Today I tweeted that I’ll be taking questions from you guys via Facebook, Twitter or email. Ask me anything you like and I’ll use the questions as inspirations for blogging, to make sure I’m writing about the things you are interested in. Message me anytime with your suggestions and I’ll be sure to make a note of them and add them to my list!
Someone asked today ‘How do you start writing a song of out nowhere? Where do the ideas come from?‘ This is a great question. Starting to create can be the hardest part of all art.
So here are 8 different thoughts on how you can to go from ‘zero to sixty’ in getting a song started.
Some of them are a lot easier than you’d imagine. In fact, if you sing in the shower (dont’ we all?!) you might be able to come up with some great ideas for your own songs, even if you’ve never considered yourself a ‘songwriter’ before!
- 1. JOURNALLING: Get starter-lyric ideas by writing in a journal about what’s been going on in your life recently. When a phrase jumps out at you and feels like it captures something that’s going on in your heart, use that as the foundation of your song lyrics.
- 2. SPEAKING: Talk to God out loud about how much you love him and all that he’s done for you. Tell him what a difference he makes in your life. As you speak these things out try and find a phrase that feels fresh and meaningful. Use this as the initial basis of your song lyrics. Once you’ve decided what theme the song is about, begin speaking out more prayers and thanks around that theme to find additional lyrics.
3. SINGING STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS PRAYERS: Once you’re speaking out a few phrases you like, begin singing them to God. Or you can just start cold by singing from the get go. This adds melody to the words and suddenly you’re writing a song! I often try this when I’m driving – I’ll just start singing out prayers to God and every now and then they become a song. Lots of people sing in the shower too, so if you’re one of those people start using that as a chance to sing your prayers and see if you come up with song ideas!
- 4. SOMEONE ELSE’S SONG: Sing an already written song that you really like; something that inspires and moves you. Then linger on the chord changes and start singing out a new melody over the top of those chords. The chords act as initial inspiration and as a springboard to get you playing and singing something new. When you start to find ideas, change the chords a bit so they aren’t just a rip off of the other song!
- 5. DIFFERENT GENRE: Try learning to play a song in a different genre – if you always sing modern worship music try learning a classical piece or a jazz song or something more rock. Then take the chords from that and start singing a new melody ideas over the top of that. You’ll end up writing something much different than your usual ‘go to’ sound.
- 6. OPEN UP A BOOK: Read an inspiring book or series of quotes. Find a few lines that jump out at you and use them as your starting lyrics (be careful to attribute copyright where needed though!)
- 7. NEW BIBLE TRANSLATIONS: Read a different translation of the Bible. I find The Message is great for this. Read familiar passages in the new translation and often they’ll feel fresh and make for some great lyrics. Ideas will stand out that wouldn’t in your normal translation as we get over familiar with many of the phrases and verses.
- 8. GRAB A FRIEND!: Co-write. Sometimes a great way to go from ‘zero to sixty’ on a new song is to get someone else involved. Two heads are usually better than one, so you’ll have twice as many ideas to get you going!
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