Songwriting is a special recipe. A recipe that has the power to heal hearts and change lives. But what precisely is songwriting?
Well, the definition of songwriting is: “the activity or process of writing either the instrumentation or lyrics for songs”. Simple as that might seem, the reality is altogether different.

 

When it comes to writing for a song, there are many techniques involved in putting a song together. For instance, David Bowie’s inspiration was the ‘cut up’ literary technique. This involved taking a section of text, cutting it into smaller pieces with one or two words, and then rearranging the pieces. Vocal coach, Anthony Wade suggests putting together a mood board, with key images and words to help fragmented ideas become fully formed concepts. Other writers opt for a more intuitive approach, writing down lyric ideas to reflect significant life experiences. All of course, are effective methods of songwriting.

However, no matter what technique you use to write songs, breaking through in the 2017 music world is more challenging than ever. With a music market increasingly saturated, and with less revenue for songwriters than past decades. In 2017 it arguably takes something even more special to break out as a well-known songwriter. The songwriter is a prized asset in the music business. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that not all artists are songwriters, but all songwriters are artists. 

It is also key to acknowledge the term ‘songwriting’ goes beyond its traditional meaning. Real songwriters, are not just producers or writers. Songwriters can be pulled from all parts of the musical process. Having grown up near London, and with many friends who made their own music, they would always look for the best London recording studios and engineers that might be able to offer advice with their songwriting. Indeed, those talented individuals, such as studio engineers that may be seen as peripheral music figures to the general public, are in fact crucial to the songwriting process. In the mixing process, engineers focus on making those little changes in detail, making tweaks including adding vocal effects, compression and changing volume levels. These small adjustments to the sound are just as important to the final song, as the initial strides made in writing and production.

So when you go out and to write a new song, work on the small details to break the mould. It will help eliminate the competition.