Monday, October 31, 2011

How can I find a songwriting partner?

Question by Mariah:

I want to write a song about life, love and being saved from my past. Kinda to inspire others and let them know that they are not alone.


Answer:

Hi Mariah,

It's really nice of you that you would like to inspire and help others!

If you would like to find a collaborator, fortunately, you have several options. But first you should decide what kind of co-writer you would like to find. What are your strengths? What are you weaknesses in songwriting? You should find someone who can complement your skills so you can write a great song together. For example, if you're good at composing melodies and singing, you could look for someone who is a great lyricist and can play the guitar or piano. You might also want to decide in advance how you are going to make a demo or where you'll pitch your song.


These are some of the methods collaborators use to find each other:

1. Try looking around on songwriting forums (scroll down for a list of the best message boards). There is usually a thread on these forums with a title that says something like "Co-writer wanted". There you'll find some people looking for co-writers usually with some specific characteristics, e.g. a talented lyricist who can play the guitar a little and likes R&B music. You can either choose to write a message to one of them or start a new thread describing the co-writer YOU are looking for.

2. If you have some musician friends, ask them if they know someone who might want to co-write with you.

3. Visit songwriters' seminars and lectures. You're sure to find some like-minded songwriters at these events.

These are the most common methods of finding songwriting partners. Good luck with your song!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

How can I complete my lyrics?

Question by Christina:

Hello,

I am trying to write a song. I already have one line that could be perfect as part of the chorus or the hook. But now I have a writer's block. What should I do now? How can I continue and finish my lyrics? I feel stuck! Help me!

Thanks!



Answer:


Hi Christina,

I understand that you're frustrated. Well, I can't write the song for you but I can give you some advice on how to go about it.

Decide what single idea you would like the song to be about. Then to make the song comprehensible for a larger audience, ask the following questions: who? what? why? where? how?
You should answer all of these in your song.

The best thing you can start with is to make a sketch of your song. Decide what each section should be about and then start working on the details, here is a little help for that: Writing Song Lyrics

Monday, October 3, 2011

How often should I write songs?

Question by Drew:


I'm busy. I work almost 10 hours a day. Sometimes it seems impossible for me to find the time. Although songwriting is the most important thing in my life, the only time when I can be alone to work on my songs is at the weekend. And not the whole weekend (that would be a dream come true...) but only 1-2 hours on Saturday and Sunday.

So I'd need a little songwriting help! How could I schedule my time better so I can become more productive?

Thanks for the advice in advance!


Answer:

Hello Drew, 

First of all, thanks for choosing HitJerker-Songwriting.com to ask for songwriting help. 

About your question: 

There are few people who feel that they have all the time in the world. Doing songwriting 1 or 2 hours a week isn't much, I know. However, it's still better than doing nothing. Most songwriters procrastinate for as much as a year (or years) before sitting down to write. You're already ahead of 90% of the other songwriters! 

I know that you're frustrated because you'd like to write as much as you can. I suggest that you get up one hour earlier every morning or a couple of days a week so that you can work. Or if you feel that it is the evening when you're the most creative and productive, set aside an hour then. (In my experience, writing is easier to do when everybody else is asleep therefore there is no-one to disturb you.) It's difficult to get yourself to get up earlier but in a week or two you'll get used to it. You can also try to go to bed earlier. You might miss some TV shows but that's the price you have to pay for the songwriting career. 

Most songwriters think that if only they didn't have a day-job, they could work so much more on their songs! It usually isn't the case though. If you have too much free time, you'll find plenty of other things to do and rarely sit down to work. Believe me. By the way, having a day job has one more benefit. If all you have to do is write all day, what's gonna inspire you? What are you going to write about? 

Well, these are my thoughts, I hope it helps. Let me know if you have other questions or comments. 


PS. A quotation by Lucille Ball: "If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more things you can do." So true!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Songwriting News

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