June 8, 2021 8 songwriting mistakes beginners often make, and how to fix them
There are probably as many ways to approach songwriting as there are songwriters.
But beginner songwriters are often only equipped with a handful of tools that results in them producing songs that are subpar at best.
We must all start somewhere, so that’s not the issue. Our skills develop with practice.
But you can increase the quality of your songs significantly if you avoid common mistakes.
Here are eight songwriting mistakes beginners often make and how to avoid them.
Writing Boring Lyrics
Although not well-known, one of my favorite bands from the 80s is Dan Reed Network.
They wrote great vocal hooks, guitar riffs and were an all-around tight and energetic band.
They were on hiatus for about 10 years beginning in the early 90s, but they’ve been active again since 2012.
In their hay day they established a level of popularity and even had a top 40 hit, but never seemed to break through. And, at the core of that, I suspect, is their writing.
I don’t mean to be overly critical, but their lyrics just didn’t cut it. Here’s an example from their song “Stronger Than Steel”:
“Our love is higher than the mountains/Stronger than steel/Forever isn’t long enough, to show you how I feel/Our love is deeper than the ocean/Stronger than steel/Forever isn’t long enough, to show you how I feel”.
It just doesn’t gel. It’s not as though the bars were super high in the hair metal/funk rock genre, but I think you can see what I’m getting at.
If even great bands like Dan Reed Network are stopped in their track by less than inspiring writing, then you know you’ve got your work cut out for you.
Solution: paint a picture with your words, dramatize your story, use emotional language, be provocative or controversial. Bring some color and add life to your lyrics. If you need help, ask for it.
Rehashing Overplayed Riffs & Chords
I was once given tickets to a known local artist’s concert.
Something was off from the moment I walked in with my friends. None of the staff even asked for our tickets.
And, as the feature artist began his set, I was devastatingly underwhelmed. I kept expecting his songs to get better, but they didn’t. They were all so trite and boring. No originality whatsoever.
I’m not knocking him, because he does quite well for himself. But the music clearly wasn’t for me and it was amateurish for someone with so much experience.
What many beginner songwriters do is string together a bunch of standard open chords and hope it makes for a good song.
Although writing intuitively can sometimes bring cool ideas to the surface, oftentimes you’ve got to tease out the riffs that bring out the character of the song.
People often say to me, “Wow! You know so many chords!”
Perhaps so. But because I’ve learned so many songs, I also know how to play the same chords in a variety of ways. It doesn’t take hours of effort – just a willingness and openness to learn.
So, see if you can put your own spin on familiar riffs and chord progressions to keep your audience engaged. Be wiling to work for it.
Writing Songs That Sound Exactly Like Your Influences
An attractive person walks on stage with a ukulele.
As she begins to play and sing, her powerful, pitch perfect voice flows in through your ears.
But it only takes a minute before you lose interest. Why?
This scene has played out several times in my life. I’ll tell you why – because they sounded like every other person with a ukulele. I’d heard it before.
It’s not my genre, so I don’t proactively listen to that style of music. But even I knew that girl on stage wrote songs based on what she’d heard elsewhere. She likely found a list of ukulele songs and copied bits from each.
Look, we are all influenced by someone. I’m influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen, Eric Johnson, Extreme, Harem Scarem and the like. Some of it even shows through in my playing.
But I’ve found a way to express myself without having to sound exactly like any of my influences.
Oftentimes, people tell me I sound more like Barenaked Ladies or John Frusciante. Neither have been major influences on me.
It’s okay to pay tribute to your favorite artists. I would even encourage that. But why not let your individuality shine through? Why not try to sound like you?
So, if you have the same two or three artists on repeat at home, listen more broadly and begin taking in a kaleidoscope of influences to increase your personal range.
Taking Someone Else’s Ideas Without Putting Your Own Spin On It
We could also call this “stealing”, but I don’t want to be too dramatic here.
Again, it’s fine that we all take inspiration from other artists. It’s normal. It’s healthy. Everyone does it.
Anyone who says their music is completely unique must not use notes or chords. There is no such thing as “completely unique” music.
What’s not healthy is taking someone else’s idea, repeating it verbatim and calling it your own.
You could change one chord and pretend it’s your own, but if people know what the source of inspiration is, they’re probably going to call you out on it.
A few years ago, there was a bit of a scandal with Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” because of how close it sounded to Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers’ “I Won’t Back Down”.
As Petty himself said, these things happen, and generally someone will catch it before it gets out the door. Unfortunately, that was not the case with “Stay With Me”.
When I hear a cool riff, I will often go, “I would love to write a song like that”.
But if I just go and learn the guitar tab my tendency will be to copy it. Since I have my filters for what “gets out the door”, chances are it will never see the light of day.
My suggestion would be to put your own spin on riffs you learn or to never learn what you’re inspired by so that you come at it with a fresh approach.
Assuming All Your Lyrics Need To Rhyme
Whether it’s alliteration, foreshadowing or rhyming, we all learn a basic set of literary devices through the education system (i.e. English class).
New songwriters often begin by trying to rhyme every lyric. It’s almost like they’re trying to write a rap song, even if they aren’t.
Now, rhyming can be quite powerful. And it’s a useful device. But when you force a rhyme, you can end up writing songs that sound cliché or like you were trying too hard.
Through and through, the lyrics to Nickelback’s “Must Be Nice” are awful. I don’t think there’s a single section that isn’t cliché or forced, but here’s an example:
“Suzie steamboat, you’re so fine/Grant the wish I wish tonight/Tinker tailor, whatcha’ got?/Wheels on the bus are falling off.”
I recently wrote a song that features a lot of rhymes. But this is rare for me and I usually like to make a statement rather than rely on a set of words that sound good together, especially if they don’t adequately express what I’m trying to say.
So, don’t feel like you need to rhyme every line. Focus on the message of your song and use the words that best express what you’re trying to say. Allow yourself to explore a variety of possibilities.
Using Too Many Cliché Terms, Expressions & Phrases
It’s common for beginner songwriters to write a song using all the clichés they know, like:
- A clean slate.
- A far cry.
- Back in the saddle.
- Bent out of shape.
- Cute as a button.
- Down the hatch.
- Ear to the ground.
- Follow your heart.
- Go with the flow.
- High and dry.
We could go on and on.
Now, I will be the first to tell you that I’ve written many songs that were formed around a cliché, like “All Or Nothing”, “Nothing To Lose”, “Between The Lines” and so on.
But because the writing surrounding these themes are personal and heartfelt, they still work.
The point isn’t to avoid clichés entirely – because the average listener can relate to them – it’s to limit their use within a song.
Find your own way of expressing ideas. You may not find any adequate substitutes and it doesn’t always work, but at least you can say you gave it a try.
You can also Google cliché alternatives and see what you come up with.
Only Writing Trendy Songs
A songwriter should have a solid range of songs they can pull out at a moment’s notice.
Sad songs, love songs, fun songs, political songs, songs that tell a story and more.
You don’t necessarily need every type of song. But you don’t want to be a one trick pony either.
Beginner songwriters can easily make the mistake of focusing entirely on writing trendy songs that are unlikely to stand the test of time.
Sure, they have a certain appeal and you can find plenty of top 40 hits that were relevant yesterday that have fallen by the wayside.
So, including references to too many trending topics can leave your song in the dust in a matter of months if not weeks.
People today might be talking about the Dobby spotting, FBI’s bigfoot file, Drake at the NBA Finals and so on.
But guess what? That’s not what they’re going to be talking about in a month or so.
I have a song called “Perfect Nuisance” that references email and instant messaging. A songwriter friend of mine pointed this out, saying this would make my song a product of its time.
I would argue that email and instant messaging have been around for a while and will be here for a long time to come, but his point is well taken in that maybe one day we won’t be communicating that way anymore.
So, don’t rely too heavily on trends. It’s okay to have a few trendy songs but you should also have songs that are relatable and timeless.
Putting a lot of work into trendy songs seems silly, because you probably won’t be playing them a year from now.
Not Giving Your Songs Time To Develop
“And, it’s done!”
You set your pen and your guitar down and walk away from your notepad, satisfied that you’ve successfully penned another masterpiece.
Not so fast.
See, what some of the most skilled songwriters in the world have in common is their ability to edit and improve upon their songs.
It’s nice that you have the basic skeleton structure of your song.
But does each part (e.g. intro, verse, chorus, etc.) have its own unique identity?
Does the song feature a surprise twist ending or grand reveal of some kind? If it doesn’t, are the words you’ve chosen powerful and colorful enough to keep the listener’s interest?
Did you get your message across, regardless of whether it’s overt or subtle?
What about the music you’ve set behind the lyrics? It is distinct or cliché? Is it dynamic? Do you need additional instrumentalists to help fill out the song? Are there musical hooks in addition to lyrical hooks in your song?
You don’t necessarily need to ask all these questions. The questions you ask will depend on what your intention is with the song you’ve written.
But if you give your songs room to develop, you will come up with more creative musical and lyrical ideas.
So, always come back to completed songs and give them a bit of a workout.
Concluding Words
As I often say, you can continually improve as a songwriter if you keep practicing your craft.
If you fall into analysis paralysis, you won’t write much, and as result, you won’t improve much either.
Stop trying to be perfect. Recognize that you can always take your best ideas, compile them and use them to write one great song.
Get into the habit of writing as often as possible. Challenge yourself. You’ll naturally improve as a songwriter.
8 songwriting mistakes beginners often make, and how to fix them
Reader Comments (4)
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