Write More Songs

Tag: songwriting techniques

  • The Power of Experimentation in Songwriting: Breaking New Ground

    The Power of Experimentation in Songwriting: Breaking New Ground

    Songwriting is an art, but it’s also a craft, one that thrives on exploration and innovation. While it’s comforting to stick with familiar patterns (and I actively encourage writing within your wheelhouse regularly), the real magic often happens when you step outside your comfort zone.

    Experimenting in songwriting, whether through trying new genres, using different techniques, or approaching songs in unconventional ways, can lead to unexpected creativity, growth, and perhaps even your best work yet. Here’s why embracing experimentation can transform your songwriting journey.

    1. Breaking Through Creative Blocks

    Every songwriter experiences moments where inspiration feels distant. Instead of waiting for the perfect idea to materialise, shake things up:

    • Try starting with a melody instead of lyrics (or vice versa)
    • Use a chord progression from a song you admire and write something entirely new with it
    • Write in a genre you’ve never attempted before, if you typically write folk, try an R&B groove or a cinematic ballad

    By approaching songwriting from different angles, you activate new creative pathways and keep your process fresh and inspiring.

    2. Expanding Your Musical Toolkit

    The more techniques you experiment with, the more tools you have at your disposal when crafting songs. Experimentation introduces you to new chord progressions, rhythmic patterns, lyrical styles, and melodic structures that might never have crossed your mind otherwise.

    • Play around with alternate tunings on your guitar, or use chord inversions on the piano for a fresh take on familiar sounds
    • Try writing a song with only three chords, or challenge yourself further with just two or even one chord
    • Experiment with unusual time signatures or polyrhythms

    These small shifts can spark ideas that wouldn’t have emerged through your usual songwriting habits and techniques.

    3. Developing Your Unique Sonic Identity

    Exceptional songwriters have distinctive sounds, and one of the most effective ways to find yours is through deliberate experimentation. When you explore different musical approaches, you begin to recognise what resonates deeply with you and what doesn’t.

    • If you typically write structured, verse chorus songs, try creating something freeform and atmospheric
    • Challenge yourself to write in the style of an artist you admire, but with your own distinctive twist
    • Blend elements from multiple genres to create something genuinely unique to your sensibilities

    Through this process, you’ll naturally refine your personal style and discover new ways to express your authentic voice. It’s truly a liberating experience for any songwriter looking to evolve.

    4. Opening Doors to Unexpected Musical Treasures

    Some of the most memorable songs emerge from ideas that initially feel unusual or even uncomfortable. Perhaps you try writing a song entirely in spoken word, or you build a melody around a random sound recorded on your mobile. These seemingly small experiments can lead to something surprisingly special.

    • Start a song with a bassline or a drum loop instead of a chord progression
    • Write lyrics where every line begins with the same word
    • Use a completely unexpected metaphor as the focal point of your composition

    By allowing yourself to take creative risks, you create space for songs that might never have existed otherwise. When you stretch your songwriting muscles, you’re working them like an athlete, growing stronger with each creative workout.

    5. Keeping the Songwriting Process Enjoyable

    When songwriting feels repetitive, it’s easy to lose your creative spark. Experimentation brings back the sense of play that makes creating music so enjoyable in the first place.

    Think of your songwriting sessions as a laboratory; some ideas might not work, but every experiment teaches you something valuable. Whether you’re flipping genres, using new techniques, or starting from a completely unexpected angle, you’re keeping the process exciting and inspiring. That’s half the battle on many days when writer’s block threatens.

    Embrace the Unknown in Your Songwriting Practice

    The most innovative songwriters aren’t afraid to venture into uncharted territory. In fact, they embrace the unknown and use it to their advantage. By making experimentation a regular part of your process, you expand your creative potential and uncover ideas you never would have discovered otherwise.

    So the next time you sit down to write, challenge yourself to step into unfamiliar territory. Try a new-to-you approach, push past your habitual patterns, and see where the music takes you. You might just surprise yourself with what emerges.

    What’s Your Favourite Way to Experiment?

    Have you ever tried a new songwriting technique that fundamentally changed your creative process? Share your thoughts in the comments below, I’d love to hear how experimentation has shaped your songwriting journey and the unexpected gems it has helped you discover!

    Keep Writing

    Celine x

  • Breaking the Pattern: How Your Songwriting Habits Shape Your Music

    Breaking the Pattern: How Your Songwriting Habits Shape Your Music

    Are your songwriting sessions starting to feel like reruns? Do your songs all have a familiar ring to them? You might be caught in a loop of songwriting habits that are quietly shaping every note and lyric you create.

    The Hidden Forces Behind Your Songwriting Process

    We all have habits—the automatic behaviours that guide our daily lives without conscious thought. In songwriting, these habits can be your greatest strength or your biggest creative roadblock.

    The Nostalgia Effect: Your Musical DNA

    Research shows that the music we connect with between ages 12-22 creates what psychologists call the “Reminiscence Bump.” These formative influences become deeply wired into our musical identity and often unconsciously shape our songwriting approach decades later.

    Think about it: Can you hear echoes of your teenage playlist in your current compositions? There’s a reason for that! Our early musical loves aren’t just memories—they become templates for how we instinctively express emotions through music.

    The Skill Ceiling: Working Within Your Limitations

    The second major factor influencing your songwriting habits is simpler but equally powerful: your current skill set. These limitations include:

    • Your instrumental proficiency
    • Command of language and lyrical vocabulary
    • Understanding of music theory and chord relationships
    • Melodic instincts and rhythmic tendencies

    Unlike your nostalgia-based habits, these skill-based habits can—and should—evolve throughout your songwriting journey.

    Are Your Habits Working For or Against You?

    When Habits Hold You Back:

    • The Same-Song Syndrome: When unconscious habits dominate your process, your songs all start sounding like variations of the same
    • The Time Capsule Effect: Relying exclusively on dated influences can make your music feel out of touch with contemporary listeners
    • The False “Signature Style”: Mistaking limitations for a personal style can prevent growth and experimentation
    • The Confidence Killer: Repeating habits that produce disappointing results can feed your inner critic and damage creative confidence

    When Habits Help You Soar:

    • The Experimental Edge: Regularly introducing new elements keeps your songwriting fresh and exciting
    • The Contemporary Connection: Staying curious about new music broadens your palette of songwriting choices
    • The Authentic Voice: Developing more skills and habits actually reveals your true style through increased choices
    • The Flow State: Good habits help you silence your inner critic during creation and know when to shift into editing mode

    Evolving Your Songwriting Habits

    Here’s the good news: you don’t need to abandon your existing habits. Instead, focus on expanding your repertoire by adding new techniques to your toolkit.

    How to Build Better Songwriting Habits:

    1. Active Listening: Analyse contemporary songs, noting structural choices, production techniques, and lyrical approaches. Even if you don’t like the songs, a lot of people do, so try and find one thing that you could adapt into your own songwriting.
    2. Skill Development: Treat songwriting how athletes treat their training—break it down into components and use focussed practice of things like chord progressions, melody writing, and lyrical techniques
    3. Community Connection: Join songwriting communities where feedback and accountability help cement new habits. I co-host an amazing community of world-wide songwriters called ‘We Write Songs’ – click HERE to find out more
    4. Structured Exercises: Use writing prompts, technical practice, and analysis drills to build new neural pathways. Short, sharp and highly rewarding exercises are a sure fire way to build new habits that generate RESULTS!

    When Old Habits Fight Back

    Don’t be surprised if your established patterns resist change. When faced with the discomfort of trying something new, remind yourself that you’re not replacing your trusted methods—you’re simply adding new options to your creative arsenal.

    Take the pressure off by viewing each new technique as an experiment rather than a permanent change. The worst outcome? You discover something that doesn’t work for you. The best? You find a fresh approach that reinvigorates your entire songwriting process.

    Your Songwriting Evolution Starts Now

    Whether you’re feeling stuck in a creative rut or simply looking to expand your songwriting horizons, becoming aware of your habits is the first step toward growth. By consciously developing new techniques while honoring your unique influences, you’ll write songs that feel both authentically yours and creatively fresh.

    What songwriting habit will you experiment with this week? Share your experience in the comments below!

    Happy writing

    Celine x

  • 5 Proven Methods to Start Your Next Song (When You’re Staring at a Blank Page)

    5 Proven Methods to Start Your Next Song (When You’re Staring at a Blank Page)

    Every songwriter knows the feeling. You sit down, ready to create your next masterpiece, and… nothing. The blank page stares back at you, your creative confidence drains away, and that familiar paralysis sets in. After 30 years of songwriting, I can tell you this feeling never completely goes away – but I’ve developed reliable methods to push through it.

    In this post, I’ll share five proven techniques to transform your songwriting process from frustration to flow. These aren’t just theoretical concepts – they’re practical approaches I’ve used throughout my career to keep creativity flowing and avoid getting stuck in the same patterns.

    1. Start With Your Title (The Powerful Anchor)
    Your title isn’t just what you call your song – it’s the anchor for your entire message. Starting with a strong title immediately focuses your creative energy and narrows down the decisions you’ll need to make.

    Here’s my process when starting with a title:

    1. Write down your title at the top of the page
    2. Draft 2-3 different “song synopses” – one or two sentences describing what the song could be about (Pro-Tip – try and avoid using the word ‘And’ in the synopsis to focus the core message)
    3. Important tip: Skip your first idea! The initial concept is often the most obvious and has likely been written before. Your second or third idea usually leads to a more interesting perspective.

    Real-world example: When writing with the title “Ghost Town,” my first synopsis was about a relationship ending and feeling abandoned. Pretty standard. But my third idea explored how social media creates the illusion of connection while leaving us feeling isolated in a virtual “ghost town.” This fresher angle produced a much more compelling song.

    “A great title is like a compass – it keeps you oriented toward your destination while giving you freedom to explore the journey.”

    2. Use Writing Prompts (Your Creative Catalyst)
    Writing prompts are the spark plugs of the songwriting process and if you have never used one to create a song then you are really missing out. They can be single words, phrases, images, or even melodic ideas that jumpstart your creativity.

    I categorise prompts into two types:

    Specific Prompts
    Words like “Robbery,” “Bonfire,” or “Midnight” that provide a concrete starting point. These are excellent when you want to focus on practicing a specific technique rather than searching for an idea.

    Open-Ended Prompts
    Broader concepts like “Use the opening line of a book to inspire a song.” These require more exploration or research, but often lead to unexpected creative territory.

    With either type, I recommend:

    • Generating 3+ different song ideas from the same prompt
    • Looking for unusual angles or perspectives
    • Documenting prompt ideas in your songwriting journal for future sessions

    Try it yourself: Take the word “Window” and quickly write down three completely different song concepts it inspires. Which one feels least like songs you’ve heard before?

    3. Begin With a Chord Progression (The Structural Foundation)

    Many songwriters get stuck in a rut because they default to the same chord progressions. Breaking this pattern can instantly refresh your writing. Don’t worry if theory isn’t your strong suit – there are accessible approaches for everyone:

    “Borrowing” Progressions
    When I hear an interesting progression in another song, I note it for future use. This isn’t plagiarism – chord progressions can’t be copyrighted, and there are only so many pleasing combinations. Even Taylor Swift has written 21 songs using the same progression!

    Using Technology
    For writers without instrumental skills, apps like Songwriters Piano by Rob Wells are game-changers. This tool gives you all the chords in any key (both major and relevant minor) with simple playback options. I use it constantly when my guitar isn’t handy.

    Classic Progressions with New Twists
    Try taking a standard progression and altering one chord, changing the tempo, or shifting the emphasis. Small changes to familiar structures often yield surprising results.

    Popular progressions to experiment with:

    • I-V-vi-IV (C-G-Am-F): Used in countless hits from “Let It Be” to “Don’t Stop Believin’”
    • vi-IV-I-V (Am-F-C-G): The backbone of “Zombie” by The Cranberries and many others
    • I-vi-IV-V (C-Am-F-G): The classic 1950s progression still appearing in contemporary hits

    If you are unfamiliar with the Roman numeral representation of chords like above, there is future YouTube video and blog post in the works all about chord progressions and how to write them. I have added the relative chords in the key of C Major for each progressions as well for ease.

    4. Begin With an Emotion (The Authentic Core)

    Some of the most powerful songs emerge from raw emotional states. Starting with a feeling creates an authenticity that listeners immediately recognise.

    I recently co-wrote with a songwriter who arrived flustered after a terrible morning – traffic jam, minor car accident, and a speeding ticket all before our session. His request? “Can we just write an angry song?”

    The result was incredible. While we didn’t write about traffic incidents, we channeled that emotion into a song about betrayal and lies. The authenticity of the anger gave the lyrics and melody an edge that wouldn’t have emerged otherwise.

    To use this method effectively:

    1. Identify the core emotion you’re feeling (or want to explore)
    2. Brainstorm situations that evoke this emotion
    3. List phrases, images, and metaphors that embody this feeling
    4. Develop these elements into a song concept

    Remember that emotions create natural musical choices too – anger tends toward minor keys and driving rhythms, while contentment might suggest major keys and flowing melodies.

    5. Write What You Know (Your Endless Inspiration Source)

    The most reliable wellspring of songwriting material is your own life. Many writers overlook their personal experiences as too mundane or trivial, but authentic details create the most relatable songs.

    My songwriting journal is my greatest resource for this approach. I regularly review old entries to find moments, conversations, or observations that could form the basis of a song.

    Case in point: A friend recently turned 45 – not typically a milestone birthday. During casual conversation, someone commented that “life spins faster after 45.” This offhand remark sparked an idea connecting aging to vinyl records (45 rpm singles vs. 33 rpm albums). What began as an uneventful birthday chat evolved into a unique song using record-playing as a metaphor for life’s accelerating pace.

    Your everyday experiences contain countless song possibilities:

    • Overheard conversations
    • Family stories
    • Personal milestones (big and small)
    • Childhood memories
    • Daily observations that made you pause

    The key is remaining receptive to these moments and documenting them for later exploration.

    Putting It All Together

    The beauty of these five methods is that they can be used individually or in combination. When I’m truly stuck, I might:

    1. Choose an emotion I want to explore
    2. Select a chord progression that feels aligned with that emotion
    3. Brainstorm potential titles that express the feeling
    4. Begin writing from that foundation

    The goal isn’t finding the “perfect” starting point – it’s finding ANY effective starting point to get you writing.

    Your Turn to Start Writing

    Which of these methods resonates most with your songwriting process? Or perhaps you have another reliable technique for getting started? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below. Remember, the blank page only has power if you give it power. With these five methods in your songwriter’s toolkit, you’ll never be stuck for long.

    Watch the video version of this post:

    Happy writing!

    Celine

  • Do All Your Songs Sound The Same?

    Do All Your Songs Sound The Same?

    As a songwriter, I’m a firm believer in writing a little bit every day. But when I’m in a groove, finishing several songs in quick succession, I sometimes notice they start sounding too similar. This is especially true when I focus on writing within a specific genre.

    While it’s important to develop your brand as an artist, writing songs that sound alike can be limiting. It’s not a bad thing if it aligns with a project’s direction, but stepping outside your comfort zone can bring fresh ideas. If you find your songs sounding repetitive, it might be time to push yourself creatively. Here are some tips to shake things up and bring more variety to your songwriting:

    Change Up Your Melodies

    Listen to a few of your recent songs. Are your melodies similar in structure—ascending, descending, or stagnant? Do you tend to rely on straight or syncopated rhythms? Challenge yourself by trying the opposite of your usual style. Experiment with different melodic movements or rhythms to create a fresh feel. I like to call this ‘auditioning new melodies’ take the progressions and lyrics you have and try and find a new melody.

    Try A New Song Structure

    It’s really easy to follow the same or similar song structures when writing without even noticing or putting it down to genre or your style. But I find that experimenting with AABA song structure, or using a one word chorus can really make me work harder in other areas of the song.

    Switch Up Your Time Signature or Tempo

    If you tend to stick with one tempo or time signature, try experimenting with something new. Write a song slower or faster than usual, or explore an unusual time signature. Using a metronome Or Click track in a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) can help you maintain the new tempo and keep you on track. You can also alter the rhythm of your accompaniment by adding syncopation or changing the time signature. Experiment until it feels natural.

    Change Your Key or Adjust Your Capo

    Sticking to familiar keys might feel safe, but changing your key can offer a new emotional effect. Try shifting to a higher or lower key to see how it affects the mood of your song. You can also experiment with capo placement to explore different tonalities on your guitar. This is one of my favourite tips as it’s really easy to do, and lets you play open chords with fresh sound.

    Borrow Chord Progressions From An Existing Song

    Even simple pop songs don’t stay within the same set of chords. You can vary your chord progression choices by borrowing from existing songs. Don’t worry, chord progressions can’t be copyrighted – they are like the colours that painters use; fundamental to the process but inherently everyone can use as many or as few as they want to.

    Final Thoughts:

    Conscious songwriting can feel more like work than the free-flowing creativity we often crave. If you find it’s becoming a bit mechanical, separate the process into two phases. Write the structural parts of your song first, then revisit the emotional aspects in a later session. This way, you can experiment with new sounds without losing the emotional heart of your song. Experimenting should be a staple in your songwriting process to avoid these sticking points.

    By pushing yourself outside of your usual patterns, you can bring fresh creativity to your music and continue growing as a songwriter.