suggestions for finding song seeds

process
1. keep a notebook, with a list of titles and ideas for songs. anything that
appeals to you and makes you want to write a song. collecting your ideas and
keeping track of them helps you when its time to write the song
2. record musical ideas right away. most phones have a voice memo function; if
not, get a small digital recorder. if you save your ideas, youll have something
to work on when you have time to write.
4. when you hear or think of a good lyric idea, especially a good title, write it
down in your notebook. a title focuses your song
5. dont let the editor ruin your fun; consciously turn off your critic during
generative sessions
6. schedule time to play as well as work (hint:turn off your tv!) . write (play
and/or sing with the intention of writing) for 15 minutes a day. record whatever
you have at the end of that time, save it, and review everything in one longer
session a week. anything is better than nothing.
7. practice creativity. always and everywhere, look for inspiration. song ideas
are all over the place, you just need to be in songwriter mode or youll miss them.

ways of generating lyric seeds

1. keep a journal and write in it every day. this gets you thinking about what
you want to say and often youll write lyrics in there without even trying!
2. fill out the worksheet Ive sent to come up with concepts for songs
3. do the word salad exercise to find a cool word title
3. browse bookstores for titles of short stories, novels, poems. titles are not
copyrightable
4. dreams often contain unusual images and ideas. write down your dreams
5. read and/or watch movies with your notebook, so you can write down good
turns of phrase or ideas
6. study lyrics: write down lyrics from a song you love and study them. what is
the song about emotionally? whats the rhyme scheme? what form did the writer
use? try to write a lyric that uses the style or similar content
7. everyday, if you are at a desk or in a car, make a list of words you like. do
timed free writing on several of these words.
ways of generating musical hooks

1.play! hold your instrument for 5 minutes a day, and just noodle. relax into a
not trying state. concentrate on developing short (two to four bar) chord
melodies or rhythmic figures. record if anything interesting happens, then move
on to something else
2. learn to play/sing a song you like. learn the chord voicings and any bass
lines, hooks, etc. try changing some of the chords around, speeding it up or
slowing it down, transposing it, etc. and note the effect.
3. change instruments. drums, hand percussion, bass, piano, mandolin, 12-
string, organ-----all have specific properties, will make an old idea sound new
4. jam with new people
5. listen to an artist you like and try to soak up their tone and groove. then pick
up your instrument and write music a la that artist. dont worry, you wont
sound like them; you are unique, and will always sound like yourself.
6. write with a drum machine at a tempo or in a rhythm youre not accustomed
to
7. play the chord progression backwards, or at half or double speed, or in a
different rhythm. this is really fun, and really works!
8. play in an open tuning. for some ideas, get the complete book of alternate
tunings by mark hanson
9. write a bass, piano or guitar line: think My City Was Gone, My Girl,
Satisfaction, Daytripper, Clocks,
10. write a three chord song, or a two chord song! create variations by using
the chords in a different order, changing voicings (use 3rd or 5th in bass), saving
one chord for another section, etc.
11. write a melody first by singing without an instrument, then create a chord
progression for it (instead of vice versa, which I know from experience is the
way most musicians approach songwriting)