5 Sure-Fire Ways to Kick-Start the Songwriting Habit

If you don't write songs regularly, then it's safe to say that you don't yet have a songwriting habit.

Because if you did, you would feel compelled to write songs every day and perhaps all day long.

We could talk about motivation or anchoring overwhelming desire to the thought of writing songs. Still, one sure-fire way to develop a consistent songwriting practice is to make it an unconscious habit.

Here are 5 tips to help you develop the habit of writing songs.

1. Write nothing but song titles

If the thought of writing a chorus, a bridge, and multiple verses is overwhelming to you, then write some simple song titles.

Using this song title technique just once should give you a month’s worth of titles: Lizard Brain Titles...

2. Write for the garbage can without feeling guilty

The 80/20 rule of songwriting will tell you that 20 percent of your writing will make the cut, 80 percent won't.

If you write 100 words a day, 20 of them might be useable. So if you need 100 words to complete your song, you need to write around 500 words.

The Lyric Triad makes it easy to come up with words that relate to your title and song plot.

3. Schedule songwriting appointments

Think of something you do every day that requires little effort or self-motivation, like eating when you're hungry.

You probably don't need to schedule your meals in a calendar. Instead, you eat when your body tells you that you're hungry.

That's the kind of habit you're looking to develop with your songwriting. It's automatic.

But to get to that level, it's helpful to schedule your songwriting sessions and never break them.

Keep the habit for thirty days and see if you don't get "hunger pangs" when you haven't written anything for more than a few hours.

Here are 3 productivity tricks to overcome procrastination and improve your songwriting...

4. Edit older songs

Sometimes tinkering with an old song feels better than starting a song from scratch.

If that feels like the case for you, then follow your desire to tinker. But, of course, you'll still be exercising your songwriting chops.

Now, if you have an aversion to writing new songs, you'll need to look into your reluctance. But you can do that after you've developed a strong songwriting habit.

Who knows, it might just disappear on its own. If it doesn't...

Here's how to win the inner game of songwriting...

5. Transcribe your favorite songwriter's songs

Rewrite the lyrics to your favorite lyricist in longhand. Then, pretend you're in their head and creating the song from scratch.

Transcribe melodies, hooks, chord changes, anything to immerse yourself in the art and craft of songwriting.

As with all tips, they don't work until you do them.

Go schedule some time to write now and if you want, you can get some help.