“The Essential Secrets of Songwriting 10-eBook Bundle” comes with an excellent Study Guide that’s meant to get your songwriting moving in the right direction. Also comes with a FREE eBook, “Use Your Words! Developing a Lyrics-First Songwriting Process.”
One great way to improve your songwriting is to improve your singing and your playing.
The reasons are simple: by improving your playing, you make it possible to come up with more intricate and creative song ideas that can serve you well in your next song. You also avoid the situation where your fingers keep moving to the same notes and chords, because you’re increasing your repertoire of ideas.
By improving your singing, you develop some vocal versatility that makes it possible for you to sing more varieties of musical styles. Just take any good singer, and make note of how many different vocal styles they display from one song to the next:
Paul McCartney: “Blackbird” – “Helter Skelter” – “I Will” – “Back In the U.S.S.R.”
So becoming a better pianist/guitarist/singer doesn’t just make you a better band member — it has the potential of increasing your songwriting versatility.
Finding a teacher isn’t that difficult. If you’re not sure you can afford the lessons, your lessons don’t have to be weekly. Talk to a teacher about taking lessons once a month or so, and then work hard between lessons.
There’s another good reason why instrumental/vocal lessons are great for songwriters. From time to time, you’ll find that songwriting ideas dry up, and frustration increases. At those times, taking a break from writing can be the best solution.
And replacing your writing time with practicing your singing or playing is a great way to continue to feel creative and musical. You may find that instrumental improvisation has a way of getting songwriting ideas to flow once more.
So in the bid to make yourself a better songwriter, becoming a better performer might be your best way forward.
Written by Gary Ewer. Follow Gary on Twitter.
To discover the most important secrets of the chords-first songwriting process, read “Writing a Song From a Chord Progression.” It’s part of “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting 10-eBook Bundle.”