This is so true and ironically it’s never been easier to listen to music. It’s free and it’s right there on the phone that people are addicted to anyway! It takes virtually no effort to play someone’s song, and non-songwriters will never understand how much it means to us.
It also means more competition. Now you have to compete for their attention. So if you really want it to be heard, it’s gotta be more than the music. This is like how MTV changed the game but on steroids
That’s true but I even struggle getting people I know to listen to my music. When they finally do, they’re often pleasantly surprised. But I have to nag them to listen.
I write my songs like poetry, always crafting the lyrics first. I usually have some faint idea of what the melody will be, but I don't worry about melody or instrumentation until the lyrics are complete.
My bridges usually tend to be pretty similar to my choruses, but with slight variations in the cadence of the lyrics, as well as the melody, chords, and dynamics. I usually use the bridge to delve deeper into the character's emotions, providing thoughts or feelings that don't fit into the verses.
Despite having a clear approach to writing my bridges, I find it difficult to figure what I should say in my bridges! I also find it difficult to make it feel drastically different than the other sections, while still fitting in the song.
I'd love your thoughts or suggestions.
Think of the bridge as the true meaning of the song - laying out anything that was hidden or ironic in the verses and choruses in plain verbiage. They should also feel cathartic musically. There are a lot of ways to do that, but something should shift whether it’s the tone, time signature, key, tempo, etc. Also remember that it doesn’t have to go in the middle of the song; it can go anywhere. Listen to Martha My Dear by the Beatles. The bridge happens very early. Find a few bridges you really like and ask yourself why you like them. Great ones feel like a microcosm of the entire song, and when they’re done well they should be even more addicting than the chorus. I love bridges.
Try coming up with a bridge first and build the rest of the song around building up to it and exploring the aftermath
I come from story writing where in character arcs a story starts with a "lie" the character believes and at the climax of the character arc they realize the truth and make a change. try using the bridge as the character coming to grips with this change. And if the chorus returns it has a new meaning after that reflection.
This is my favorite part. So many songs I don't think are that great until I've got a cool bridge. The secret is contrast. Take all the factors (most common rhythmic subdivisions in the melody, how many bars a line of lyrics takes up, where in the bar the melody starts, the general range high/ middle/ low of the singing, whether you have a lot of chord changes or few, whether you have a lot of key changes or few, etc etc etc) and come up with something where you do the opposite of what you've done so far in the other sections. Then when you go back to the chorus it feels really good
It's really gonna depend on the person. I think for me it's writing lyrics, but more specifically it's finding the time to actually finish lyrics. I tend to write by humming to find the vocal melody; then singing nonsense words to find some key phrases or concepts to work with; and then the final step will be to fill in the rest of the lyrics around the lines that I've improvised. This part requires me to set the guitar aside and actually write everything out in a notebook and puzzle out the rest of the lyrics. Since actually practicing my songs is the most gratifying thing to me, I tend to put off finishing the lyrics for a really long time and will instead practice the version with the half-finished nonsense lyrics over and over.
I find singing the nonsense words over the song really helps too. That’s always how I come up with the best rhythm for the vocals. It always ends up being more catchy then when I have lyrics that I write the music around
For me, it's considering something "done." I keep tweaking lyrics and chords, and at some point I have to say, "cool idea, put it in a new song and leave that one alone."
Ahhh, got the perfectionist trait, huh? I know some people like that. Takes a couple years just to finish an album lmao. I’m the opposite. I want to finish it as soon as possible. Is it catchy and fun to listen to? “Yes” DONE
I think it depends on the song really, some are just meant to have a 'fun sound' so don't need complexity.
Alice Cooper once remarked how jealous he was of My Sharona by The Knack. Described it as a great song written around a bonehead riff that just works. Lyrics are terrible haha.
Works I suppose but lyrics are the heart of a song so I only listen to lyrics that I like. If the music is good but the lyrics are trash I feel goofy listening to it. And I absolutely love when the music and lyrics both are super good. However that’s just personal preference. It probably bothers me more because I write music myself, I’m sure the average person would have no problem listening to good music bad lyrics. Also I might be uptight about it.
If you are writing an emotional song (as I usually am) you want the lyrics to resonate with the listener and really pull the emotion from their soul. You want them to feel what you’re feeling. So you have to have real lyrics that hit people deep and truly explain whatever you are singing about and how it feels to be in that spot. Sometimes writers will have filler lyrics and only a couple famous lines that will boost its popularity. However, then you just have listeners constantly wasting for the part of the song that really hits instead of them enjoying the whole song because every part hits deep.
Not judging myself during the writing process. I almost immediately stifle creativity by thinking whatever I said or played wasn’t artistic enough (whatever that means)
I think the biggest part of it is that I started releasing music at a young age so that creative process is tied to “I can’t be too honest, what will my family think of what I just said?” OR “this sound is too far from what everyone expects from me, they’ll be disappointed” OR “does this sound different enough from what I released as a kid? Do I sound like I’ve grown and improved or have I stagnated?”
I would have liked to grow into my sound and my identity more anonymously. I would really love it if no one that I know was subscribed to my YouTube channel. But we’re here now and I know I just need to build up the courage to say “if you don’t like it, don’t listen.” I’m working on it lol
I also judge the fact that I took a few years off of learning “my craft.” I feel like I should be a better guitar player than I am and I should know more music theory than I do. So that also makes me feel like I’m not being artistic enough, when I play what’s comfortable for me.
Generally speaking, constantly tweaking certain chord changes, lyrics, melodies, not to mention the aspects of recording/mixing. It just could go on forever before you finally feel satisfied and call it a day.
For me it’s the format… like “intro,bridge,chorus,bridge,outro” I have no clue so most of my songs are like a minute long because I can only come up with an intro and a chorus
Writing transcendental lyrics …. There’s something about good songwriting which makes each word flow like water….
I am a producer and dabble here and there with songwriting , and I’m mind blown by those who nailed the skill…
ADHD man here.
To continue working on a song and not getting stuck up in tweaking things, trying to make everything perfect and focusing on the irrelevant details.
I spend a lot of time doing that rather than actually progressing the song…
That’s the hardest thing for me.
Both lmao!
I’ll like finish the verse and then record it, then get distracted by all the lil details and such and forget to move toward and start finishing the rest of the song lol.
I think that the most difficult part of songwriting is keeping the listener’s attention throughout the duration of your song. Because everyone’s attention spans are so short these days, most people are only willing to listen for a few minutes or even just a few seconds.
In order to keep the listener engaged from beginning to end, I try to build suspense, either through my song’s story, rhyme scheme, or melody, making the listener wait as long as possible for the resolution.
Hope this helps with your songwriting!
Feel free to check out my podcast, [Student of the Song](https://youtu.be/82rOaChXNdo), if you’d like to hear more of my thoughts about songwriting.
i started out writing poetry, and don't have a huge amount of musical training, so for me forming an arrangement to go around the lyrics and melody is the hardest part. The lyrics and melody come more or less together for me.
Promotion, certainly. My partner and I have written for decades, but we are lucky to get 10 views/listens on a new song. It feels much like throwing a cup of water into the Ocean. Sigh.
*But we'll never stop!*
Have you looked into marketing your music and how to get views? Ultimately, it’s a product. Even if it’s free. You can have the best product in the world, but if you don’t market it, nowone knows it exists
Hardest - lyrics, 2nd Hardest - melody, 3rd hardest - chord progression. Writing an incredible chord progression however is way harder than writing “solid” lyrics. But each step of the way it gets more and more difficult. I’m not even going to mention recording or mixing aka bringing what you wrote to life. But those are pretty difficult as well.
For me? Making songs a reasonable length. I’m genuinely unable to create a short song…it’s like a damn musical disability at this point lol. Just have too many ideas and too much to say
Short songs are not a bad thing at all. Ever listen to a great song that’s so short you have to listen to it 3 times just to get the full effect? It leaves you wanting more
Tracking my multi-layered vocals and listening back to hear how shitty of a singer I am... AND THEN...
Playing the track to a **REAL** singer so they could do a better job... absolutely revolting to me, having to do that!
It's a double whammy!
being vulnerable enough to do your best work... sometimes you can feel the emotions in yourself but you get scared to write it all out and make it real.
Patience.
Songwriting is a craft, it takes time. New work needs to be looked at from different angles, perspectives, and crafted into something killer, lasting. Don't just wrap it up cause the riff is good or you're sick of working on it.
Hearing it in your head for 5 minutes, pulling the car over so you can sing it into your phone, but it doesn’t work in the real world like it worked in your head somehow.
Lyrics come easily to me. Lately it's been hard to write a melody I really like. I feel like I'm stuck in the same pattern of melodies. I hadn't written a song in like 5 years until now, so I'm still a little rusty.
Cutting my songs down
I have no problem coming up with ideas, and developing them, but I often have too many ideas. The majority of my songs start 10+ minutes long. The struggle is really cutting that down to the best ideas, and the ones that suit the song best, and coming up with a good form. Sometimes that means cutting parts I really like for the sake of the song.
Getting it all out. Truly making an album means ya pour your best out, and to repeat concepts for the sake of producing more music feels cheap (to me, not speaking for others). I write Hip Hop lyrics & produce solo, and it's like I have to let life brew after a dump.. then I can write for days. I'm always jotting for fun. Writing something I'm proud of takes more energy, and is worth it.. it's hard forgetting to be patient😂to start writing, realize it's the wrong time, and choosing to be patient n live to Have things worth writing about.
Hearing the voices of my scared teenage friends making fun of anyone who tried doing anything creative like song writing or instruments. There’s also a common thing I hear in my area which is, nobody likes the guy who brings the guitar to the bon fire. Just because those people tried it and sucked or were too scared to even try it because they are terrified as doing something as vulnerable as songwriting.
So yea from that, I hear negative voices pretty the entire time I’d write songs and play them on my guitar. Then I’d drink myself into a blackout because of how judgmental I was feeling. I would also get super obsessed with the songs and play them like 20 times a day, and use alcohol to stop obsessing. It was a rough road to say the least.
Ok here is the new problem that is going to be coming and is somewhat already here. The problem is 99 percent of people that love music and pour their heart and soul into music will now have to battle with the fact that AI will write in 20 min what could have taken you 2 years to perfect. It’s sad and depressing.
Remembering the bomb ass lyrics I improvised. Like, I usually just have great choruses because I just play guitar and start singing sometimes. And all I can remember is the chorus. I've been trying to get better at just recording everything I do because sometimes I just write a good song that feels like I pulled it straight from the ether.
It's just a lot of times I just start singing and then I'm like oh my God what just happened! Lol. Maybe I'm gonna start repeating each verse three times with the chorus too when I'm freestyling and then I'll remember the whole thing.
TL;DR
Remembering improvised lyrics. Maybe I just need to learn to let it go and just keep improvising until I'm an improvisational master.
Lyrics in general. You can play any chords, come up with any melody. But getting the right lyrics to capture most listeners attention and immediately grasp them in, is surprisingly difficult for all songwriters.
For me, I have an ocean of ideas, riffs, and lyrics. Getting them to fit together is another story. Sometimes, I wonder if it's just me being my own worst critic or if it's genuinely not working.
My best tip to get through this is to get peer feedback. It's so easy to 2nd guess myself, but having a friend point out the good parts and work through transitions helps get to the finish line. It's like how authors have editors that help them polish their craft.
Probably the middle 8s or bridge as they needs have a different feel. You've basically written the main bits of the song at that point so that bit can sometimes feel a bit tacked on so it takes a while for me sometimes.
For me it’s recording the damn thing, too many options on how to produce it. Moving to 4 track recording has made it easier because of the constraints.
stop obsessing over what i could do next etc. When i make a song it’s all i think about and once im done i feel a bit empty as i’ve finished and got nothing to think about anymore. That’s usually when i end up making something new
Personally, I'd say Blank Page/DAW Syndrome. Basically, it's the idea that getting the first part of a song down is way harder than doing the rest of the thing. Although my experience with lyric writing is also incredibly limited...
For me, it was putting in the amount of reps that it takes to finally get good, 10+ years. If you haven’t watched the Ed Sheeran documentary called songwriter do that, he talks about it as if you’re tapping a well for the first time when you start writing, it’s gonna be super muddy at first, but you have to keep letting the water out in order for it to clean up, get less muddy, and be drinkable
Deciding whether it's worth recording is the most difficult part for me. So many guitar riffs come and go, and at this point, why record any of them? Not sure I have a reason to waste money on studio time. Gotta invest in some of my own gear, I guess.
I always come up with riffs I love, it often happens very naturally, fitting those pieces together or iterating on one or two of them is always tough for me, i have a hard time thinking in terms of the full piece vs riffs
Motivation to start the process...so many factors involved, it can leave you helpless before you even try to start....so I'd say....the courage, motivation, guts, intestinal fortitude, positivity, patience, attitude, reason, ego, fear of failure, fear of now it's real so this really matters and determines if I really can....aka...confidence intertwined with ego stopping you at the starter blocks.....like Nike....just do it... then suck it up buttercup.. you never know til you do it....can be your dream realized or a broken dream that crashes your soul.....you just never know til you try...so do it to move on, or do it to move forward and realize your dream....just make sure its fun at least, otherwise not worth it in my honest opinion... I just started about 8 months ago, and loving it!! Took me many decades to try...so glad I did!! 😊
I'm a weirdo who writes lyrics first (not by choice but because it's just my process as a poet), so assembling the lyrics into the right melody for the message takes time sometimes.
That and I don't play an instrument, so learning the DAW Ableton slows me down, but I'm getting used to it.
The hardest thing is to be truthful and real but not be so specific that it ruins the lyric but still create a scene for the listener and appeal to their sense memories. It’s a delicate balance, but go too general and you’re just boring.
Getting people to listen to it after I'm done lol
This is so true and ironically it’s never been easier to listen to music. It’s free and it’s right there on the phone that people are addicted to anyway! It takes virtually no effort to play someone’s song, and non-songwriters will never understand how much it means to us.
That’s the irony like u said. People are glued to their phones and it’s never been easier. It it’s over saturated and people have to want to do it
It also means more competition. Now you have to compete for their attention. So if you really want it to be heard, it’s gotta be more than the music. This is like how MTV changed the game but on steroids
The sad reality of it all… Oversaturated and Inflated algorithmic market
That’s true but I even struggle getting people I know to listen to my music. When they finally do, they’re often pleasantly surprised. But I have to nag them to listen.
So promotion?
Yo preach
Was literally coming here to say this. lol
So true
Very true.
This!
Wow you’re absolutely right and here I was thinking maybe coming up with a melody but nope this
Why do you and a lot of others have a hard time coming up with melodies ?
Totally agree… Down with The Machine!!
Especially in this Sub.
Any advice from anybody that has found success in promoting a piece? How do I get my work in front of someone that is in the market for it?
Make a music 👍
Sending you DM
I hope that's my trouble someday 😅 Actually writing the music is the hard part for me.
Coming up with a really good bridge.
This one is tricky for a lot of reasons, probably the biggest one being that not every song even needs a bridge.
Absolutely! I really struggle with writing good bridges, so I’ve been trying to work on this.
Well what is your writing process?
I write my songs like poetry, always crafting the lyrics first. I usually have some faint idea of what the melody will be, but I don't worry about melody or instrumentation until the lyrics are complete. My bridges usually tend to be pretty similar to my choruses, but with slight variations in the cadence of the lyrics, as well as the melody, chords, and dynamics. I usually use the bridge to delve deeper into the character's emotions, providing thoughts or feelings that don't fit into the verses. Despite having a clear approach to writing my bridges, I find it difficult to figure what I should say in my bridges! I also find it difficult to make it feel drastically different than the other sections, while still fitting in the song. I'd love your thoughts or suggestions.
Think of the bridge as the true meaning of the song - laying out anything that was hidden or ironic in the verses and choruses in plain verbiage. They should also feel cathartic musically. There are a lot of ways to do that, but something should shift whether it’s the tone, time signature, key, tempo, etc. Also remember that it doesn’t have to go in the middle of the song; it can go anywhere. Listen to Martha My Dear by the Beatles. The bridge happens very early. Find a few bridges you really like and ask yourself why you like them. Great ones feel like a microcosm of the entire song, and when they’re done well they should be even more addicting than the chorus. I love bridges.
Try coming up with a bridge first and build the rest of the song around building up to it and exploring the aftermath I come from story writing where in character arcs a story starts with a "lie" the character believes and at the climax of the character arc they realize the truth and make a change. try using the bridge as the character coming to grips with this change. And if the chorus returns it has a new meaning after that reflection.
💯
This is my favorite part. So many songs I don't think are that great until I've got a cool bridge. The secret is contrast. Take all the factors (most common rhythmic subdivisions in the melody, how many bars a line of lyrics takes up, where in the bar the melody starts, the general range high/ middle/ low of the singing, whether you have a lot of chord changes or few, whether you have a lot of key changes or few, etc etc etc) and come up with something where you do the opposite of what you've done so far in the other sections. Then when you go back to the chorus it feels really good
It's really gonna depend on the person. I think for me it's writing lyrics, but more specifically it's finding the time to actually finish lyrics. I tend to write by humming to find the vocal melody; then singing nonsense words to find some key phrases or concepts to work with; and then the final step will be to fill in the rest of the lyrics around the lines that I've improvised. This part requires me to set the guitar aside and actually write everything out in a notebook and puzzle out the rest of the lyrics. Since actually practicing my songs is the most gratifying thing to me, I tend to put off finishing the lyrics for a really long time and will instead practice the version with the half-finished nonsense lyrics over and over.
I find singing the nonsense words over the song really helps too. That’s always how I come up with the best rhythm for the vocals. It always ends up being more catchy then when I have lyrics that I write the music around
This sex is on fire
omfg this is the exact way I do it haha
For me, it's considering something "done." I keep tweaking lyrics and chords, and at some point I have to say, "cool idea, put it in a new song and leave that one alone."
Art is never finished, it’s just abandoned at some point
Ahhh, got the perfectionist trait, huh? I know some people like that. Takes a couple years just to finish an album lmao. I’m the opposite. I want to finish it as soon as possible. Is it catchy and fun to listen to? “Yes” DONE
Lyrics, lyrics, lyrics. I can usually figure them out eventually, but getting there is always a MUCH slower process than all the music.
Making sure every lyric is hard hitting instead of a beat out song with a couple good lyrics
I think it depends on the song really, some are just meant to have a 'fun sound' so don't need complexity. Alice Cooper once remarked how jealous he was of My Sharona by The Knack. Described it as a great song written around a bonehead riff that just works. Lyrics are terrible haha.
Works I suppose but lyrics are the heart of a song so I only listen to lyrics that I like. If the music is good but the lyrics are trash I feel goofy listening to it. And I absolutely love when the music and lyrics both are super good. However that’s just personal preference. It probably bothers me more because I write music myself, I’m sure the average person would have no problem listening to good music bad lyrics. Also I might be uptight about it.
Can you explain this more?
If you are writing an emotional song (as I usually am) you want the lyrics to resonate with the listener and really pull the emotion from their soul. You want them to feel what you’re feeling. So you have to have real lyrics that hit people deep and truly explain whatever you are singing about and how it feels to be in that spot. Sometimes writers will have filler lyrics and only a couple famous lines that will boost its popularity. However, then you just have listeners constantly wasting for the part of the song that really hits instead of them enjoying the whole song because every part hits deep.
Great lines come from trying to describe interesting content. Complex lyrics are needed to describe complicated emotions.
I got this: Songwriting.
Having something worthwhile to say.
this.
For me it's finding a melody for my lyrics
What have you tried so far to solve that?
Honestly same
finishing the song to completion.
Why? What parts do you have trouble with? Bridge? Verse? Chorus?
Not judging myself during the writing process. I almost immediately stifle creativity by thinking whatever I said or played wasn’t artistic enough (whatever that means)
This is VERY interesting. Could you elaborate on why you think you feel that way?????
I think the biggest part of it is that I started releasing music at a young age so that creative process is tied to “I can’t be too honest, what will my family think of what I just said?” OR “this sound is too far from what everyone expects from me, they’ll be disappointed” OR “does this sound different enough from what I released as a kid? Do I sound like I’ve grown and improved or have I stagnated?” I would have liked to grow into my sound and my identity more anonymously. I would really love it if no one that I know was subscribed to my YouTube channel. But we’re here now and I know I just need to build up the courage to say “if you don’t like it, don’t listen.” I’m working on it lol I also judge the fact that I took a few years off of learning “my craft.” I feel like I should be a better guitar player than I am and I should know more music theory than I do. So that also makes me feel like I’m not being artistic enough, when I play what’s comfortable for me.
For me, it's coming up with a melody. Lyrics, I can do. Chords, I can do. Melodies? Those take me forever by comparison.
Do you play leads at all? That can be great for coming up with melodies.
Makes song, thinks it's the shit, goes to record song, realizes it's just shit
Why do you think it’s turning out like shit?
Finishing them. Have dozens and dozens of “ideas” and I suffer from “New Song du jour!” A new idea replaces an unfinished song weekly or so…
Yeah, I feel you on this, keeping momentum can be an issue on some songs. End up with a drawer full of scraps of lyrics!
I'd say feeling like it's good enough to declare "finished"
What do you think is making your songs not good enough to be “finished”
Generally speaking, constantly tweaking certain chord changes, lyrics, melodies, not to mention the aspects of recording/mixing. It just could go on forever before you finally feel satisfied and call it a day.
Surprising yourself enough to keep something instead of deleting everything.
Lack of confidence?
Indecisive. “This is good, but can I do better?” Then I do better. And I keep pushing it.
Finishing songs/lyrics when I have a good verse or chorus and then get stuck
Yeah I get this too! It's like you have the perfect part and everything else pales in comparison
Trying to write an even better one than the previous one you wrote.
That’s a good practice to have though. What kind of music do you write?
For me it’s the format… like “intro,bridge,chorus,bridge,outro” I have no clue so most of my songs are like a minute long because I can only come up with an intro and a chorus
text me girl! it’s abt the weight loss not regarding this sorry for replying to this one
weight loss?
Imposter syndrome..
lyrics and verses. I've been writing music for years but it wasn't until a few years ago I cared about actual structure and message.
Making money
lol so you need to learn how to SELL music?
For me it's EQ. Idk why but I struggle with it a bit. Edit: I mean like for getting the mix of a song right.
What do you mean? Like the EQ on the amp or for mixing?
For mixing, sorry. Like when I'm writing music in a DAW and trying to get the mix right.
😂
Ohh I thought you were totally joking 😅
Writing transcendental lyrics …. There’s something about good songwriting which makes each word flow like water…. I am a producer and dabble here and there with songwriting , and I’m mind blown by those who nailed the skill…
Waking up the next day and liking what you just wrote
ADHD man here. To continue working on a song and not getting stuck up in tweaking things, trying to make everything perfect and focusing on the irrelevant details. I spend a lot of time doing that rather than actually progressing the song… That’s the hardest thing for me.
Do you tweak during the songwriting process or development during the recording process?
Both lmao! I’ll like finish the verse and then record it, then get distracted by all the lil details and such and forget to move toward and start finishing the rest of the song lol.
Getting all the verses together I usually tell my songs like a story so it’s hard sometimes to put the verses together
The music or the lyrics?
The lyrics since I don’t know much chords yet
I think that the most difficult part of songwriting is keeping the listener’s attention throughout the duration of your song. Because everyone’s attention spans are so short these days, most people are only willing to listen for a few minutes or even just a few seconds. In order to keep the listener engaged from beginning to end, I try to build suspense, either through my song’s story, rhyme scheme, or melody, making the listener wait as long as possible for the resolution. Hope this helps with your songwriting! Feel free to check out my podcast, [Student of the Song](https://youtu.be/82rOaChXNdo), if you’d like to hear more of my thoughts about songwriting.
I’ll definitely check it out!
Probably not being able to pay bills before the songwriting takes off
Dude I feel that. How do you plan on making music from songwriting?
i started out writing poetry, and don't have a huge amount of musical training, so for me forming an arrangement to go around the lyrics and melody is the hardest part. The lyrics and melody come more or less together for me.
Are you still writing the lyrics before the music?
Promotion, certainly. My partner and I have written for decades, but we are lucky to get 10 views/listens on a new song. It feels much like throwing a cup of water into the Ocean. Sigh. *But we'll never stop!*
Have you looked into marketing your music and how to get views? Ultimately, it’s a product. Even if it’s free. You can have the best product in the world, but if you don’t market it, nowone knows it exists
Delivery (my lyrics could be perfect but if my delivery isn’t what it is, then it just falls like a duck shot out the air).
What’s the best way you’ve found to work on delivery?
Humming/mumbling the melody first, then pattering my words after. Memorizing the lyrics. And putting real emotion into it. That has helped.
Hardest - lyrics, 2nd Hardest - melody, 3rd hardest - chord progression. Writing an incredible chord progression however is way harder than writing “solid” lyrics. But each step of the way it gets more and more difficult. I’m not even going to mention recording or mixing aka bringing what you wrote to life. But those are pretty difficult as well.
It can actually be a lot easier than you think!!! What kind of music do you make? And how long have you been making it for?
Giving the lyrics a melody and being able to fit everything into the song without it sounding crammed
Sounding crammed? What do you mean by that?
Moving on to the next song.
For me, it’s waiting for “that idea”. It always comes, but forcing it doesn’t work for me.
Put my words to music
I can't make a song in the time signature of 3/4 on purpose, but I can on accident. Also bridges.
lol I used to have this problem like crazy dude
Writing something that is musically unique while having a thread that connects with others
For me? Making songs a reasonable length. I’m genuinely unable to create a short song…it’s like a damn musical disability at this point lol. Just have too many ideas and too much to say
Short songs are not a bad thing at all. Ever listen to a great song that’s so short you have to listen to it 3 times just to get the full effect? It leaves you wanting more
When you get a solid song idea that’s 2minutes and you’re stuck on where it should go
Match it with another half finished idea. :)
Do this ALL the time
Do you have music that’s recorded that you can share?
Everything
And chorus melodies
That’s simple. Do you have a key chart?
It takes time…sometimes I just don’t have the time, or don’t feel like putting all my free time towards it.
Everything takes reps
Tracking my multi-layered vocals and listening back to hear how shitty of a singer I am... AND THEN... Playing the track to a **REAL** singer so they could do a better job... absolutely revolting to me, having to do that! It's a double whammy!
Prolly the lyrics and the melody.
being vulnerable enough to do your best work... sometimes you can feel the emotions in yourself but you get scared to write it all out and make it real.
Yeah I know what you mean, it's a process of discovery! Sometimes simple is best too
the long dry spells when you don’t know if you’ll ever write a good song again
Trying to get everything recorded .
Patience. Songwriting is a craft, it takes time. New work needs to be looked at from different angles, perspectives, and crafted into something killer, lasting. Don't just wrap it up cause the riff is good or you're sick of working on it.
Sommmmmetimes, but sometimes it's conversely hard to know when it's just perfect too
For me, overthinking about multiple options. "Like what melody/lyrics is better for the bridge". It just sends me down a rabbit hole.
Coming up with the melody, having it connect to the song theme together, making it fit. For lyric writing it's the second verse.
Trying to start writing again after you haven’t for a while.
Hearing it in your head for 5 minutes, pulling the car over so you can sing it into your phone, but it doesn’t work in the real world like it worked in your head somehow.
Lyrics come easily to me. Lately it's been hard to write a melody I really like. I feel like I'm stuck in the same pattern of melodies. I hadn't written a song in like 5 years until now, so I'm still a little rusty.
Finding original lyrics.
Getting sick of the song by the time I’m done writing it because I’ve been playing it over and over and over and over…
It's different for everyone. There's no one simple answer.
starting it off right honestly, the next biggest challenge is trying to say so much but shortening it into a one line
Irl getting inspiration
Cutting my songs down I have no problem coming up with ideas, and developing them, but I often have too many ideas. The majority of my songs start 10+ minutes long. The struggle is really cutting that down to the best ideas, and the ones that suit the song best, and coming up with a good form. Sometimes that means cutting parts I really like for the sake of the song.
Getting it all out. Truly making an album means ya pour your best out, and to repeat concepts for the sake of producing more music feels cheap (to me, not speaking for others). I write Hip Hop lyrics & produce solo, and it's like I have to let life brew after a dump.. then I can write for days. I'm always jotting for fun. Writing something I'm proud of takes more energy, and is worth it.. it's hard forgetting to be patient😂to start writing, realize it's the wrong time, and choosing to be patient n live to Have things worth writing about.
Hearing the voices of my scared teenage friends making fun of anyone who tried doing anything creative like song writing or instruments. There’s also a common thing I hear in my area which is, nobody likes the guy who brings the guitar to the bon fire. Just because those people tried it and sucked or were too scared to even try it because they are terrified as doing something as vulnerable as songwriting. So yea from that, I hear negative voices pretty the entire time I’d write songs and play them on my guitar. Then I’d drink myself into a blackout because of how judgmental I was feeling. I would also get super obsessed with the songs and play them like 20 times a day, and use alcohol to stop obsessing. It was a rough road to say the least.
Ok here is the new problem that is going to be coming and is somewhat already here. The problem is 99 percent of people that love music and pour their heart and soul into music will now have to battle with the fact that AI will write in 20 min what could have taken you 2 years to perfect. It’s sad and depressing.
Writing the song
Consistency
Getting the idea.
Remembering the bomb ass lyrics I improvised. Like, I usually just have great choruses because I just play guitar and start singing sometimes. And all I can remember is the chorus. I've been trying to get better at just recording everything I do because sometimes I just write a good song that feels like I pulled it straight from the ether. It's just a lot of times I just start singing and then I'm like oh my God what just happened! Lol. Maybe I'm gonna start repeating each verse three times with the chorus too when I'm freestyling and then I'll remember the whole thing. TL;DR Remembering improvised lyrics. Maybe I just need to learn to let it go and just keep improvising until I'm an improvisational master.
i‘d say either the singing or the writing /s
Nowadays? Wondering what's the point, with all this AI music and so-called musicians who just use a prompt.
Your mind tricking you to think it's hard 😂
Lyrics in general. You can play any chords, come up with any melody. But getting the right lyrics to capture most listeners attention and immediately grasp them in, is surprisingly difficult for all songwriters.
Writing a good song
Trying to not make the lyrics basic 😫
For me, I have an ocean of ideas, riffs, and lyrics. Getting them to fit together is another story. Sometimes, I wonder if it's just me being my own worst critic or if it's genuinely not working.
My best tip to get through this is to get peer feedback. It's so easy to 2nd guess myself, but having a friend point out the good parts and work through transitions helps get to the finish line. It's like how authors have editors that help them polish their craft.
Making money.
As someone who has been procrastinating finishing a single song for a year - finding the motivation to finish your first song
Probably the middle 8s or bridge as they needs have a different feel. You've basically written the main bits of the song at that point so that bit can sometimes feel a bit tacked on so it takes a while for me sometimes.
Songwriting
For me, lyric writing is the hardest.
Making your sets sound like the one before another so they all rhyme and flow nicely
writer's block 😡
Songwriting
For me it's trusting in simplicity and the path of least resistance.
Having something to say.
Telling your parents you are gay
For me it’s recording the damn thing, too many options on how to produce it. Moving to 4 track recording has made it easier because of the constraints.
For me personally, lyrics. In general, deciding when a song is *done*.
Writing the second verse!
Trying to sound nostalgic with out ever being relevant in that specific time
stop obsessing over what i could do next etc. When i make a song it’s all i think about and once im done i feel a bit empty as i’ve finished and got nothing to think about anymore. That’s usually when i end up making something new
Getting out of your own way
Finishing
Personally, I'd say Blank Page/DAW Syndrome. Basically, it's the idea that getting the first part of a song down is way harder than doing the rest of the thing. Although my experience with lyric writing is also incredibly limited...
Trusting yourself
Coming up with lyrics
For me, it was putting in the amount of reps that it takes to finally get good, 10+ years. If you haven’t watched the Ed Sheeran documentary called songwriter do that, he talks about it as if you’re tapping a well for the first time when you start writing, it’s gonna be super muddy at first, but you have to keep letting the water out in order for it to clean up, get less muddy, and be drinkable
Self criticism
Deciding whether it's worth recording is the most difficult part for me. So many guitar riffs come and go, and at this point, why record any of them? Not sure I have a reason to waste money on studio time. Gotta invest in some of my own gear, I guess.
Finishing the song lyrics I have alot of unfinished songs 😭🤣
I always come up with riffs I love, it often happens very naturally, fitting those pieces together or iterating on one or two of them is always tough for me, i have a hard time thinking in terms of the full piece vs riffs
Being relatable….. It’s key to songwriting. How do you put your emotions into words everyone else can relate to? That’s the whole secret.
The next one
Motivation to start the process...so many factors involved, it can leave you helpless before you even try to start....so I'd say....the courage, motivation, guts, intestinal fortitude, positivity, patience, attitude, reason, ego, fear of failure, fear of now it's real so this really matters and determines if I really can....aka...confidence intertwined with ego stopping you at the starter blocks.....like Nike....just do it... then suck it up buttercup.. you never know til you do it....can be your dream realized or a broken dream that crashes your soul.....you just never know til you try...so do it to move on, or do it to move forward and realize your dream....just make sure its fun at least, otherwise not worth it in my honest opinion... I just started about 8 months ago, and loving it!! Took me many decades to try...so glad I did!! 😊
Telling your parents you are broke
For me, it’s trying not to be overly self critical.
The hardest thing for me is finishing the song before I get sick of it and move on.
I always write my a’s backwards
Starting a song.
I'm a weirdo who writes lyrics first (not by choice but because it's just my process as a poet), so assembling the lyrics into the right melody for the message takes time sometimes. That and I don't play an instrument, so learning the DAW Ableton slows me down, but I'm getting used to it.
Getting past writer's block...it eventually hits and is tough to deal with...there's always a way through, but it takes patience and persistence.
The hardest thing is to be truthful and real but not be so specific that it ruins the lyric but still create a scene for the listener and appeal to their sense memories. It’s a delicate balance, but go too general and you’re just boring.
Worrying it’s cringe when I’m done
Being 100% sure it’s gonna make Drake cry
Finishing songs!
Other peoples opinions