WRITE A SONG

Create A Songwriting Habit

Because starting a song is the hardest thing to do, having a ready-made bucket of ideas, thoughts, observations, lines, hooks and cool words is one of the best things you can do for yourself, Sure - you can talk into your phone or leave your ideas scattered all over...

Auto-Generate Chord Progressions

One of the easiest ways to tune your ear into different sounds is to force the creation of variety in your chords. This gets you out of common patterns or melodies you might use and can be quite inspiring. Switch up what you normally use for a chord progression by...

Song Vamp

Using someone else's song to help you get started isn't cheating, and it's not copyright infringement unless you don't change it significantly. So, for the Ghost Songs Lyrics exercise, make sure you change the song you started with to get going. A good test? Can...

Ghost Songs: Lyrics First

Using someone else's song to help you get started isn't cheating, and it's not copyright infringement unless you don't change it significantly. So, for the Ghost Songs Lyrics exercise, make sure you change the song you started with to get going. A good test? Can...
Auto-Generate Chord Progressions

Auto-Generate Chord Progressions

One of the easiest ways to tune your ear into different sounds is to force the creation of variety in your chords. This gets you out of common patterns or melodies you might use and can be quite inspiring. Switch up what you normally use for a chord progression by...

Song Vamp

Song Vamp

Using someone else's song to help you get started isn't cheating, and it's not copyright infringement unless you don't change it significantly. So, for the Ghost Songs Lyrics exercise, make sure you change the song you started with to get going. A good test? Can...

Ghost Songs: Lyrics First

Ghost Songs: Lyrics First

Using someone else's song to help you get started isn't cheating, and it's not copyright infringement unless you don't change it significantly. So, for the Ghost Songs Lyrics exercise, make sure you change the song you started with to get going. A good test? Can...

Songwriter Glossary

A songwriter glossary of common terms you'll run across as you get feedback about your songs.   Allusion An expression or phrase used to call...

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How To Write Song Lyrics: Number of Lines

I got a question from one of the SongChops Members asking how to write song lyrics, and the number of lines in a verse, chorus and bridge in particular. What a great question - and one I realize I've never actually covered! So, how many lines should you have in your...

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Best Songwriter Gifts In 2020!

We're always on the lookout for innovative gadgets, software and books that can make songwriting and creativity easier. I'm a "one for you, one for me" kind of person, so whether you're buying for a friend or yourself, we want to make sure you know the best that's out...

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Finding Inspiration Around You

Finding Inspiration is a hard thing to come by sometimes. To help inspire you, try some unconventional sources - your photos, a dictionary or some online image searches! STEP 1: Pick up a dictionary or thesaurus (or head online).  Randomly choose a word, or a few...

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5 Steps To Finish Unfinished Songs

Sometimes it's hard to finish unfinished songs.  And, there's nothing worse than sitting down to write and ending up with a partially completed song. Do you have a pile of lyrics and melodies with a verse and chorus but are stuck?  Have you hit the second verse and...

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Co-Writes Can End With Two Versions Of A Song

Whenever you go into a co-write, you're usually thinking "OK - we're going to write a song." And usually, you're thinking it's one song. You contribute your ideas and lines, and whatever comes out of the day is the song. But, some co-writes end with a partial song,...

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7 Tips To Write More Songs

Most songwriters want to write more songs, more often, but run into blockers like daily life, too much writing and no new ideas and the ever-popular no time to write. If you want to improve your songwriting as well as your songs, and eventually have a song catalogue...

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SongChops Songwriter Gift Guide

This songwriter gift guide covers everything from getting started to moving to the next level to running your music business to performing on stage. Whether you're shopping for yourself or someone else, not having to sort through a ton of "Recommended For You" or...

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Travis Meadows “Pontiac”

If you want to start with something that's true, one of the best songwriting mentors you can look to is Travis Meadows. He has a way of writing about his experiences that brings others in and not only reveals a bit about himself, but also creates a perspective for how...

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Giving Song Feedback Like A Pro

If you're part of a songwriting group, one of your activities is probably getting and giving feedback on songs. And, one of the most valuable things about being in a group is access to feedback, so being able to give it becomes part of the the group dynamic. It makes...

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