5 Good Reasons for Songwriters to Multitask

You take full advantage of your creative mind when you juggle several songwriting projects.

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piano and music notesIf you’re like most composers of music, you like to concentrate on one song at a time. But there are good reasons for modifying your songwriting approach and consider working on several projects simultaneously. Some might worry that multitasking might spread your creative abilities a bit too thin, but that’s often not the case.

Here’s a quick list of reasons why spreading your efforts out a bit might be beneficial.

  1. Mood-match your songs. Throughout the week, you’ll find that it’s normal to have different prevailing moods. On some days (or some parts of days), you’ll feel happy and optimistic. At other times, you might feel quiet and broody. Then you’ll feel that mood switch to joyfulness and back again. That’s all part of being human. So it makes sense, if you have several songs on the go at any one time, to switch from one kind of song to another that suits your present mood.
  2. Switching projects as a diversion. Let’s face it, some songs are easy to write, with lots of repetition with simple formal design, while others require more brain-power. Working on a simple song can be a nice diversion from a longer or more complex one.
  3. Switching projects as a break. There is plenty of research to support the fact that the brain continues to process and develop information even when it is in a restful state. By moving from one project to another, you might think that you’ve switched gears entirely, but don’t be surprised if you have a sudden rush of new ideas when you switch back to working on your previous song.
  4. Expand your creative mind. Different songs on the go often means that you’re more aware of the problem of “sameness” with your songs. If you’ve got five songs that you’re working on at the same time, you’re more likely to try to avoid those songs all having a similar sound or approach, and so it’s good for your overall output.
  5. Avoid writer’s block. When the notes and chords stop happening, switching to something else might help you realize that your block really is just with that one song, not all songs.

The great thing about working on several songs at the same time is that there are no rules. You can juggle 3 or 4 songs as you compose throughout the week, and then suddenly decide to put all your efforts into one project until it’s complete. And that’s probably the real benefit of multi-tasking. If the notes come easily, you can choose to stick with a song, at least until a bump in the road “forces” you to look in an entirely new direction.

 

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One Comment

  1. Morning Gary, This article is so true, valuable information for all Songwriters no matter what level they are at. I wish your book or books on songwriting were in paper back or hard back . You cover facets of songwriting that not many other top authors get even close to. The subconscious does indeed work on our songs from their birth to the
    making of a Professional Demo.

    I myself have a folder of around twenty songs some even go back to a conception time of three years old , one or two may be abandoned eventually but I will have learned a little more from each. I currently have five songs that are given the priority and attention,
    songs I feel fit current trends , working on several songs at one time stops a song becoming labeled as rushed, or inviting comments like “It’s good but it doesn’t quite stand out compared to what’s in the current charts” .

    As always thanks for your valuable insights on the Art Of Songwriting.

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