Tips to Sharpen By: Songwriting Tips

Here's some tips derived from our last meeting.

Tip #3

If a song does not seem to be working, take the best line, chord change or melody and rebuild the song around that. This can mean repeating this part as a hook or refrain, OR you can try saving this part for one golden moment the whole song is building toward. 

Tip #4

This is a basic one: do not be afraid of re-writing your songs! Can I be so bold to say that I all the best songwriters go through multiple version of their songs? Write as many verses as you can and then pick through and cut and paste it for continuity and the effect you desire. Bob Dylan reportedly wrote something like 25 verses for Like A Rolling Stone.

Tip #5

Try writing a song in the genre of your favourite songwriter(s). Many of us today are concerned with developing our own unique style. This however can become a hinderance to our development and ability to learn from the great songwriters of the past. I've attempted deriving and lifting parts from other songwriters and then by the time song is finished, the stolen parts become near unrecognizable and secretly I'm almost disappointed that my blatancy is hidden.

As T.S. Eliot (one of the greatest poets of the 20th century) famously said, "immature poets imitate, great poets steal".

That's all for now. Next Forge is April 9th! Contact me if you are interested in showcasing-- my info can be found here: www.myspace.com/thomaswilsonfolksongs