Simple Steps for Songwriting

Anyone can write a song - the first thing is to just start!

1) Get a nice notebook - an A5 size is handy, in a good quality paper like a Moleskin brand so it lasts forever. Sure you can type or save into your phone, but there's nothing like sitting with a fresh page and capturing your music in your own writing.

2) Just start - the easiest way to get better at anything in life is to just start! Its a journey of creative discovery, so the quicker you start the quicker you enjoy getting better. Find a quiet place away from the day to day, start dreaming and start writing.

3) No expectations - like many things in life, there are usually some expectations - even on yourself. Well, with the 'Let if Flow' method, we believe that the quickest path to improving your creative side is to firstly not have any crazy expectations about how well you will be or what it will sound like - keep it open, keep it free and uninhibited and you will quickly find your unlimited boundaries will fill you with a creative power you never felt possible - its a beautiful thing!

4) Pick a topic - you can write a song about anything - real or make believe or a mix of both. When you write a song you are capturing a moment, a feeling. By telling your story in your way you are diving into your imagination to unleash your creativity.

Here's some topics to get you thinking:

• Family, friends, people, relationships

• Places, travel

• Moments, memories

• Thoughts, feelings, emotions

• The past, the current, future dreams

5) Think of the style of song/story - slower and more dramatic, medium paced, or a funky uplighting feel. Its nice to have a general direction upfront as this can determine the type of lyrics and song format you will lean towards.

6) Write freestyle or like a poem - its nice to have a bit of a flowing pattern to your words. Even some sort of structure, like a book. This will help when you turn your words into a melody. Some rhyming of words at the end of each phrase/sentence is always good.

7) Write free flowing / Edit late - you can always come back and change things later. The main things initially, is to just start free flowing your words onto the page. It doesn't have to be perfect straight away - whatever perfect is?! - just write and enjoy telling your story.

8) Take an initial meaning and extend it - sometimes you can take a phrase about something and transform its meaning to another level, by saying the same things in a more interesting way. And even more importantly it helps take your imagination on a journey to open up more ideas. As the words evolve, you will find things taken on a totally different meaning - so your first set of words and ideas might be just a stepping stone to something better!

Heres a quick little example:

1st take - 'Looking out to all the trees'

2nd take - 'Morning light awakes the mind'

3rd take - 'Beneath the mossy growth my messy mind finds light'

9) Don't overthink it, write quick - just start, just write, keeping moving!. I don't mean just write with no thought, but at the same time keep moving. Sometimes you with write more considered and thoughtful, and sometimes it will hit you super quick.

10) Pick 2x chords on the guitar or piano and start humming something - once you have your words, you can start working up a melody. Start simple with 2x chords and 'Let it Flow'.

Here's a couple of good starting chords to help get you going:

C Am

G D

C F

A Em

Am Em

G D

Good luck - enjoy the process - relax into it - let it flow!!!

Any words or song that writing by you is original and new - its a beautiful thing!!!