Some composers just wait for inspiration, they are unlikely to succeed. Inspiration comes as a result of work; to get inspired you have to work hard and practice. So how can you practice songwriting? The habit of sitting down to really think about a topic, looking up words in rhyming dictionaries, playing the piano to hit the right chord…etc. All this is just the habit of practicing.

As you practice more, HIT IDEAS will suddenly appear out of nowhere! Writing hit songs is the inspiration you worked hard for. For example, you might spend many a night trying your hardest to write melodies (i.e. practicing and organizing your songwriting thoughts), and then, while shopping for shoes, an amazing tune starts playing in your head: That’s your hit song.

This means that practice doesn’t allow you to hit songs or ideas, but rather trains your brain to function better musically and to be more aware of the “composing potential” of things happening around you. There are other habits, besides practicing, that are also useful. These habits are tools to help the composer reap the rewards of practice. Are here….

Habit One. Keep a notebook with you at all times:

Every time you come up with an idea for a song, a good verse, a creative metaphor, etc. Write it down to review later.

habit two. Have a digital recorder with you at all times:

You can use anything to record sound with… Your “hit” melodies won’t be lost. (Sometimes I use the notebook to write the notes of the melody -like DBA G..etc-, you can do it too and save yourself the hassle of having to sing in a supermarket ;).

habit three. Ask people what they think of your creations:

Showing them to friends is always a good idea. However, showing them to other singer-songwriters means great advice and “pro” comments that would go beyond “Great job, where are we going to eat?” :).

fourth habit. Keep your successful ideas organized:

Now that you’ve kept all the amazing melodies and interesting lyrics that made it to paper, it’s time to bring them all together into one great song. But how are you going to keep track of every melody, title, chord progression, or lyric you think of or write? The answer is to have them organized in a way that makes them easily searchable and accessible. You can still do your organization the old way using paper placed in folders in addition to organizing folders and subfolders on your computer. There are programs that can help, such as “TrackNotes” from “Virtual Studio Systems”.

habit five. Practice:

I have talked a lot about this. It’s very important… You won’t be inspired musically unless your brain gets used to music. Inspiration is HARD WORK!! Practice reading for successful lyricists, listening carefully to great songs, struggling for days with a line to get the right word for meaning and rhyme, experimenting with chord progressions…etc. There are many things you can do…PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Now that I’ve briefed you on songwriting habits, one caveat remains: not every idea you have is a moment of inspiration, you’ll get a lot of “junk ideas.” However, don’t try to judge your ideas the moment you get them; record everything and keep track of everything that comes to mind. Later you can review these ideas, save the good ones and throw away the bad ones (it’s better to keep them in a safe place too, everything can come in handy!).

Finally, you don’t have to go in all these clothes. They are habits I developed because they were comfortable for ME. You too can discover and develop your own useful clothing. The only habit that is crucial is!?!! You got it right: PRACTICE.