SONGWRITING
THE SONGWRITER’ S EDGE // 10 HABITS THAT SEPARATE GREAT SONGS FROM GOOD INTENTIONS | John Chisum
Photo by Adhy Setya on Unsplash
The difference between a notebook full of ideas and a body of memorable songs often comes down to a handful of repeatable creative habits.
Every songwriter I know has a phone full of voice memos, notebooks overflowing with halffinished lyrics, and more song titles than they could use in a lifetime. The problem usually isn’ t ideas. It’ s turning those ideas into songs people actually remember.
After more than four decades of writing songs, working with artists, publishers, producers, worship leaders, and aspiring writers, I’ ve become convinced that the difference between writers who continually grow and writers who continually get frustrated is not simply talent. It’ s habits. Talent matters, of course. Inspiration matters.
But inspiration without discipline can leave you with hundreds of beginnings and very few finished songs. The good news is that the habits that make strong songwriters stronger can be learned.
Here are ten of the most important.
1. CHASE GREAT IDEAS, NOT JUST GOOD ONES One of the biggest songwriting mistakes is falling in love with the first idea that shows up. Before you spend three hours writing verses, ask a harder question: Is the central idea actually worth a song? A great song usually begins with what I call the“ one big idea”- a concept clear enough to guide every lyric, melodic choice, and section of the song. Your title or hook should create curiosity, emotion, recognition, or tension. It should make somebody want to know what comes next.
Try this hack: before writing the song, write ten possible titles or angles around the same subject. Don’ t settle too quickly. Often the tenth idea is more original than the first because you’ ve pushed past the obvious. Great songwriting begins before the first verse. It begins by choosing an idea worth chasing.
2. STOP WAITING FOR INSPIRATION There is a romantic myth that real songwriters sit around until lightning strikes.
Professional writers know better. Inspiration is wonderful when it arrives, but you cannot build a creative life around waiting for it. Showing up consistently teaches your creative mind that you mean business.
Set an appointment with your songwriting. Even thirty focused minutes can be productive if you protect them. Turn off notifications. Put the phone on airplane mode unless you’ re using it to record. Decide what you are working on before you begin.
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