As a songwriter, I’m a “lifer.”

I’ve spent many hours on a regular basis writing with, educating to, and in on-line boards conversing with songwriters. It’s not unusual to listen to songwriters say issues like, “You can’t be taught songwriting. You both have it, otherwise you don’t.” Or, “This track got here from my inside soul, so it’s good identical to it’s.” And right here is my private favourite smug quote, “I solely write after I’m impressed. Anybody who doesn’t simply writes crap.”

Why do many songwriters consider their artwork is totally different than each different type of artwork on this world? That onerous work, coaching, and practising “even if you don’t really feel prefer it” doesn’t apply to them? Are you able to think about a terrific guitarist saying, “I solely play my guitar on days after I really feel impressed?” Heck, no! The nice guitarists apply hours and hours enjoying the identical lick hundreds of instances. Does that imply that nice guitarists don’t play from the soul like a songwriter writes from the soul? After all, they do! However the hours of apply—impressed or not—get them to some extent of executing their artwork at a better stage.

Let’s discuss concerning the BIG smug assertion: “You can’t learn to write songs.”

Wow! I’ve heard this mentioned by writers in any respect ranges who really feel they’ve been given the reward of songwriting, and everybody else on the earth wants to just accept that they need to surrender. This angle exists in any respect ranges from professional hit writers, indie screw-the-system writers, and aspiring writers who’re “tops” of their little city. The humorous factor is that this assertion typically comes from writers who aren’t that good and will undoubtedly be taught a factor or two! Placing others down doesn’t imply you’re higher! However, as soon as once more, why is songwriting totally different from some other artwork? There’s a lengthy line of well-known sculptures and painters who apprenticed beneath masters earlier than them. Are they much less inventive or inspiring than songwriters? Socrates was one of many biggest philosophers the world has ever recognized. A very impressed thoughts. His prize scholar was Plato, who had his prize scholar, Aristotle. Three of the best influential minds within the historical past of the world. All of them believed in studying from academics to additional their artwork. Is there any songwriter alive at this second who knew greater than these three???? Tiger Woods has a swing coach. Nice Dancers have academics, all of whom are impressed, artists. Whilst a longtime professional songwriter I’ve picked up some nice ideas from books like Track Constructing. I by no means need to cease sprucing my craft.

I encourage songwriters to not fall into the smug songwriter lure of pondering, “My track got here in a second of nice inspiration and is subsequently good.”

Inspiration is a robust and excellent factor for positive, however 99% of the time it’s simply the push to get a track began. Later, we have to revise, edit, and generally, lose complete strains or sections to actually carry a track house. Don’t fall into what I wish to name the “Diary Lure.” We write in a journal, and it makes us really feel higher. We put our feelings on paper. We work via our ache simply by writing it down. Many writers do that with songs. They spill their feelings out in a rush. However, identical to a diary, a lot of these writings make us really feel higher however aren’t actually meant to be proven to the world. Songs are a dialog between the author and the listener, and the listener must be essential to that writing course of.

Perhaps it’s as a result of, as writers, we open ourselves, our hearts, and souls to the world…

We have now to consider that now we have one thing essential to say, or the job can be too laborious to do. However, I problem all songwriters to do not forget that having one thing of worth to say doesn’t imply now we have nothing to be taught. The smug songwriter traps us into pondering what now we have to say is healthier than what everybody else has to say! Nice artwork is accessible for all folks to faucet into. Not simply the chosen ones. So, I consider we must always take care to not fall into the Arrogant Songwriter Lure and focus on the artwork of songwriting as a substitute.

Stroll On! Write On! ~Clay