specific situations from TV and films in realistic genres (ie. not sci-fi and horror) will be a route to evoke somebody and then hopefully to like your song enough to want to hear it over and over.
As you can see, the above will surely get your ears listening for lyrical ideas in different situations. Once you make a habit of this, ideas will be flooding in your mind – sometimes non-stop.
Shamir Rele shows us that anyone can learn how to write a song with his ‘no nonsense’ styled approach songwriting tips.
Grab your tips here http://www.SongwritingTipsOnline.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shamir_Rele
No matter what I do, I find it a real challenge to write lyrics as freely as musical ideas.
I’m pretty sure that this block is a self imposed one however, it’s articles like this one that give me the confidence to write the lyrics that I want to write.
Anyone out there have other tips on writing better lyrics? Let me know, I’m all ears.
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting blog, corey stewart
The Importance Of Being A Songwriter
I found an uplifting article by Orlando Gutierrez called “It’s Time To Thank A Songwriter”. It’s a wonderful piece highlighting the very important role that a songwriter plays in the lives of everyone.
If you’ve ever felt like the whole world is against you and you feel that your family and friends don’t take you and your songwriting serious enough, then this article is for you.
Enjoy…
Without question, songwriters are the lifeblood of the music industry.
Without songs, record companies wouldn’t have a product to put out so that all of us could make them rich while enjoying the most appealing sound we know. The sweet sound of music!
Songwriting can be extremely lucrative for persistent and talented people and great songwriters are always in demand by major music publishers who are always on the prowl for new talent.
Then why is it that so many parents aren’t supportive at all of their children’s desire to pursue a songwriting career or any music career for that matter?
On one hand I understand a parent being concerned over the future of their children’s lives because music can be a cut-throat business.
But so are many other career paths, and to squash a child’s dreams of having a music career because of parents’ selfish hopes that their children will become doctors and lawyers is beyond anything imaginable and just about the most hypocritical scenario I can think of.
These same parents are the ones cranking up the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack on their old turntables connected to their Pioneer surround sound systems most every weekend, doing their best John Travolta dance imitation while upsetting the neighbors, and telling everyone how great the Bee Gees songwriting on
the album was, and how the album defined that particular era.
So the message parents send their kids is, it’s okay for someone else to make music for the whole world to enjoy as long as it’s not their child.
These aspiring songwriters face many other hurdles later in life. It’s not uncommon for family and friends to snicker and sneer behind a songwriter’s back wondering when the songwriter’s going to get a real job and quit chasing the pipe dream.
To be successful at songwriting it takes much determination and hard work, virtues that would automatically be respected in most every other career.
The truth is, songwriters need moral support from their family and friends more than from any other source and there generally seems to be a shortage of virtues such as optimism, patience, and understanding from these family members.
For those of you who have shown never-ending support for your significant other, bless you.
For those of you who can’t understand why your significant other is still trying to make it as a songwriter, and you can’t wait for them to finally give it up for your own selfish reasons even though your songwriter is a responsible, caring person, you need to reconsider your actions and desperately need to hug and thank your songwriter before it’s too late!
For those of you friends and family members who have supported a songwriter by watching them play and by buying their 5 song EP’s even though the music damaged your chihuahua’s ears, bless you.
For those of you who call yourself friends when all you do is talk behind the songwriter’s back wondering when is this person gonna’ get a real job and forget this foolishness, you need to trash your CD collection because every single artist on your CD shelf went through the same hard times to even get noticed!
On second thought, take your CD’s out of the wastebasket, but only if you take the time right now to thank a songwriter.
Songwriters have all been influenced and educated by other songwriters, and for this reason, all you songwriters out there should thank another songwriter.
Folks, family members, and friends, the time has come to show these songwriters our undying support. They’re the ones making music for our enjoyment. It’s time to thank a songwriter.
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About the Author
Orlando Gutierrez is a former Warner/Chappell Staff songwriter who dedicates most of his time to his website, http://www.songwriteradvisor.com in order to provide innovative songwriting tips and techniques to give songwriters an edge over the competition in an ever-changing music industry.
Visit the website, look at the free 7-step songwriting blueprint, and sign up for your free monthly newsletter “Tune Sleuth” today at: http://www.songwriteradvisor.com
© Copyright – Orlando Gutierrez All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Go on, give yourself a pat on the back.
If music makes the world go around then being a songwriter is one of the most important jobs there is because without us the world as we know it, stops.
From one songwriter to another I thank you for being you.
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: songwriting, songwriter, songwriting tip, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting blog, corey stewart
General Songwriting & Lyrical Advice
The Internet is an amazing place. You can find information on absolutely anything and everything. Even songwriting.
I’m constantly looking for the best information on writing songs, creativity and the music business in general and I thought I should highlight some of the pearls of wisdom I come across from time to time.
This article I’m highlighting today is a great example of this.
Recently I came across a simple article by Jason Bridges called “Lyrics and Songwriting Ideas” which outlines some general principles to writing lyrics.
While I was reading the article I realised that what he was saying reflected my opinions exactly. Sometimes it’s nice to know you’re on the right track.
Here is the full article for your enjoyment
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Lyrics And Songwriting Ideas
By Jason Bridges
A song is totally based on its lyrics and melody.
Writing lyrics for a song may seem difficult at first. Some people think it takes years of formal training to write good lyrics and become a decent songwriter.
I believe it’s quite the opposite though. Lyrics are all around us every day, if we just be observe. You have to develop a lyrical mindset. Songs can be written about anything.
It is easy to get ideas for writing lyrics by listening to conversations in day to day life and by observing activities going on around you.
Inspiration can be found everywhere, in magazines and newspapers, on the radio, and even in your workplace. Some songwriters start out composing their thoughts as a story, and then putting these ideas into lyrics and rhyme.
When you get your lyrical ideas down on paper, you refine it and start searching for words that will make your lyrics rhyme. However, you don’t always need your lyrics to rhyme.
Don’t just add words to a song because they rhyme, if they don’t make sense in the song. Also, if you can’t get the last part of the lyrics to rhyme, you can try to think of combinations of words that would rhyme. Whatever you do, you want your lyrics and rhymes to flow naturally.
Don’t worry about trying to finish an entire song in one sitting. That just isn’t practical most of the time, although sometimes someone can feel really inspired and write whole songs worth of lyrics at once.
Really though, you should just write the lyrics down as they come to you, and you will eventually be able to take the best lines and best phrases to complete the song with original lyrics.
As with everything else, practice makes perfect. The more you write, the better you will become. Besides just jotting down lyrics as they come to you throughout the day, try to schedule a regular time each day and think about how to compose those lyrics into a meaningful song.
Some people find early mornings to be the best time, when they feel refreshed and get better ideas.
Today, there is even songwriting software available on the internet to help aspiring lyricists. You may want to look at some of the songwriting software on the market.
About the author
For more songwriting tips, as well as music and lyrics information, visit http://www.lyricspimp.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Bridges
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You would’ve noticed that there were some really good points raised here.
1. “A song is totally based on its lyrics and melody”.
That’s right. A song is made up of 2 parts. Everything else is arrangement and aural packaging.
2. “Lyrics are all around us every day”.
Lyrics are words and words are used to communicate every thought and feeling we have. Put yourself in the middle if a city and listen to the conversations around you and (if you let it) you will hear hooks for songs all over the place.
3. “Songs can be written about anything”.
Amen to that!!
4. “Inspiration can be found everywhere”
Again, only if you allow yourself to be inspired. Give your inner critic some time off from his/her duties and immerse yourself in inspiration.
5. “Whatever you do, you want your lyrics and rhymes to flow naturally”
Forced rhymes aren’t very nice to listen to. Your lyrics don’t have to rhyme if the lyric doesn’t want to. Concentrate on the rhythm of the words as well.
6. “Don’t worry about trying to finish an entire song in one sitting”.
Let things happen organically and naturally. This is not a race here. As long as you devote some time every day or few days to writing songs you’ll be fine. Sometimes you can’t choose when a song finishes.
7. “The more you write, the better you will become”
Like with any craft or skill that one learns. Practise makes perfect.
Is there anything there that catches your eye?
Until next time, keep on writing,
Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Keywords: songwriting process, songwriting tip, songwriting, songwriter, songwriting news, songwriting idea, songwriting help, songwriting blog, corey stewart
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