Using someone else's song to help you get started isn't cheating, and it's not copyright infringement unless you don't...
Exercises
Song Exercise: Follow Your Own Rules
This song exercise is meant to get you outside of your normal routine, and create some variety for you as you approach...

2 Hour Songwriting Exercise
Whether you aspire to write songs in Nashville, or just write great songs, the 2 Hour Songwriting Exercise could be...
SC Exercise: Write For An Artist
This exercise focuses on writing for another artist. You'll work through some simple steps to (1) find an artist that...
SC Exercise: Turning Poems Into Songs
Turning poems into songs sounds like something that's pretty easy to do. After all, the words are there. The rhyme is...
Song Sketching Exercise Using Story Arcs
If you've ever been in a high school English class, you've studied how drama is created in a play, a novel or short...
What’s Furniture In Lyrics?
You've probably gotten song critiques that suggest you need more furniture in lyrics to give the song a stronger sense...
Point Of View (POV) Switch Exercise
One of the easiest ways to increase your understanding of point of view (POV) is to take a song you've completed and...
Get A Second First Line Opinion!
A second first line opinion means just that. This songwriting exercise will focus on getting some second opinions...
Verb Power
Making your songs memorable includes not only a great story, but great imagery as well. The words "jump" and...
George Harrison: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
How did "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" evolve from George Harrison's songwriting self-assignment? In his own words...
No Time For Songwriting? 10 Minutes & Start 5 Songs!
One of the biggest reasons I hear for someone not writing songs is that they have no time for songwriting. We all have...
From Outlines To Songs
Let's tie some song prompts to creating outlines to songs! Everything you're doing to learn songwriting should be in a...
Ghost Songs: Melody Writing
Stuck with a blank page and nothing is really inspiring you? Start with a song you like and build a new one! It's...
4 Steps To Connect Your Song Scenes
Here are four easy steps to help you connect the verses in your song - or song scenes! Following them will help make...
Radiohead “Creep” Inspired By 1972 Song?
Wondering how "ghost song" songwriting exercises turn into hits? Radiohead gave credit to the songwriter and song...
Zane Williams: Word Challenge Exercise
Think songwriting prompts and exercises can't turn into something good? Zane Williams shows you how he took some fan...
Song Prompt: Write A Book
Don't worry, you won't have to write a book in its entirety! This prompt focuses on a single aspect of a book. Take...