How to Write Better Songs

Songwriting is a powerful experience that allows you to express who you are as an artist. The possibilities are endless and this guide will take you through the steps needed to unleash your inner songwriter. We asked four experienced songwriters their thoughts on how to write better songs:

Learn to really listen

A good starting point, when writing a song, is to pick a song by your favourite artist and to analyse it.

When writing a song, make detailed notes and keep them as a reference.

By attentively listening to well written songs that inspire you, keeping notes and reflecting on them, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how to write a song and the musical decisions that were made to create each piece of music and why — providing a rich foundation for your own songs.

“Try listening to some new music by new artists. Check out the chords for some new songs and use them to write something fresh”

— Natalie Shay, Singer/Songwriter from London

Start small and build your song lyrics gradually

Pick a core emotion for your song

For the sake of this exercise, limit yourself to defining just one core emotion or feeling that will run throughout your song; such as anger, sorrow, happiness or heartbreak.

Something as seemingly small as this can kick-start your song’s narrative and get your creative juices flowing.

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List words which are associated with this emotion

After you’ve chosen the feeling or emotion, brainstorm key words and phrases that you would associate with this feeling – you may find a spider diagram useful.

Take regular breaks while songwriting to gain a clearer perspective

Spend 5-10 minutes on this, then take a short break to refresh your mind and continue.

When you have finished this stage of writing your song, circle the words/phrases that stand out to you. These feelings, visuals and experiences will form the essence of your song.

“My songwriting starts differently each time, however I always have a concept in mind for each song, this gives me the lyrical parameters to work within.”

— Lewis Bootle, musician whose first EP reached the top 10 in the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts

Write anything that feels right

“Yeah, it might be awful — but write it,” urges Lots Holloway, a full-time indie-pop musician (with over 90,000 followers on social media).

The first attempts may not be the mind-blowing strokes of musical genius you’re after. But that’s okay. It will come!

“I have this idea in my mind that I am always writing. Anything and everything can become inspiration”

— Lots Holloway, Multi-instrumentalist, Songwriter and Indie-pop Artist

Start writing your song: no-one has to see it!

You don’t have to show your song to anyone, let alone keep it. The main goal for those who are trying to improve their songwriting process is to get used to the act of writing itself, and doing so frequently and consistently.

John Legend has a structured songwriting process in which he composes the melody first and fills in the lyrics last – the music tells him what to talk about in the song.

Carry a notebook to capture moments and ideas for your songs

A great way to write better songs is to turn song-writing into a daily habit. Always have a pen and paper to hand — after all, good ideas often come to us at the most random moments and leave us just as suddenly.

Keep note of sudden inspirations and observations, whether it’s on the tube, at a busy restaurant, or just at home, staring out of the window — watching the world go by.

Note: This will not only give you material to revert back to for future songs, but will also, in time, make you much more perceptive and analytical — two skills that are essential for effective songwriting.

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Make mistakes, and have fun with it!

When in the process of songwriting, be prepared to make mistakes. In fact, embrace songwriting mistakes; they will help you to learn and will lead to writing better songs and better songwriting processes.

As with any habit, the key is to practise. Just like learning an instrument, songwriting is a skill that needs to be trained.

So set some time aside, grab a pen and paper, and have some fun writing songs!

“Keep pushing. The more you wrestle with songs, the more you know how to fix them and the more you recognise if you are being led somewhere magical”.

— August, Singer/Songwriter — London

We hope you feel inspired. If you have any interesting tips on how to write better songs, we would love to hear about them in the comments below.