by Karen Randle

One other 12 months is within the books—lastly. For songwriters, the flip of the calendar is a good time to put down some new targets to hone your expertise and stage up your songwriting sport. Depart the dreadful 2020 prior to now and make 2021 the very best 12 months but with these eight new 12 months’s resolutions for songwriters.

1. Set a Variety of Songs to Full – And a Timeline to Full Them

For those who wait for inspiration to strike, you’ll by no means end a music. The perfect factor you are able to do to turn into a greater music author is to maintain writing, even if you’re not “feeling it.” Merely placing lyrics to paper—regardless of how horrible they could appear—will show you how to up your sport and may even spark some inspiration if you didn’t assume you had any.

Set a songwriting schedule for your self over the following 12 months. Decide a lot of songs you wish to write and a timeline to finish them. The timeline is vital to carry you accountable. For those who say you wish to write 12 songs by the tip of the 12 months however don’t embrace a timeline, you’re going to have a really busy December and sure gained’t accomplish your objective.

As a substitute, set a objective to finish one music each month. If the tip of the month comes round and also you haven’t written something, it’ll power you to place pen to paper, whether or not there’s inspiration or not. Not each month-to-month music might be a winner, however that’s okay! Not less than you wrote one thing, which is able to make you a greater songwriter.

2. Write Down a Tune Title Each Day

It takes solely a tiny spark of inspiration to launch a songwriting session. That tiny spark can come from one thing so simple as an superior music title.

Preserve a pocket book by your mattress and write down a brand new music title each morning if you get up. It doesn’t need to be a fantastic concept, simply so long as you get one thing down. By the tip of the 12 months, you’ll have 365 music concepts to work with. Plus, even when a title doesn’t appear inspiring now, it would set off one thing if you look again on it, serving to with future songwriting escapades.

3. Commit Extra Time to Observe

Observe makes good. Each musician has heard these phrases a thousand occasions of their lives. Sadly, it’s true. The extra time you spend working in your instrument, the higher you’ll get.

Make it your new 12 months’s decision to spend extra time training your instrument. Even when you improve your follow time by solely 15 minutes per day, it’ll nonetheless offer you extra time to work on warm-ups and hone your method.

Over time, you’ll be capable to incorporate extra difficult musical phrases into your songs, making them much more thrilling for your audiences. If solely 4 chords now, think about how nice your songs might be when six!

4. Take Music Classes

Whereas training alone is nice, taking classes from somebody extra skilled than your self can assist you improve your expertise at a a lot quicker charge. Take the brand new 12 months as a chance to lastly take music classes or begin them again up.

Discovering a music instructor gives songwriters with many advantages to assist them turn into higher writers:

Once you’re accountable solely to your self, it’s straightforward to slack off. However when you have got a instructor, you don’t wish to allow them to down, which is able to show you how to push ahead and turn into a greater musician and songwriter.

Discovering a music instructor may even expose you to new musical concepts you may not have identified existed! You’ll be able to create distinctive melodies and chord progressions so as to add new dimensions to your songs. “Music concept” may be thought-about a nasty phrase for many musicians, however there’s little doubt it could possibly show you how to write higher songs.

5. Discover a Writing Associate

Songwriting doesn’t need to be a solo sport. For those who’ve by no means written with one other musician, maybe 2021 is the 12 months to make it occur. Or, if you have already got a bunch of co-writers you prefer to work with, go discover somebody new for a recent perspective within the new 12 months.

Working with a writing accomplice gives songwriters with a distinct perspective. They may have concepts you hadn’t considered or present useful insights into easy methods to make your songs higher.

It’s not at all times straightforward to discover a accomplice with whom you’re employed nicely. Songwriting is a really private exercise, and it’s tough for many individuals to open up that a lot to another person. However when you lastly discover the proper particular person, you’ll undoubtedly be glad you probably did, and your songs will profit.

6. Write in a New Style

For those who by no means enterprise exterior of your consolation zone, you’ll by no means know what else is on the market! Make a songwriting new 12 months’s decision to jot down a music in an unfamiliar style.

Are you a rustic author? Write a jazz music. Into rock? Strive R&B. Writing in a distinct style opens your thoughts to new kinds and concepts. Even when the music itself doesn’t end up because the masterpiece you anticipated, you’ll head again to your personal style with a distinct perspective on the musical world, which is able to show you how to create thrilling, distinctive songs sooner or later.

7. Share Your Songs

Songs are supposed to be shared, so don’t maintain your creations all to your self! For those who’re a non-public songwriter, maybe 2021 is the 12 months to indicate folks your songwriting expertise.

Make a brand new 12 months’s decision to lastly enroll for that open mic evening on the native espresso store or enter a songwriting contest. Your creation may be somebody’s favourite music, however you’ll by no means know except you share it. Get your songs on the market and get some suggestions. If what audiences like and don’t like, you should utilize that data to jot down higher songs sooner or later.

8. Don’t Give Up

“Don’t surrender” might sound cliche however is greater than only a new 12 months’s decision; it ought to be your each day life decision. Songwriting is tough, and it’s straightforward to get pissed off and throw within the towel. The distinction between non-songwriters and nice songwriters isn’t data, musicianship, or talent; it’s dedication and persistence.

For those who select to undertake any new 12 months’s decision from this record, make it this one. The important thing to profitable songwriting is to by no means, ever, ever surrender. Regardless of how laborious it may appear, maintain pushing ahead and power your self to maintain writing. Set your 2021 resolutions and stick to them. You’ll be stunned at what you possibly can obtain with a bit of little bit of persistence.

For data on the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competitors, go to: https://www.songwriting.web