Posts Tagged ‘Articles’

Perhaps the most common songwriting mistakes that I’ve seen kill a song… If I had to choose one songwriting mistake I’ve seen over and over in mentoring sessions through the years, it would be “writing clever instead of writing real.” Throughout the entire writing process I am asking myself, does this feel real? Could this have really happened?…

Most songwriters find themselves in a complacent songwriting “comfort zone” from time to time.  Personally, I find myself at times resting on a little plateau of my own making.  I work really hard for a stretch and then I coast for a bit.  When I find myself coasting, here are some things I do to…

One of the questions I get most often when I mentor songwriters is “Why does everyone tell me I need to write more conversational lyrics?” While there is no “one size fits all” answer to how your lyrics “should” be written, there is a reason that people give you that advice. When I’m having that…

I look at the songs I write as footprints. They are what remain of me after I pass through a place. Yesterday, I passed through another day of writing and I left behind a song that represents ME. Two songs, actually. I poured my heart and soul into them and I’m proud of what I…

It’s been said that we are what we eat. And if we eat healthier food, we will have healthier bodies! But what about your musical diet? Many songwriters write emails to Marty Dodson and I each week asking what they can do to become better writers and have artists to record their songs. When examining…

When I first started trying to write as a profession, I talked to my wife (now my ex-wife) and asked for 2 years to chase my dream of becoming a songwriter. She agreed to work part time and I would work part time writing and we would tag-team with the kids. When she worked, I…

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked “How in the world do you come up with a song-a-day – every day?”  Learning how to write a new song every day can seem like a daunting task. Here’s how I pull that off… Coming In With Ideas I have a database that includes…

Hey SongTown! Marty Dodson here, and today, we’re diving deep into a topic that can make or break your songwriting career—organizing your song ideas, titles, and melodies. If you’ve ever found yourself fumbling through endless voice memos, scrolling through a jumbled mess of notes, or forgetting that one golden idea you had last month, you’re…

As songwriters, we all know that exhilarating yet daunting feeling of staring at an unfinished song. Whether you’re fine-tuning lyrics, building out a second verse, or deciding if your song even needs a bridge, it’s crucial to approach each step methodically and creatively. Here’s a comprehensive guide, inspired by an interactive workshop, to help you…

One of the things I love most about being a songwriter is that it is one of the few things in life that you can never totally “figure out”.  You can always write a better song than you wrote today. No matter how successful you get, it requires you still be a lifetime songwriting student.…