5 Songwriting Tools That Change Everything | ASCAP | Songwriting | Tips & Tricks

20 Replies to “5 Songwriting Tools That Change Everything | ASCAP | Songwriting | Tips & Tricks”

1. great job explaining, i really liked it ! thanks 🙂

2. "Rhythm", "melody", "harmony" and "lyric" is still too mechanical. You can't bring something to life by first dissecting parts.

3. Approaching songwriting like you would approach some mechanical process–right off the bat–is the wrong way. The wrong way, that is, if you're trying to write music that communicates something meaningful. Step-based songwriting is (by definition) mechanical. Getting something beautiful out of a mechanical process isn't practical at all. If you are a fluent musician, then you understand musical vocabulary like you understand these words. It's not difficult at all for a fluent musician to write something meaningful.

   A good example from real life is learning language. Kids are the most effective learners of language, because they internalize it by listening for years and then attempting to use language and failing. Once they get it, they're fluent for life. Adults learning Spanish approach the process much more mechanically–verb conjugations, etc. It's not the right way. I learned Spanish far more effectively just listening and then trying while in Guatemala. Years of school-style learning did virtually nothing for my ability to communicate in Spanish.

   So approaching music creation by first dissecting music (or by using music theory) will not give you what you desire.

   In learning to write music (as in learning to speak Spanish) the analytical approach yields terrible results.

4. A lack of fluency is likely at the root of most songwriting issues. At the heart of it, writing music is like writing language. If all you can do is parrot language, then you aren't communicating. Intention is at the root of fluency. Being able to intend the musical vocabulary opens you up to communicating using music. You won't have to "quote" anyone; you'll communicate what you're feeling and there won't be ambiguity. Whatever you make of that is probably worth far more than any bulleted list of steps for songwriting.

   If you're looking for "impact," nothing is more impactful than real emotions. Communicating those emotions is what musical fluency gives you.

5. Another good video

6. For me it’s just remembering the melodies and the harmonies and the chords and the riffs that I come up with and then putting it all together. So essentially it’s just memory

7. amazing vid

8. ????i love this video,it lays a lot of great examples

9. Songwriting is so hard work, but filled with passion. I just finished my very first song. Would be great if you people could have a look (ear) and tell me your opinion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCa_tsZVFUU

10. Andrea is wonderful! Intelligent, knowledgeable, passionate about her craft and extremely inspiring and helpful.
    Thanks!

11. How do i transition smoothly between a verse and chorus if i mostly use very complex progressions, but also very simple instrument choices. Like almost always just a piano and me singing. But i get stuck on the transition all the time

12. 6:51 Meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me.

13. She mentions frequently that she is talking about “highly commercial” songwriting, not all songwriting. Seems this is primarily good for when you follow your instincts and originality, but get stuck somewhere, and then this could help you get unstuck.

14. 4:09 Do you even realize how much I love you?

15. all i see is skeletons singing against emotions= singing bones.

16. I think great songs are channeled using right-side brain activity rather than written with left-side brain involved. Music is feeling, emotion. Tap into the right brain to create, use the left side to market and sell. Good luck.

17. I find my most comfortable writing cones when I can make the words seem like they are a part of the beat if you know what I mean

18. 2:15 ???
    3:25 Strengths
    10:20 Melodic Motif
    13:50 Contrast
    22:40 Lyrics

19. So many great tips! I loved "don't ask your listener to fill in the blanks, say what you mean." Also to create rest space, a chance for the listener to take in the lyrics. Love that.

20. Tip to get inspired: Open a youtube video's transcript while watching. Copy some sentences that sound nice into a document. Experiment with the order and try to see a story. It's just like a puzzle, but you'll and up with your next song. (for real try it! you'll be able to break this pattern of everyone using the same vocabulary and themes, especially when your primary language isn't English)

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