Having trouble turning your thoughts into memorable lyrics? Learning how to write lyrics and express yourself as a songwriter is an art, and even the best musicians are constantly working on it. But once you’ve honed your talent, crafting the perfect line can help your listeners experience your music on a whole different level. The best songwriters can evoke stories, memories and emotions simply from a few words.
The best advice we can give is to keep writing, even when you’re struggling. Ideally, you should try to write something every single day, even it’s just a short journal entry or jotting down your observations as you sit in a public space. Write whatever pops into your head, without judgement. Write even if you get stuck on finding that perfect word – those details can be dealt with later. By practicing this exercise in freedom, you’ll get better at really listening to your creative side. And of course, be prepared for inspiration to hit at any time! Carry a notebook around with you and observe the world around you with an open mind.
CNN recently featured a video with Canadian singer-songwriter Feist and her own process of songwriting – it’s certainly worth a look, whether you’re a fan of her music or not. Check out the video here. We think she hits the allure of songwriting spot-on when she explains that when it comes to writing lyrics, “in 4 minutes you could be covering a split-second or a hundred years.” Pretty cool, huh?
For even more helpful advice on how to write lyrics, we combed through our archives and put together this list of songwriting advice from previous posts. Take a look!
– Songwriting Tips from a Grammy Award-Winning Musician
– How to Break Your Songwriter’s Block and Get the Girl
Readers, what strategies do you use when you hit songwriter’s block? Leave a comment below, or stop by our Facebook page to share your tips with the community!
Photo by Dyanna Hyde.
Suzy S.