Balancing Inspiration and Work Ethic in Songwriting

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It’s hard for non-writers of music to believe that musical composition can happen without inspiration. Surely songs can only be written if the songwriter feels the muse, that musical urge, that flash of revelation. Sometimes, it really is that way, but not often. If we all relied on inspiration as our starting point for songwriting, precious little would ever get written. And in truth, most of the songs that start with a flash of inspiration without being followed by technical abilities, usually don’t ever get finished.

That’s certainly not to say that inspiration has no place in songwriting. But I really believe that inspiration isn’t a moment. In my mind, it’s an idea that propagates. Inspiration is a thought accompanied by a feeling, that in and of itself begins to create new thoughts and new ideas. Inspiration, in its most useful form, is the balancing of flashes of creativity with work ethic.

It’s not enough to simply be inspired to write something. Inspiration, without knowing what to do with those initial ideas, will usually result in a song that never gets written.

So inspiration needs to be quickly followed up by (or immediately accompanied by) the technical ability to create – the craft of musical composition. That craft allows you to create music that works, because it is based on a knowledge of how successful songs work.

But it begs the question: can music be conceived of, and written, without that initial spark? Without that preliminary moment of inspiration?

The answer is yes, and it must be yes. Imagine being a film score composer, where your job is to create music to fit a scene for a new movie. Film composers write a lot of music, and they are required to create music to fit any and all emotional situations. And they must do so, whether they feel inspired to create music or not.

And yes, it is very possible to do so. We know that certain musical shapes will elicit certain emotional responses. That knowledge is based on experience, not so much on inspiration.

I mention this because you can go for days without feeling that instantaneous urge to write. You can feel totally uninspired, musically. What should you do? You should write anyway!

Writing without inspiration is a great way to develop and deepen your songwriting ethic. Having no inspiration does not prevent you from remembering that verse melodies should rise toward their end, and meet a chorus melody that should be pitched relatively higher.

Having no inspiration does not prevent you from noting that songs need to have a sense of energy, or that lyrics need to tell their story in plain, everyday language.

But the great thing is that the more you work, the more you will find that inspiration develops. Even if your song began as a dry, inspiration-less exercise. The more you hear things working the way they should, the more you’ll feel your musical mind kicking into gear. It’s an exciting feeling.

If you’re going through the musical doldrums, don’t give up! Don’t put songwriting on the back burner. You may need a day or two away from it, but get right back into it. You’ll be amazed how the simple act of writing starts to stimulate the musical mind again. It will be inspiration that comes from work ethic.

And the great thing is that you’ll be able to share your experiences and be an inspiration to others!

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website.
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