Dan Banks answered
Songwriting is all about patience. And just like any creative process, you may only get bouts of inspiration sporadically - some days you may be able to write a song in 10 minutes and others it could take ten months!
Unfortunately this is the nature of the beast, and the most important thing is not to give up, even when you think you're all out of creative juice!
Unfortunately this is the nature of the beast, and the most important thing is not to give up, even when you think you're all out of creative juice!
Some helpful tips for songwriting
If you're new to this then hopefully you'll find these tips helpful:
- Learn your instrument well and learn plenty of songs in the style and genre you're looking to write in. This will help you pick-up the norms of the genre, which should make the songwriting process easier.
- You'll have to look into musical theory. Scales, chords and keys will determine how 'melodic' and catchy your song may sound. A good knowledge of musical theory will also improve your practical playing.
- Listen to plenty of music. Inspiration comes in many shapes and sizes, but listening to a wide range of different music should help when it comes to writing your very own songs.
- And the most important tip of all - don't rush it! Rome wasn't built in a day, so don't expect to be able to write a masterpiece straight away. Songwriting is just like any other art - the more you practice the better you will become at it.