Download our free songwriting handbook: https://berkonl.in/3iokD6r
Learn songwriting online with Berklee: http://berkonl.in/2mH8oIg
In this short video, Berklee Online course author and instructor Neil Diercks offers his top four tips for becoming a better songwriter. By allowing yourself to write bad songs, encouraging yourself to write even when you’re uninspired, practicing as much as possible, and sticking to a rigorous writing schedule, you will grow as a songwriter.

Watch these other songwriting videos with Neil Diercks:

Creating Hooks: Songwriting Tips from Neil Diercks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBI0L2rfgic

4 Simple Ways to Save Time When Collaborating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tigCsKw6jrM

About Neil Diercks
Neil Diercks is a Los Angeles-based songwriter, song coach, and musician. He served for many years in various capacities at Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., in Nashville, beginning as an intern and eventually becoming Manager of A&R Activities. It was within this role that he worked with hit songwriters including Gary Burr, Steve Bogard, Stephony Smith, Jeff Stevens, and Victoria Shaw, who penned hits for artists such as Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Ricky Martin, and Christina Aguilera.

Neil is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he studied songwriting, voice, and music business, and went on to serve on the Board of Trustees for three years. He has lectured and led songwriting workshops internationally, and has won several awards for his teaching, including the UPCEA Excellence in Teaching award (2015), the Pearson Excellence In Online Teaching award (2015), and the Berklee College of Music Distinguished Faculty Award for Berklee Online (2016). He currently collaborates with songwriters and artists in Los Angeles and around the globe.

About Berklee Online:
Berklee Online is the continuing education division of Berklee College of Music, delivering online access to Berklee’s acclaimed curriculum from anywhere in the world, offering online courses, certificate programs, and degree programs. Call, text, or email an Academic Advisor today:
1-866-BERKLEE (US)
1-617-747-2146 (international callers)
advisors@online.berklee.edu
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By: wildsPosted on Categories : Categories : UncategorizedTags:

41 Replies to “4 Songwriting Tips to Increase Your Efficiency | Songwriting | Tips | Neil Diercks | Berklee Online”

  4. I agree that writing a lot of bad songs is goo advice, but 200 is more than is necessary. George Harrison is an interesting study because his early songs rode along with the success of John and Paul. His early songs were pretty weak. But when you get into the middle and later years you see his skill rise to the top.

  5. Does the bad song have to have an original melody because I feel a need for my music to be as original as it can be and I feel terrible when I realize I've subconsciously taken a melody from someone else because it makes me feel untalented and not good enough. It's really annoying when you see all these song writers making great songs using alot of the same progressions but all with different melodies. (Sometimes it's one artist too) And then I can barely get unique melodies to come out at all and I feel like shit because of that. Does anyone know how to fix this?

  10. It's good tips. I think, everything is about experience.
    if you don't have enough experience, you can't be good at whatever.
    I have skills to be inspired to anything I want.
    the key is emotion, situation, imagination, acting.
    1. who, whom
    2. where, when
    3. why
    if you can find it, you should be the actor of your story.

    who? = the girl fall in love, the man lost lover, the student in hard life and so on.
    to whom? = -self, lover, ex-, people, president, father, alien, tree, spirit, god and so on.
    where? = beach, mountain top or river or hut, room, toilet, mars, heaven, in memories, in future and so on.
    when? = season, month, day of the week, 3 am?, sunny or cloudy or windy or rainy or snowy?
    -warm or hot or cool or cold?
    -what happened a weeks ago, yesterday, 1 hour ago, just before to "who or whom"
    -what will happen 1 hour later, tomorrow and so on
    why = listen to your hero in your imagination.

    if you can make it, how couldn't you write a song?
    don't judge your hero. just listen, ask, watch.
    the hero you made is the creature of your music world and you're the engineer.
    so, don't hate and judge and change your creature.

    if you want more people listen to your music,
    "look" inside the hit song.

  12. Hi guys.. Berklee team.. may i ask your opinion or suggestion to my song..
    Please check Lloyd Verzosa youtube account find the "Far Away" song.. I appreciate guys if you have any comment.. and all of your subscribers please.. thanks very much

  20. Song Writing Tips
    1 Choose the lyrical focus (story, feeling, place, etc)
    2 See if there are any metaphors you can use ("I call her Mercedes because she drives me crazy" or something of that sort).
    3 Choose song structure (verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus is very popular). Rhyme scheme and number of syllables per line should preferably be symmetrical (ex A A B C C B or A B A B, and 5 7 5 7 or 4 4 8 4 4 8).
    4 Have the choruses summarize the theme while the verses expand and develop it, possibly like a story or giving examples.
    5 The bridge is generally both musically and lyrically different, perhaps with a new perspective on the subject (ex if a love song: "if I'd lose you, I'd die" or "others may call me blind, but I only have eyes for you").
    6 Write bad songs (not that you want to write crap, but you simply need the practice. (200 minimum)
    7 Write when you’re uninspired, by all means, write when you are inspired but try writing doing daily tasks, like watching tv.
    8 Diligence and the key to success is tons of songs
    9 From uninspired writing, it can form into inspiring songwriting (sometimes have to be working)
    10 Do what you are terrible at (write in different styles, melody, more skill, write lyrics)
    11 The more styles you write in, the more demand for your work
    12 Write with a rigorously rigid calendar (set reminders and due dates to actually complete something, often it's only the things on the calendar that get done or set a daily writing time.
    13 Last but not least have fun and stay creative!

  30. I have only now just come across this channel! I'm actually doing these things, but I still want to thank you. This video has put my way of working into perspective for me and has made me stop to think and realise, what I am doing is actually working.

    Oh and… Happy New Year 😀

  31. great songwriter at 200 songs. thank GOD. i am at my 402 right now. going to be on britain got talent 2019. gospel, pop, country,RandB, Hip-pop. dicovered my gift september 2016-till now. 402 songs.

  35. So if your not a songwriter until I've written 200 songs, how many banks can I rob before I'm a bank robber? Asking for a friend :/
    Lol

  37. Great tips. The more I write, the better my writing gets, and the easier it becomes to make something I"m happy and excited about. Working on my weak spots (found this video while looking for tips to develop my Bridge-writing skills). Been focusing on my lyrics and song structure. Writing every day, working with a simple form and basic instrumentation – and allowing myself to write bad songs. I've finished more songs in the past 2 weeks than in the past 2 years. They're not great, but they have some great moments and ideas . Getting better with each one!

  39. My Tip: Develop your bullshit detector. Know when the song is not going to work as soon as you can in the song writing process, so you can dump it and move on. You will waste less time. Don't spend time trying to fix what isn't working. If your forcing it, it will sound forced. I have found that the best songs come out fast.

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