26 Songwriting Tips for Beginners: What 20+ Years Has Taught Me
I love making music. I’ve been doing it since I was about 11 years old. There’s something special about translating ideas into reality or just stumbling onto something new while messing around.
It’s more than a hobby. It’s a way of being and expressing yourself.
When you write music, you’re telling the world “this is what I sound like.” You’re turning your experiences, personality, quirks and passions into melodies.
It’s a pretty awesome skill and something that’s super rewarding. So I’m stoked you’re here!
These are my top songwriting tips for beginners.
Now let’s get to it.
*This post is currently being updated with fresh tips and insights!
Check back soon :]
1. Embrace the copycat phase
I’m starting here because this is something that I used to struggle a lot with – or at least, I felt guilty about it.
This whole idea of “stealing” other artists’ sounds or styles needs a fresh perspective. So let’s start with a simple truth: copycatting is inevitable.
There’s no shame in borrowing ideas, especially as a beginner. The truth of the matter is, we’re always borrowing ideas from each other.
Originality comes from the cumulative inspiration of others, and our natural tendency to customize things.
Actually, the argument could be made that perfectly performing a cover song as it was originally written is way harder than customizing a cover song to be more you.
We naturally add our own spin, voice, style and nuances to music.
So embrace the journey (and the copying). It’s a fantastic way to learn from someone who’s already “done the thing”. You’ll find your unique voice, even if it feels like it’s taking a while.
And this is a great segue to my next point: deconstructing songs and studying their parts.
2. Use first principles and reverse engineer songs
Working off the first tip, reverse engineering your favorite songs can be incredibly helpful. This strategy is employing first principles.
Essentially, this method works by making complex problems or ideas, well, simpler. Here’s a more formal definition.
First principles is a strategy of taking complex problems and breaking them down into their smaller and simpler units.
The concept can be applied to anything from engineering and business to art and music.
So deconstructing songs will give you incredible insights into songwriting processes, instrument layering, techniques, best practices and more.
Lucky for us, a lot of people online have done the heavy lifting for us. Here’s a YouTube video breaking down one of Billie Eilish’s hit songs ‘Ocean Eyes’ (you may be surprised by its simplicity).
3. Try to write something everyday
Habit formation in songwriting is literally creating new circuits in your brain.
So if we view making music like any other learned skill, then daily practice is crucial for making those fresh neural connections. This essentially ties into the whole ‘practice makes perfect’ idea.
Digging deeper, University of Colorado professor Anders Ericsson wrote a paper in 1997 presenting the argument that it takes about 10,000 hours to become an expert in something.
That’s a long time. Luckily, this idea has been challenged and disproven many times. In fact, Ericsson himself argued its limitations.
For example, there’s the qualitative vs. quantitative argument. That is, focused practice with an expert tutor for 2 hours versus casually practicing alone will obviously have different results.
At the end of the day, I wouldn’t stress about counting hours. But if you’re still looking for some checkpoints to aim for, Josh Kaufman argues that it only takes 20 hours (not 10,000) to learn a new skill.
Much more manageable.
4. Embrace random, “unorganized” writing
Songwriting is rarely linear.
We don’t write the intro, then the first verse, then the chorus, and so on.
It’s usually way more sporadic. Like I’ll have two totally separate song ideas, written years apart, that down the road, end up working perfectly together.
So don’t stress about finishing each and every idea. You should see how many unfinished ideas I have, spread across three phones and two computers over just the last 5 years.
But someday…someday…
5. Start simple and add complexity as you go
Intricacy and complexity can be super cool. But dammit, simplicity is elegant.
As a beginner, leverage the power of simple chords and minimal melodies. As you get better, your creativity will naturally evolve and add complexity.
Actually, one of my favorite songwriting scripts is to start simple (sometimes just a single layer of chords), then slowly introduce extra sounds and instruments with each new segment of the song.
Another big point I want to drive home here is being intentional. Sometimes complexity works. But other times, minimalism is what’s needed.
6. Gamify your songwriting
Ah gamification, the buzzword of the hour. But it works.
I haven’t seen too much on this topic myself, but I recently tried a songwriting challenge, and realized I was gamifying music.
The idea here is to try a sort of urgency challenge. Essentially, you give yourself a time limit and try to write a song before the timer goes off.
You can also record yourself doing this for bonus points (that’s what I did).
You may try setting a timer to 1 hour (or more) at first, then slowly dialing the time back until you’re doing songwriting challenges in as little as 10 minutes.
It’s fun and it forces you to think on the fly, and come up with some interesting and creative ideas on the spot – great training.
7. Write beyond your primary instrument
Song ideas can come in many ways and at many different times. Any other shower singers here?
It’s interesting actually, when I play piano versus guitar, my songwriting style is totally different.
Similarly, if I’m putting together one of my pop-travel songs directly in my computer, the vibe and style seem to be completely different yet again.
So try stepping away from your principle instrument and see what ideas you come up with. This may be just using your voice and humming about, or using software and premade loops.
Which leads me to my next point.
8. Use software as a song springboard (or for inspiration)
There’s zero shame in using prewritten loops or software-generated chord progressions. It’s actually fantastic for overcoming writer’s block and coming up with fresh ideas.
We have so many amazing songwriting tools at our disposal now, and it would be a serious injustice to your creactive capacity to just ignore them.
The first major tool I’m referring to is your DAW (digital audio workspace) software.
This is your songwriting hub (if you’re at all interested in recording music or producing). I use Logic Pro myself, but most DAWs will come with prebuilt loops and sounds to play around with.
I cover some more of these amazing tools (and more on my songwriting process, step-by-step) in my post How I Write My Own Music for Travel Videos (the tool section is towards the bottom).
9. Identify your strengths (+ weaknesses)
Finding your unique strengths and points of differentiation is super helpful – especially if you’re interested in taking your songwriting to the next level, and building out your brand.
It’s kind of tricky to be completely honest with yourself (like, “What am I simply amazing at?” or “Where do I simply suck?”).
I still struggle here. But, as an example, one of my bigger breakthroughs was realizing I needed to work with a vocal coach. I mean I wasn’t awful, but I was inconsistent and had no technique.
Welcome constructive feedback, go down songwriting theory rabbit holes, be honest with yourself and celebrate every little win.
That’s the key, focusing on staying positive. Celebrate your strengths and your weaknesses. It’s a mindset shift: “oof, I’m not the best at ___, but now I know where to focus my attention and I’m gonna absolutely crush it after I practice ___ some more”.
10. Consider your song’s meaning and story
This ties back to the idea of being intentional (mentioned in #5).
While it’s not at all necessary to have your song’s story and meaning, or goal, all planned out from the starting line, it can help if you’re hitting some walls.
You could try putting words to paper, and getting the story out before any melodies or chords have been considered. I’ve tried this before – with surprising results.
But if I’m being honest with you, I usually don’t consider a song’s meaning or story until way later. I’m a melody-first kind of songwriter, but still, it’s good practice to be flexible and to try different strategies.
Because this approach may help some people more than others, which leads me to my next point.
11. Try different songwriting strategies to find what fits
Some people love writing lyrics first, others like to map out the instrumentals first, and still yet, others need to come up with the song’s concept before any songwriting commences.
It’s hard to know where you’ll thrive until you try a handful of different methods.
For me, I’m a melody- and instrumentals-first kind of writer. My lyrics always tend to come later…and sometimes haphazardly. Yea, that’s a weakness of mine – no shame.
So try out some different techniques or methods to writing.
12. Write Songs — As A Joke
This one is fun. And I can tell you first hand, writing “joke” songs takes away a lot of the pressure and stress of songwriting. It’s incredibly cathartic.
Joke songs could come in the form of ridiculous lyrics, genres you hate or styles that just lighten the mood. There are also a lot of examples of comedic musicians to take some inspiration from.
But you may notice that their songs are actually pretty good and catchy:
I also have a lot of personal examples for this tip. Throughout university, my friends and I would frequently write non-sensical, joke songs (there may or may not have been beer involved here…).
But I was almost disappointed when I realized that the core melodies and chords were, well, really good.
I don’t know, something magical happens when you take away the pressure and intentionally try to be “bad” — so definitely try this one out.
13. Embrace “failure” and scrap ideas if needed
We all know the rules: fail forward; a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new; the bigger the failure, the bigger the lesson; yada yada yada…
But it’s still always a tough pill to swallow. And when it comes to songwriting, it can be especially disheartening to realize that something just isn’t working.
Looking back, I have plenty of songs I thought for sure were absolute bangers, only to find them now in graveyards.
So don’t get discouraged if you’ve lost motivation for an idea or find yourself scrapping something after spending hours, days or even months on it. That’s the process.
It should be noted however that not all is lost. There’s usually a nugget or two in your scrapped ideas worth saving.
Another perfect segue to my next point.
14. Record all your ideas
However small or unfinished they may seem, all ideas are worth saving.
From a cool 3-second melody concept to that random riff you made, those gems can always come in handy down the road.
Sometimes you just need a little inspiration. Other times, you’ll realize that one of your random melodic snippets fit perfectly with another song.
It’s this sort of unplanned serendipity that puts a serious pep in a musician’s step.
Another cool benefit of recording all your ideas – however meh some may seem – is you’re creating an archived library, and documenting your skills and growth as an artist.
Fast forward one year (after continued practice and diligence), and some of those old recordings may give you some serious perspective on just how far you’ve come.
15. Surround yourself with like-minded people
Was Jim Rohn right when he said that we become the average of the 5 closest people in our life? I can’t say for certain, but it does kind of feel right.
Either way, there’s definitely no harm in surrounding yourself with like-minded songwriters and artists. Actually, it can be incredibly helpful.
When I’m in the company of entrepreneurs, creatives, travelers and like-minded human folk, I can’t help but get inspired.
So maybe Jim Rohn was spot on here.
But finding a “new crew” can be tricky. So let’s move on and look at one great way to expand your songwriting network.
16. Try cowriting
Cowriting and collabs are all the rage. It’s a great way to share audiences, network and improve as an artist.
But if you’re a beginner songwriter, this can feel intimidating.
So try to find people who are at an equal level (or better yet, slightly better). You can leverage FB groups, Discord and other online resources here.
And remember, great collabs can be an opportunity to round out any of your current weaknesses.
For example, if you haven’t found your stride with lyrics, you can work with a lyricist on a cowriting project.
17. Find a mentor
This is somewhat related to the two ideas above (essentially, networking and meeting people in the songwriting niche), but you can try working with a mentor.
Sometimes this mentorship is an unofficial relationship (maybe a friend), or maybe it’s someone in the industry and you’re knocking on digital doors, seeking unpaid internships in exchange for experience and mentorship.
Or, mentorship can be passive. This one is probably easiest. Essentially, you find influencers, musicians or people you look up to (or find inspiring), and you consume their content, study their methods and learn as much as you can from them.
If mentorship works so well for entrepreneurs and businesses, surely beginner songwriters will benefit as well.
18. Follow a template
If you’re new to songwriting, it can be difficult to know where or how to start. Having a clear outline, or structure to follow will help tremendously here.
Here’s how the typical, “gold standard” of a song’s structure goes: Intro → first verse → prechorus → chorus → second verse → chorus → bridge – end chorus and outro.
I still follow this general format, but don’t feel like you need to hit every stage if you’re just starting out. Making just a great verse or just a great chorus is fantastic progress.
So try to use an outline as a template to your songwriting. Here’s an article outlining songwriting structures in greater detail.
19. Learn the “rules”
As one of my favorite quotes goes, “Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.”
Picasso was right.
Learning and knowing some theory will go a long way in your songwriting, especially as a beginner. Luckily, there are plenty of free online resources to improve your formal understanding of theory and music composition.
We don’t need to be experts, but learning the best practices and theory behind great music can only do one thing: make you a much stronger, more confident songwriter.
Once you’ve learned the “rules”, you can pick and choose which you like – or completely toss them out the window. Because at the end of the day, great art needs no structure, control and governance.
20. Lyrics don’t need to rhyme
Lyrics, to this day I still struggle with these. They’re not my forte – I’m way more confident at coming up with the melodies and structures of songs.
But I’ve persevered, and gotten much better. And one rule I’ve learned is that lyrics don’t always need to rhyme, or fit into some perfect pattern of rhythmic utopia.
We could go down the rabbit hole of musical phonology (the syntax and semantics of lyrics), but the main takeaway is focus on your messaging and don’t stress when you’ve changed your wording and word choice a few hundred different times.
Remember, there are rules. But there are no rules, really.
21. Write from personal experience
Music is personal. When you’re writing from a place of authentic emotion and experience, magic always comes out.
It can be incredibly cathartic to write music about your experiences. Great songwriting is in a sense built on a foundation of an artist’s experiences and values.
We can almost see the process as storytelling.
So if you’re struggling with songwriting, circle back to your experiences and values in life – what stands out and what do you want to write about?
22. Mental practice and visualization
The idea here is to visualize and mentally “practice”. For songwriting, we could practice imagining and even describing the song – before it’s ever written.
No doubt, this is getting into some visualization and manifestation territory, but there’s actually interesting research to support this idea.
We won’t get into the quantum mechanics of energy fields, the brain and how thoughts can influence physical reality.
But mental practicing through vivid visualization is definitely worth learning. I’ve used this approach with snowboarding, singing, and building out this brand.
And if all this stuff is actually just objectively ineffective, you’ll still be getting a nice boost to your mental clarity and happiness – they say meditation is healthy, after all.
23. Determine (+ remember) your why
We’re talking about intrinsic motivation here.
What are your reasons, goals and motivations for songwriting? Keeping your motivations top of mind will help you stay focused and motivated, especially when things are difficult.
Getting over the first few hurdles of songwriting as a beginner can take some serious focus and diligence, and remembering your ‘why’ will be an indispensable tool to help you push through and come out the other side.
24. “Feel” it
Emotion and music are inseparable.
The same can be said for songwriting, especially as a beginner when every extra edge is helpful.
And research has shown that emotions go a long way in reinforcing learning and memory.
So, we should always strive to connect our songwriting to a deeper emotional level – not just the more mechanical “do this, then that” side of music-making.
25. Ignore “the noise”
This is just great general advice. But as a songwriter especially, try your best to not think about or worry too much about other people’s opinions.
I’ve been there. You pour your heart and soul into something, only to hear crickets. You finally get the courage to post a video, only to get feedback.
It can be rough!
So take some time away from the socials if you need to, and only compare yourself to who you were yesterday, and the month before, and the year before, etc.
A perfect segue to my last point…
26. Have fun
Nothing’s worse than stressing over music. It’s like throwing weights on your songwriting.
Unfortunately, as songwriters, we tend to be way too hard on ourselves. So put away the TikTok videos, ignore the “rules” and just have fun.
Write for you. Write for fun.
Later ✌️
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