Song Writing: To Find Yourself In The Music You Compose

What is songwriting? What is composing? Do you really compose when you write songs or are you just copying? If song writers make a living on their writing it will put a lot of pressure on them. Some song writers are constantly listening for what's popular and are trying to imitate hooks in songs. I can see two ways to go as a song writer: 1. Listening to a lot of hit songs and trying to write similar songs. By listening to songs and reading a lot on what's up trying to feel what type of songs will be popular in the near future. 2. Trying to be yourself and just work on creating songs you like yourself in the hope that others will feel the same. The last method is for me the most rewarding way to go as far as personal growth is concerned. I feel good and happy when I am creative as a song writer and feel that the process involves something about knowing myself better. In the long run it might also create the best hit songs too. The song Yesterday is just one example of a different hit song. Writing songs can be a very rewarding activity and the level of originality depends on how you write your music. You can help the creative parts of your brain to be activated or use the more calculating parts or a combination of both. May I share a few tips from my own song writing experience: 1. Sit down with your guitar or at your piano singing or humming without expecting to create something brilliant. When you allow yourself to wander away a bit from your calculating parts of the brain and into the exciting forests of imagination and creativity you can come up with fantastic things. 2. Limitations can help your creativity. Give yourself some limitations by for example using a chord progression like G Em Am D7. Many songs use this progression but there will be room for more. You can of course use a more odd one like E C C#m G#m. 3. Record yourself playing around humming with your guitar or piano. Listening to what you have come up with a few days later can help you find interesting melodies or hooks to use in your songs. Sometimes you can feel that you are not able to write songs like the song writers you like but they can't write songs that is you. A comforting thought, isn,t it!

About the author

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

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