Well now you have your notebook at your side, a gross of freshly sharpened pencils, and your digital recorder in your bag, and you're just waiting for the next drip of inspiration to hit you on the head. First off, don't expect miracles right off the bat. Your first ideas might not be ready for prime time. But there is really no such thing as a bad idea, only ones that may need to be refined, clarified, or made more unique and clever - and real. Remember, you've got to start somewhere. Try to set aside some time each day to read on some tips on songwriting, be inspired and to write your thoughts down. Before long, those moments you set aside will become an oasis in the often dry climate of a typical day. The more you practice your craft, the better your odds of coming up with that one special song that the world really wants (or needs) to hear.
Songwriting can take an enormous amount of patience and hard work. Fortunately, there's a lot of fun to be had along the way. In that spirit, I have compiled - for you - the six essential tips on songwriting to help you write your first song:
1. Find a message you feel passionate about. Choose a cause that resonates with you (a sure bet is anything about love - or lack of it!). Write about the girl you've been too insecure to ask out or that guy that you wish would take notice of you. Write about what interests you. Write about what you know. Keep it simple. If a subject is vital to you, it just might be vital to others as well. Similarly, if you don't care about a subject, don't expect others to either.
2. Find a simple melody. So many new songwriters get in over their heads trying to be complex to win friends and influence publishers. Songwriters are not paid by the note - we're rewarded by the connections we make in the synapses of our audiences' brains. Often the easiest melodies are the longest lasting.
3. Find a simple set of chord changes. Search your piano keyboard or your guitar for this needed element of your song, use a program like GarageBand, or search the Internet and local clubs for the musicians that can furnish your words and melodies with a comfortable music bed.
4. Find a place to write. Find a quiet, peaceful setting to clear your mind, light some incense, and let the melodies and emotions flow. If this is not possible, any chaotic subway station will do. Other key places to write: supermarkets, flea markets, soccer matches, PTA meetings, in the car, and anywhere else where the distractions merge to zero.
5. Find a nine-foot Bosendorfer concert grand piano in an ancient cathedral and let your fingers land sensuously on the keys as you compose your masterpiece. If this is not possible, pick up any old instrument that's lying around the house and see if you can coax some sound out of it. It's really all about what you're hearing in your head. If you can imagine what the finished song will sound like, you can write it on your late Uncle Louie's banjo for all I care.
6. Find the confidence within yourself to put your heart and soul on the line and share your song with others. This is probably one of the best tips on songwriting there is. It's through this loop of constant feedback that you learn how to improve your songs. Resist the urge to discount everything but positive reaction. Likewise, you should resist the urge to devalue the positive reactions. Breathe in the accolades, and weigh the brickbats. Take it all in, but before making any changes, always consult your heart for the truth.
Jim Byrne is a musician and recording artist who has been writing songs for over 30 years. As well as writing songs for his own Folk and Country Blues albums he has written songs with other people including the pop star Marti Pellow of Wet Wet Wet and Jazz singer Carol Kidd MBE.
Visit Jim's website for more tips and to download two of Jim's latest songs for free: http://www.songsbyjimbyrne.com/freemp3music/index.html
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