How To Get More IDEAS To Finish A Song? [That's The WRONG Question!]
The most common question I get from songwriters is:
“Tommaso, I got in idea for a song (a melody, or a chord progression, or a riff…). Now, how do I go from this to a full song? How do I get other ideas to complete my song?”
Now I really really wish that I could give you an easy answer here.
… but in reality, songwriting is 10% coming up with ideas, and 90% the ability to complete a song. And YES, you can learn how to do that…
… but the answer would be an entire course in composition/songwriting :-)))
But it’s even worse than that! The REAL problem is that this is the wrong question.
And yeah, I’m sorry if I offend someone’s artistic sensitivity with that… but I am a music teacher, how can I teach you new things if everything you do is already right? :-)
See, spotting the problem, and giving you a more useful way of thinking is exactly my job description.
(If anything, you should pay me for every time I contradict you… because that’s when you learn!)
Anywhooooo, why is this the wrong question?
Because you do not need to come up with “other” ideas to finish a song. Indeed coming up with “other” ideas will likely make the song worse, not better.
Insted, you need to learn how to leverage the ideas you already have.
Yes, this does not make any sense in writing… and that’s why to understand what I just said you need to watch this video that is full of examples:
And of course, one of the things you need to be able to write song is at least a passing knowledge of harmony.
People think harmony is HARD… but the reality is that it’s quite easy if you learn it the right way. You can read all about it in the Complete Chord Mastery guitar course
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