Songwriters Unblocked

I work at __[your occupation]_____
I _[work activity]___ all day, everyday
Some day I'd like to ___[fun activity]____
My dream is __[an intense longing]_____

I love _[ item or living being ]_______ and
I love ____[item or living being]____
My ___[item or living being]_____ loves me too

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : RENDER OUT YOUR SOUNDS

Commit / render when you have programmed midi sounds, to prevent wanting to tweak the notes or effects applied any further. This will speed up your process. It is possible in some DAWs to simply freeze the sound temporarily and unfreeze it if you really need to adjust it later.

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : PROGRESSIVELY SMALLER LOOPS

End your arrangement by selecting an interesting section of music. It should be around 8 bars. Then, add half of it to the end, and then half of half. Keep adding smaller pieces of the original idea until the song ends naturally.

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : ADD UNIQUE EVENTS

Arrange unique one-time events into your songs to keep them interesting. Surprise the listener, and keep them interested.

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?
I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : BUILD UP AND LAYER

Learn concepts like 'buildup' , 'breakdown', 'drop'- and use them !

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : SUBTRACT / SCULPT

When you have lots of ideas, its hard to arrange them. Quickly (take 20-30 seconds) create an arrangement that fills up space employing all elements to be used. Now, sculpt away from that, instead of starting from scratch / a white 'canvas'.

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?
I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : VARIATION OVER GENERATIONS

Create 'evolutions' of the original idea. Don't go backwards in generations ! Make changes on the variations as you go. Your goal is a single 'evolved' idea that stems from the original.

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : CREATE 'SIBLING' VARIATIONS

Duplicate your initial idea a number of times and edit the copies, making meaningful changes to each. You can vary the harmony, melody, the rhythm / form, and even the sounds used.

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

*
Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : MIND TRANSITIONS

Avoid abrupt changes between sections by making adjustments before and after the transition's boundaries. This will help create expectation / anticipation, make the music sound refined and more natural.
*
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
*
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?
*
I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !
*

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : THINK IN LAYERS

Think about different elements in your composition. Where should they be ? In the foreground, middleground, or background ? Make your music feel less 'flat' by actively assigning depth t

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself by : BREADTH BEFORE DEPTH

Don't focus on getting a particular feature / instrument to be perfect. Instead, listen for 'potential' during idea generation. Create many high potential ideas you could refine and choose from later ! Move fast !

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : WRITE FREELY AND REFINE LATER

Split your prices into two phases : creating and editing - and stick to them. During the Creating phase, resist the urge to judge / edit. During the editing phase, resist the urge to create - simply refine.

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : GET IN READY STATE

Prepare the physical and mental space you need to create. Set your environment so you are always ready to capture great ideas ! If yu use a digital workspace, create templates and organize as you go !

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : ACTIVE LISTENING

Listen to music and try to deconstruct it into layers. Listen to sections of it. Also try to notice and explain your reactions while you listen. What causes you to have a particular response?

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : AVOIDANCE LIST

If you feel you've overused a technique / strategy / instrument, etc. Include it in this list and commit to finding new ways of making your music ! Expand your horizons.

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : CATALOG OF ATTRIBUTES

Practice creating a list of attributes that describes what you're listening to. Find inspiration in other music, acknowledge your influences. Use the attributes derived as a launchpad for your own ideas.

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : AVOID CLICHES

Clichés put us to sleep :) ! Avoid them whenever you can, if not completely. Exercise your rhyme schemes (see previous post) to generate more interesting concepts and rhymes !

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself by : LISTING CONCEPTS + RHYMES

Start with your overarching theme. From there, create a list of concepts related to the main theme. Afterwards, for each concept generate a list of rhymes. Avoid cliches while finding options to add to the list, and use different kinds of rhymes : perfective, family , additive, subtractive, and assonance.

Here's an article by iZotope about these : http://ow.ly/wt9C50xYXeP

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : POWERFUL METAPHORS

There are different kinds of metaphors (learn about them!), but they all mostly hinge on pairing concepts that wouldn't normally go together. The trick is in finding what is the characteristic that is shared. Set up your metaphor so that it transfers focus from the first concept to the second ! For example - 'love is an engine' (engine is the focus - we imagine the engine revving) , or 'an army is a rabid wolf' (wolf is the focus - we imagine it showing it's teeth).

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : SHOW BEFORE YOU TELL

When you write your lyrics, be mindful of 'showing' by starting with a line that the listener can relate to their own experiences (preferably through their senses). This will 'dye' the rest of your lyrics with that 'color' !

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Talent In Our Community - Episode 1

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : SENSORY BASED BRAINSTORMING

What sensory experiences have you had that others could relate to ? Associating freely, take a few minutes to write about some, and see where jumping from experience to experience takes you. You can use any of your senses. The goal here is to find sensory experiences others can relate to because they've had them.

Done is better than perfect !

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself by : ENDING THE SONG SIMPLY

Mirror the beginning (e.g. if you added and accumulated sounds to start off, subtract them now until you end at silence) . You can also fade out to end your song.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : GETTING FEEDBACK

Look for usable feedback of what you could improve. Ask other producers, or serious and knowledgeable fans who you are sure will be honest with you . Try to bring your mix to a decent volume first so that listeners are not distracted by the low volume. Welcome criticism and apply what is useful.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : ERASING - DELETE WHAT DOESN'T WORK

If you've ended up with a cluttered arrangement that sounds 'weak' or 'small', perhaps the solution is to take away rather than to add more parts to it. Remove anything that's not really adding to the music. You could also thin out elements that interfere with others, instead of deleting them completely.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : CREATE A FORM DIAGRAM

Think about your song sections. Do you know the concepts regarding form ? Chorus, Verse, Bridge. Try to apply those concepts, and arrange based on that. Try to create a form diagram with a different letter representing each section.
A common one is A-B-A-B-C-B , for example.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.

Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : SKELETAL OUTLINE

Learn arrangement from studying and copy the form of great existinging music examples.

Use a song you know and love and place markers on it to section it off. Give the markers descriptive names. Delete the original audio and you will end up with a skeletal outline of that song- which you can now fill with your own music.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : MELODY CONTOUR

Mind the shape of your melody over time. Think : where does my melody move ? Does it move by step ? Does it leap ? Perhaps have only one peak in your melody, on a downbeat (to make it stronger). Balance the ascent and descent in your melody.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

I wrote this today ! :) More tips tomorrow about songwriting !

Together - Clyp

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : RHYTHM OF LYRICS

Syllables have an inherent strong or weak stress. Relate those stresses to musical beats ! Place strong syllables on strong beats and weak syllables on weak beats. This will sound more natura. Don't fight how the lyrics want to flow.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : EFFECTIVE REPETITION

Musically, repeat persistently - even an atonal pattern will begin to sound appropriate.

Lyrically, try to write your chorus so it can gain more / different meaning as it is repeated. Try to give it 'larger' meaning every time you repeat it!

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself by : USING A DRAMATIC ARC

Use this form to create a sense of drama. Create tension and release, by having an exposition, rising action, climax and falling action.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : COUNTERPOINT

Create multiple independent simultaneous melodies.
Use counterpoint techniques to combine these intricate lines in a composition. For example, use contrary motion and be careful when crossing voices.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself with : ARBITRARY CONSTRAINTS

Narrow your frame of possibilities. Act entirely within that frame.
You can place musical, time, and space constratints.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : CHOOSING A TEMPO

Base your selection on acceptable tempos for your genre.
Go into half time and/or double time if it 'feels right'.

Done is better than perfect !
Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Comment ! How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?

I started 'Songwriters Unblocked' because as a songwriter I sometimes find myself stuck - unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete more of our songs, and get them into the light !

Songwriters ! Unblock yourself today by : GETTING STARTED

* Get started with a foundation - a low pitched or rhythmic idea.
* Get started with what you hear - musical ideas are everywhere.
* Get started with what you know - is there an instrument you gravitate towards ?

Tag songwriters you know that could be helped by this strategy.
Done is better than perfect !

I started Songwriters Unblocked because as a songwriter I
sometimes find myself faced with a situation in which I feel
unable to complete a song. I want to help myself and others
by sharing simple strategies that can help us all complete
more of our songs, and get them into the light !

How do you 'unblock' yourself when you are stuck on a song that you like, but can't seem to finish ?