Here’s a common issue that one of my subscribers recently raised to me …
“I am 16 years old and the main problem is that I know what I want to write, but when I write it, I think it sounds unconvincing.” He’s 16 now, but I’m pretty sure this problem transcends all ages.
The truth is that almost everything * I * wrote also I think sounds silly … at least at first. We all have to understand that in most cases you will never write a ‘great song’ the first time. It doesn’t happen that way.
I always joke to aspiring songwriters that “you’re not in the song-writing business, but rather … you’re in the song-editing business.”
By that I mean, you are not necessarily “writing songs”, but rather “creating songs”. That’s why they call it craft, and that’s how you should be thinking. It’s about constantly editing and rearranging your song until it is suitable for other listeners to listen to. When you have a song, don’t let it stop there. Trust me, it’s not over.
There may be exceptions to the rule, but most of all, you will still have work to do.
Listen to the verse … could you use a change of tune? Does it fit well with the chorus or pre-chorus? Does the song make lyrical sense? Get out of the song for a moment … would you like the song if you were a stranger listening? Does the song bore you? What could you do to change that?
Now, you don’t have to go crazy here. Don’t pick every little bump and crack, that will only drive you crazy. Consider the first instance of what you think you could do with the rework, then DO IT. Change it … and make it better.
Criticizing your own song is probably one of the hardest things to do in songwriting, but it CAN be done with relative ease. It implies that you really have to step away from your song and look at it with a little objectivity.
Hearing the song from other people’s ears can do wonders for your songwriting.
After you’ve done this, it’s time to get the cat out of the bag … BUT only for a limited audience.
What do I mean by that? …
… I mean, now you should play your song for a fellow musician, singer, or songwriter. All three if you can. If it’s someone you respect, even better. Here’s the ticket: There’s no better way to drastically improve your songwriting than when you actually start hearing your song through the ears of other songwriters / musicians, whom you respect. That is the best.
In fact, I will say it one more time so that you can engrave this phrase in your mind …
There is no better way to dramatically improve your songwriting than when you actually start hearing your song through the ears of another songwriter / musician, whom you respect. If you don’t have a friend who is a songwriter or musician that you admire and / or respect, find one. Honestly. Make friends with one. Develop some kind of relationship with one. Find one. It will be the biggest move you’ve ever made in songwriting.
Eventually, you won’t have to keep asking them for feedback because soon you will be able to hear your song. ‘through their ears’. This is why the above paragraph is so crucial to successful songwriting.
I am convinced that, if you follow the advice in this article, your composition will reach the highest level. Not only that, but you will achieve a higher level of composition in a shorter period of time.
Finally, remember that you will get better as you write more and more. By definition, if you do something more often, you will get better at it. So keep it up and for God’s sake ENJOY.