My Personal Songwriting Process – A Recap

I held a workshop for SCALA (Songwriters, Composers and Lyricists Association) some time ago about “dissecting the songwriting process”.

From doing the workshop I was able to summarize my own songwriting process into bite size pieces. A very handy exercise for someone like myself who, at times tends to make things more complicated than they should be.

The workshop was also personally beneficial because it gave me an opportunity to hear how other songwriters put their songs together from the initial songwriting idea to the organization of their finished product.

From reading my blog posts you would certainly gather that I am a huge believer of the ‘writing for writing sake’ principle. I’m obsessive about having to get what is in my head out onto paper.

By using a songwriting process gathering ideas becomes an automatic thing, leaving me more time to be creative, not creatively administrative.

Here is the summary of my songwriting process:

1. Have the right tools available
Nothing beats a beat-up tape recorder and an A4 writing pad and pen. The simplest songwriting tools around.

2. Make time to write
Even if it’s 15 minutes a day between finishing breakfast and going to work. Make time!!

3. Have an open mind
Be open to anything. You don’t know where the next songwriting idea will come from.

4. Let yourself go
Don’t become preoccupied with past or future. For the amount of time you have set for yourself to write you are totally “in the now”.

5. Develop a single-minded focus
If you decide that an idea is worth developing into a song and you’re happy with it so far, then focus your attention on creating a song from the idea.

6. Remember, perfection does not exist
It doesn’t have to be perfect. If you need to re-write the draft do it because it needs it not because you have to.

7. Ask lots of questions
Writing lyrics is all about exploring a story or a concept. Asking lots of questions like “does this new idea need to be in this song?” will keep you on track.

8. Walk away if need be
If it’s not flowing, just walk away and come back to the song. There is no rule that says a song needs to be finished in one sitting.

9. Have fun
Go off into tangent, run with a songwriting idea to see where it leads you. If it leads nowhere then reflect on the journey.

10. Practise, practise, practise
Any process needs to be repeated to be made automatic. Practise often.

Your songwriting process can be whatever you want it to be however, if you’re serious about having the ability to write songs, you need to start looking at how you organize yourself.

Until next time, happy writing,

Corey Stewart
Singer/Songwriter/Musician

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