7 Brand New Songwriting Techniques for Musicians

Songwriting is an essential component in the music-making process. The lyrics of a song help in knitting a story and make the melodies appear catchy, memorable, and unique. But these days, almost all songs seem to have engaging lyrics and have the potential to go viral. So how do you make a conscious effort to make your song stand out in the huge market?

In this article, we have covered 7 new ways you could freshen up your songwriting and engage with your audience better through your lyrical melodies.

1. Switching Up Perspectives
   
   
2. Writing Game
   
   
3. Play with your Song Structure
   
   
4. Inspiration from Art Forms
   
   
5. Revisit Old Material
   
   
6. Seek Feedback
   
   
7. Music Theory
   
   

 Let's dive in!

Switching Up Perspectives

As a musician, you’ve probably already established the kind of music and lyrics you’d want to write but take a step back for a second. Switching up your songwriting in terms of the emotional narrative you bring into place could be something that could instantly grab your listeners’ attention mainly because of how unexpected of an event it’d be and that could give you some much-needed inspiration to revitalize your songwriting process

Pssst…come here: Musicians often take inspiration from real life events and tend to write their songs from their perspective. However, standing in someone else’s shoes could also strike an interesting thought. It could also be a vicarious experience - perhaps of a close friend, of a fictional character you have read in a book, and so on. 

This also depends on the kind of music you make. For example, you’d instantly make an assumption that if a song is an Afrobeat then it is likely that it has a cheerful and happy songwriting. However, your storytelling could have a neutral angle if you specialize in Afrobeat and still come out catchy and quirky. Consider Quicksand by Krista Marina. She opens her verse with ‘I don’t trust so easy, no more,’ but the arrangement of the track is extremely inviting, groovy, and one could almost say peppy. The hook sections are relatively warmer and have positive tones from her lyricism but it drops back to neutral again in her second verse. 

So for someone who has always picked up one perspective and stuck to it, exploring different points of view could be an intriguing way of freshening up your songwriting. Not only would you be trying out something new and out of your comfort zone, but you would also be helping yourself build as a songwriter. Different perspectives in your songwriting could also contribute to building your music brand as a music artist who indulges in all kinds of expressions and thoughts - someone who cannot possibly be boxed. 

Writing Game

Who doesn’t love games? They are fun, competitive, and highly satisfying. Here are some games you could try out:

• One word: 

You pick just one random word and write as many words or phrases related to that one word within 10 seconds. There are no rules, they could be nouns, or adjectives as long as they are related to the original word. When you are done, try to knit them all together as a lyric. For example, if you pick the word ‘shoe,’ then you’d possibly write these words related to it: sock, feet, walk, dirt, toes, brown, and so on. 

• Short story:

Try to write a short story in the format of a poem. More often than not, poems are converted to song lyrics to fit the melodies right. You could start with a small story written in the format of a poem and tweak it as required once you focus on developing that as the lyricism of the song.

• Reverse songwriting:

It is very common to start off by writing the verses and getting down to the hook or chorus sections. Try to work backward in this process, figure out a chorus first, and then weave the verses and a bridge together. It may seem difficult but it is worth a shot. 

• Don’t stop:

The idea is to let a free flow of your consciousness into your writing for a good 15-20 minutes. Write continuously, whatever comes into your mind, and remove any filter that usually operates when you write a song. You never know, your subconscious may surprise you and get you solid song lyrics.

Play with your Song Structure

If you are someone who has always stuck to the conventional - intro, verse 1, hook, bridge, verse 2, hook, outro, then you might as well try a totally different song structure. Structure-defying songs have become very popular over the years among listeners, mainly because of the unpredictability and uniqueness they bring about. 

Consider the track Slow Dancing by V (of BTS). He begins with a verse and dives into the first hook section. He heads to the bridge and then jumps to the second verse and smoothens into the second hook section. What surprised his followers and fans the most was the unconventional bridge of a flute in his R&B track. It goes on for a solid minute and ends with a smooth instrumental outro. Harry Styles used a similar song structure in his alternative rock track She, where he gives more than 3 minutes for the guitar melodies to take over and weave a high-to-low outro. 

Pssst…come here: It is not easy for any musician to try out a totally different structure they aren’t a fan of, so exploring and actively listening to all kinds of music and genres could help in understanding why they work and how the artists have tweaked the templates as per their requirement. Spend a good amount of time analyzing songs and figuring out the arrangement of the lyrical melodies well. 

At the end of the day, all musicians strive to bring something new and unique to the listeners, and exploring different structures could be the very thing that could help you get all ears. 

Inspiration from Art Forms

This could include indulging in literature, pottery, paintings, and so on. You don’t have to take active participation in the activity, but you could try and read more about it, visit art galleries, and learn more. For instance, Kate Bush’s song Wuthering Heights is inspired by Emily Brontë’s novel of the same name, while Bob Dylan’s song All Along the Watchtower was inspired by the Book of Isaiah. Lyricists have the ability to incorporate themes, characters, and narratives from literature into their tracks so you never know which novel or poem could inspire you to write a new track. 

Similarly, there have been times when songwriters and musicians have written tracks influenced by the visual art they have come across or have personally impacted them. For example, the Impressionist paintings of Claude Monet influenced Debussy’s Clair de Lune. The surrealism artist René Magritte had an impact on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album cover. 

The most important element of any art form is that it is usually very open to different interpretations and as much as you think it belongs to the author or creator, it belongs to the readers and viewers as well. This open and accommodating connection could help you brainstorm and draw a new line of understanding that could help you write your song lyrics. 

Revisit Old Material

Every artist has a set of drafts of song lyrics tucked away between old books or stored in a file that is almost forgotten about. But revisiting your old material now could help you see your own writing in a new light and could be extremely insightful in not only re-writing or picking up something from the verses but also understanding yourself better as a songwriter.

Everybody knows Halleujiah by Leonard Cohen today. But before it became the anthem it is now, it went through multiple edits and changes. After experimenting with several alternative arrangements, Cohen reportedly penned dozens of lines for the song before deciding on the one that would emerge on his 1984 album - Various Positions.

Many composers have ideas or songs that they never got around to finishing for a variety of reasons. Going over these unfinished concepts again gives you a chance to ponder them more and possibly turn them into finished tunes. What was once just a snippet of a song might now serve as the song lyrics of a totally different track. 

Seek Feedback

A major component of the songwriting process is seeking feedback from trusted family members, friends, colleagues, and professional experts. Every song is unique and has a different story to tell so one cannot fully be a judge of that. However, feedback can improve your songwriting. 

Sometimes, your friends, family, mentors, playlist curators, and others may bring about a totally different angle to your songwriting, their opinion may surprise you and you should be able to take it positively. This is where experimenting with your demos becomes important. You could also try open mics and spoken word poetry to check if your songwriting impacts the audience the way you'd want it to and if not, you could approach and make conversation about your writing, ask for different opinions, and so on. 

Pssst…come here: Be specific about the areas of your songwriting you would like input on when asking for comments. Are you seeking feedback regarding the melody, chord progression, arrangement, overall structure, or lyrics? Giving your reviewers, whoever, they may be, clear instructions, will enable them to concentrate their criticism and offer more insightful comments.

After you receive feedback, give each recommendation careful thought and choose how best to apply it to your songwriting process. Though it’s not necessary to heed every piece of advice you get, you should be open to trying new things and making adjustments in response to the criticism that most resonates with you.

Music Theory

Not many musicians have studied music in a music school and have an established background. However, indulging in music theory could help you look at the songwriting process through a new lens. Songwriters may produce distinctive and captivating melodies that enhance the atmosphere and meaning of their songs by having a sound knowledge of concepts like tension and resolution, chord progressions, and melodic contour.

We understand that some of these terms may be very new to you and could also appear to be a little overwhelming at first, but as you get the hang of things and be consistent with your learning, you will notice how you’d make conscious efforts in applying the theory to your songwriting and making your song lyrics sound more recognizable, meaningful and captivating. 

It can also help with lyric writing by offering insights into prosody, which is the association between melody and lyrics, rhythmic patterns, and phrasing. These guidelines given in music theory, can be used by songwriters to create lyrics that flow with the music and successfully express the meaning and feelings of the song through the lyrics. 

Note that these are all ideas to help you get started and there must be so much more you could try on your own. Take a stroll in the park, read a book, or visit a cat cafe - the world usually has more to give you in terms of ideas only if you are open to viewing them and identifying them. Give yourself breaks as well, let ideas ‘marinate’ for a bit before you translate them onto paper as your song lyrics. Happy songwriting! 

We at GreaseRelease, have a bunch of curators on our network who are looking for new & exciting music to push on their massive playlists. If you make music and want to reach a wider audience, check out our submission platform and get a chance to reach millions of listeners! Submit your tracks now!