If you like starting songs by working with a chord progression, you need to read “Writing a Song From a Chord Progression.” It will give you the pros and cons of this songwriting method, and help you create songs that really work!
Here in the northern hemisphere we’re in the dog-days of summer. If you’re going to have difficulties staying inspired and excited to write music, it’s often during the summer months.
I like to remind songwriters and other creators of art that the best kind of inspiration is the kind you feel when you’re working. With every note you write, you tend to feel more artistically excited, and that gets you working even harder.
But we’re only human, and there are times when even the most dedicated songwriters find it hard to keep writing. You need a break. But the problem with a break is that it sometimes feels uncomfortably like writer’s block.
How do you stay positive when songwriting gets hard? It’s time to shift your way of thinking: it’s not so much that it’s important to write every day… it IS important that you feel creative every day.
And for songwriters, creativity can come in many forms:
- playing music (e.g., dig out your guitar or keyboard);
- listening actively to music (e.g., listen and figure out exactly what is going on with that song); or
- give your opinions about music (e.g., write a blog or record a video).
It’s not that it’s so vital that you pick up your pencil and write every day — but it is vital that you think about music every day, and do the things that require your creative brain to engage. Sometimes that’s writing, but sometimes it’s playing, sometimes it’s listening, and sometimes it’s just giving your opinion.
During these summer months, do whatever you can to keep your mind thinking about music, and allow yourself some time away from actually writing. In doing that, you’ll find it much easier to stay positive, and you’ll usually keep writer’s block from setting in.
Written by Gary Ewer. Follow Gary on Twitter
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