No matter which genre you specialize in, writing songs is a creative task that requires a delicate balance of imaginative and logical thinking. Daily practice is one of the best ways you can enhance your songwriting abilities. To help you achieve greater heights as a songwriter, here are five daily exercises you should practice on a regular basis.

5 Daily Activities That Can Help Songwriters Improve Their Skills

1. Practice Quick Rhyming

As you create lyrics, it’s important to choose words that flow in a poetic nature. To get your word selection abilities in gear, spend a few minutes doing quick rhyming exercises. Select a random word from a dictionary and see how many rhyming words you can come up within a minute’s time.

2. Search for Synonyms

While you may have a message you want to get out within a song, the words that you want to use may not always fit the tone of the music. Preserve your message by having a wide vocabulary of synonyms. To do this, find a random word from the dictionary and figure out what other terms can present a similar meaning.

3. Improvise Melodies

Consider creating a random two- or four-chord melody segment that you can play over and over with ease. With the music in front of you, you can start experimenting with lyrics that may fit the tone of the song. While the resulting product may not be an award-winning ballad, the exercise will help you practice shifting lyrics to the mood of the music.

4. Alter Favorite Songs

Songwriting is all about thinking outside of the box and discovering what fun and creative things you can do with words. One way to stretch your mind is to choose a favorite song from a songwriter or singer you admire. While maintaining the same melody of the original song, try eliminating several lines of lyrics and coming up with alternative solutions that may fit just as well. You’ll find that many songs borrow the same chord progressions and melodies of others, just slightly re-arranged. 

5. Work Backward

Often, song titles usually come after the lyrics are put onto paper. However, you can challenge your mind by working in the opposite direction and choosing a song title first. First, pick a fun title that evokes a certain mood or message you’re feeling. Next, design lyrics—and potentially music—that work within those parameters.

 

Another way to improve your skills as a songwriter is to study the work of other talented musicians in your field. If you’re a fan of country, Elizabeth Barnes Music can introduce you to a unique blend of classic and imaginative sounds. Inspired by her own experiences with love and lost, Elizabeth’s current album in development, IVever Adore, offers a unique perspective on how songwriting is both a talent and a shared art. To sample selections from the album, visit this Minneapolis, MN, based singer online. For bookings across the country, call (952) 484-9371.