Getting Started as a Songwriter...

I have always thought that getting started was the easiest part of writing a song but many of you may disagree. If you are suffering from writer's block, getting started can be a rough process. If you are new to songwriting, you may have no clue of what direction to go in. So lets take both situations one step at a time.

1. Start by accepting  the fact that you want or need to write. Developing an idea of what it is that you want to do can come in many forms. You may want to imitate a song that already exists or you might want to start from scratch and do something totally new and original. If you are a new songwriter, learn the rules that others have set in motion and then set out to break them. Get to know those that have come before you by visiting the Forums and expressing your desire to learn. 

2. Once you have written your song, revise it and make it better. when you feel that it is ready to breath, let a friend hear your creation and take notes on what that tell you about your song. Always take in mind that if it is really bad, the average friend will tell you it is "okay", "nice," or "alright." So be sure to get a second opinion. One of the ways to see past what someone tells you is to see what they ask you.

• If they ask learn more about the song, you have peaked interest. 

• If they have great ideas on how you can make it better, listen and try not to block them out or run over then with a large vehicle. 

• If they ask for a copy, you have created a fan. (Don't give them a copy. Let them wait until it is released for the public and let them buy one. If you have given all of your material away to those who want it, who will you sell to when it is released?)

• If they laugh and the song was not meant to be funny, get back to the drawing board.

3. If you have surpassed the barriers of rewriting and critics, then it is time for you to copyright your material. You can find out more about this process by clicking here It is important that before you release you material for wide spread reproduction that you take care of this matter. Or you may wind up on the David Letterman show spouting phrases like, "The never gave me nothing?" or "I wrote a song that sounded like that and had the same lyrics but couldn't prove it."

4. Now you are copyrighted and ready to reach the world. But how good is your recording? I remember doing harmonies in a bathroom using to jam boxes to bounce tracks. It was great for getting the idea of the song across but not quite air play ready. (Though many of those songs did play on local stations in that day.)   If you can afford a big fancy studio to record you music, go for it. But before you go, have your ducks in a row to save time and money. Here is a check list to go by:

• Song parts will be recorded on individual tracks, know what instrument you want on each track. (track sheet)

• Find the best musicians that will get the job done quickly and down right. (Friends are great but not unless they can do the job you nee to get done. Do not let that friendship burn your studio time. Friends are friends on the outside but when the clock is ticking, they are money and the quality that they produce is a life time. So make sure you take the right person for the job.

• Find a studio or a friend who can do the recording for you. Let price and quality of the work that they have done before for your guide to selecting the right place. And don't let a promise of $100 for the whole thing turn into $900 after the extra time is added in. Get the price up front and in writing.

• Have fun in the studio and take pictures of the occasion. There is nothing like looking a back and remembering where it all began.

5. Now that you have your recording, decide the fate of your creation. Will you sell it, publish it, make recordings for your mom, or submit it to radio stations for air play? 

Visit the Writer's Block Forum for a list of Songwriter Organizations Click here