My most recent post before this one contained some songwriting advice that I thought people might like to read, and like we bloggers sometimes do, I re-read my own published post recently and then thought of a couple more pieces. Since more tips have now occurred to me since that previous advice post, I thought it warranted a follow-up, so welcome to part two of what I’m now calling my “experiences with the craft” series in which I impart some wisdom. In other words, and to paraphrase Lebowski-esque words from movie character The Dude, new shit has come to light, man, that you’re not privy to…yet, but that’s what you pay me for. These are just, like, my opinions, man.
I’ve been informed by some readers that some of my similar posts have inspired them in the past. With limited natural talent (or acquired singing or instrumental skill), and no music-related education or formal training of any kind, my “figure-it-all-out-on-your-own,” self-taught perspective has been helpful and interesting to those approaching creative musical pursuits from a similar background, so I’ve been told. Further, my understanding is that I can explain what I do in a way that makes others less intimidated about giving it a try or not giving up.
You have to want to do it, and for mysterious reasons, soon after I started teaching myself how to play guitar in 1989, I wanted to write a song, so I did. I’ve been doing it ever since. I’ve always found it to be more enjoyable than just learning to play other people’s songs. The writing of songs is a mysterious thing to do, especially for the self-taught musicians out there, but hopefully something you read here will make it seem less mysterious for those wanting to do it and/or get better at it.
Way back in 2013, I posted this somewhat related one simply entitled “How To Write Songs” https://blog.scottcooley.com/2013/09/how-to-write-songs.html that might also be of interest.
In my last post - https://blog.scottcooley.com/2025/02/actual-songwriting-advice-from-scott.html, I emphasized the following “tips to keep in mind”, re-summarized for you here in a handy takeaway list:
- Listen intently to what makes great songs by others great
- Buy the basics – acoustic guitar, computer, audio interface, microphone, MIDI keyboard, etc.
- Google “song parts” or “song structure” and learn what each is
- Google “common song forms” and attempt each type
- Google “song rhyme schemes” and attempt each type
- Use a free, online rhyming dictionary, regular dictionary, & thesaurus as needed
- Google “chord families” and refer to table for writing progressions in a key
- Strum a guitar progression while you whistle/hum/nonsense-sing a “dummy” melody
- Replace dummy melody with the singing of your lyrics
- Record your own songs and covers to learn how to improve writing
- Use a word processing app like Word for editing efficiency
- The idea for the song (if a song with lyrics) is important
- Don’t get bummed when only 2 out of 10 songs you write are “keepers”
Another important tip that just occurred to me is:
Live with your songs for a while. Forget about them, then revisit them. Give them time before you make a hasty judgement call on their “keeper” status. Here’s why:
When you just finish writing a song, and you get a bit of that feeling that it magically came together somehow, you’re amazed and proud. It’s a great feeling if and when it happens. It can be a rare occurrence (see #13 above).
Inevitably, you think the song you just wrote is a lot better than it turns out to be later on. It’s not a bad idea to just shelve it, set it aside, and move on to writing other new songs. It’s good to have several you think are pretty good now, and keep revising that list. New ones you write will knock others off your top five list, or whatever.
So, in other words, if you have some to compare it to, it may not be as great as you originally thought. I’ve finished songs that I self-graded in my mind with a B+ or some rating, and a few months later after listening back, realize that compared to the others in the recent batch of new songs, it’s really only a B-.
The opposite can be true as well! Sometimes you can surprise yourself three months down the road when you re-listen back to one you only gave a B+ to and realize it’s one of your best-ever and bump it up to an A- or A.
It’s a good idea to finish writing a song, think it’s awesome and everything, then wait until you even play it again. Maybe do a first take on your phone, wait three months, then get out your guitar and play it again. I rarely do this, but it’s probably good advice to play your song several times before you actually record a studio multi-track version of it too. You want to sound comfortable with it when you record it, but you also want it to sound fresh, which is a conundrum.
Then, give it even more time after recording a proper version of it. It may be one of your top contenders for release now, but you may change your mind later. Again, it’s hard to do, but you may even realize you can re-record it and make it even better. I never do this, but probably should. The problem is you sink so much time and effort into the multi-track version that you dread having to start over from scratch and throw away all those parts of tracks that you nailed. Even more reason to get comfortable with it via practice before ever recording it in the first place.
Get a stockpile built up of contenders for release on your next album, and keep writing more. It’s way easier said than done, but it’s a great strategy. Some that don’t make the cut may see the light of day on a subsequent release, possibly after further revision, when the muse is on vacation.
Songs are like your babies, your creations, you made them, and out of pride you want others to hear them, even the ones you didn’t rate that highly. It’s hard to make the judgement call. You need some quality control. On the other hand, in this day and age of the self-releasing independent artist, why not release your Cs and let the world be the judge?
It’s so tempting in the excitement of a song being new to get carried away and prematurely release everything as a single upon completion. I’m just saying give it time to breathe, decant that wine before you pour the world a sip.
Yet another tip I’m introducing in this post is:
Like I said in my last one when I said “singing matters,” I’m also now advising that melody matters. The two are somewhat related. Whether you start with a melody, then find a supporting chord progression for it, or start with a chord progression, then write a melody over the top of it, it’s often one of the most important things you do as a songwriter.
You can write some lyrics that, when read alone, are maybe not that interesting on the paper or electronic document. Singing them with the right melody, however, can transform those words into things of beauty. It can really bring out the emotion and power in them.
Rules. There are some arguable rules around this aspect of writing songs. If you have a chord progression first, the melody notes you might choose are likely to exist within the chords being played at the time, so there’s that. Generally having verses with more static melodies and choruses with more soaring, dynamic melodies is a combo that can be pleasing to the ear. There is a thought that minor is sad, major is happy, etc. “They” say you “should” always include humor, detail and irony, for example, and on and on. I won’t get into these, but there are tons of them online available for free that you can check out at your leisure.
I said “arguable” because these can all be broken with success. Countless examples out there. Still, these are good to take into consideration. You can google many more such tips from the supposed expert advice-givers out there.
- There are wildly popular songs with lyrics that don’t have much melody at all. Hip-hop and Rap come to mind here.
- There are wildly popular songs with lyrics that have great melodies despite not having many chords at all.
- There are wildly popular songs with lyrics that no one understands, often because the melodies are great.
Melodies, hooks, beats, grooves, riffs, etc. can all make songs awesome whether the lyrics are intelligible or not. One could argue the lyrics are the least important part of a good song and not really be wrong.
You can bend your singing of lyrics to fit a melody, you can change the syllabic emphasis until it works within the time/space available, sometimes editing the lyrics along the way to make it happen. Or, you can craft a melody based on how you read the lyrics to yourself in your head, which I do a lot, then build everything else around it. Just reading them can conjure a “dummy” melody in your mind that you can translate with your voice or instrument.
With all that having been typed, set it all aside in your mind for a moment. File it away as two more pieces of songwriting advice from Scott Cooley: Patience. Melody. Both important. Lyrics, maybe not so much…arguably. They are to me though. I have to like them to finish a song.
Now I’ll tell you my alternate opinion on melody and my lyrics-first approach. The wrong melody can wreck a great lyric. Absolutely. Been there, done that. That said, I almost always like to start with a complete song, lyrics-wise, before I set the melody in stone. It’s just my preferred method to my madness. Some necessary tweaks – to either the words or music – will inevitably present themselves, and as I’ve said, it’s always a little bit of both in no particular order as a back-and-forth, give-and-take process between lyrics and melody until you finalize a song anyway.
I’ve done it every which way, but I really need the lyrics to be good first. Who is to say what makes a good lyric or melody? You is (are). All songs have a melody. Music scholars can probably explain why some melodies and lyrics and songs are better than others. Popularity can tell you something, as can ranking lists from reputable sources. God Only Knows by the Beach Boys, Imagine by John Lennon, Waterloo Sunset by the Kinks, What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye, Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan, A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke, Respect by Aretha Franklin – most agree these are great songs. It's not possible to listen to all the music in the world in your lifetime, so you need curation. Ultimately, it’s only your opinion that matters.
And my alternate opinion on patience is that sometimes you just know a song is and will always be one of your best, immediately after you write it, so go ahead and put that instant keeper on the top of your list, record it, place as the first track on your next album, make it a single, get it out there ASAP. Don’t die with the music in you, as they say. Congratulate yourself, because as aforementioned, it’s a rare treat to have this happen and it’s why you try in the first place!
The you that just wrote what seems like a masterpiece shouldn’t be discouraged by the you that just listened to it again with a lower opinion three months later when experiencing déjà vu. Enjoy the highs, and don’t forget to stay patient during the low points of your creative journey. You might be right to seek progress over perfection, but no one just keeps besting themselves with each new song they write until they die.
A third and final (for this post anyway) piece of advice from me, a totally unqualified non-expert giver, would be this: Don’t compare yourself to others. That song you just decided was an A+ for you might not have ever made the cut on a Beatles album, but it doesn’t matter. As so many have said, comparison is the thief of joy. Write and release songs that made you happy. Chances are they will make some other people happy too.
So add these to the numbered list above that comprise Scott Cooley’s songwriting advice tips:
15. Melodies are more important than you might think, likely more important than words
16. Instead of comparing and competing, please yourself first, if you like it, others will too
In case you’re a newcomer to this blog, I’ll get the disclaimer out of the way: I’m not an expert, not a pro in the traditional sense. I don’t claim to be so good at writing songs that people seek out my advice about how to do it, but I offer it anyway, because this is America, dammit, and I can.
This is what blogging is about. You pick a topic you know something about. I don’t consider myself an authority or an educator, but the content I create herein is sometimes instructional or at least informative, despite the fact that it’s offered in a stream-of-consciousness journal entry style like that of a personal online diary.
I don’t care for the prevalence of people with few qualifications who pretend to be experts on subjects, or fake news writers, or influencers, or self-proclaimed gurus who self-publish books, but such are the times. My complaints about the changes in the music business in posts in this blog might be on the verge of spewing conspiracy theories, so I should be careful. I shouldn’t complain because the whole self-publishing online thing has made my music “career” possible.
When I started writing songs in the 1990s, blogs didn’t exist yet. I’ve found I sort of like this type of writing as well, and I did study journalism, newswriting and expository writing in college. Frequency-wise, I can only muster about one long post every two months on average or maybe about a minimum of six posts per year but rarely kick one out monthly for very long. Like the songs, the blogs tend to come in spurts and are prone to considerable droughts in between. My posts are usually about my hobby of writing songs and recording them and then distributing them for streaming.
The music biz establishment let amateurs like me in for several years, but now they’re increasingly trying to limit those who don’t meet some popularity threshold and justify pushing us back out so they can make more profit, which I’ve griped about in the past musings herein.
Lots of them deal with my struggles to understand how I feel about making my music public knowing that in decades prior, it would not likely have been possible, and how the struggle of wanting more popularity but not easily getting it has made me wonder if my music should be made public in the first place.
This phenomenon brought about by technological change is not unlike that of blogging, where technology changed to allow amateur writers to act as if they are professionals. The lines have gotten blurry between amateur and pro.
Each post of mine typically gets a minimum of 30 reads, but some are surprisingly over 100 for unknown reasons – the readership not dissimilar from the stream counts for my songs. The only advertising I do on my blog is for my own music. Anyone can leave comments, but hardly anyone ever does.
I’ll reiterate my musical background info quickly here. I took Intro to Guitar as a blow-off class my Senior year at Albion College, got a B, and that’s it. Also took Intro to Poetry. Also briefly sung in a choir in junior high. Also took a handful of piano lessons at about age 10, then convinced my parents to let me quit. The family had a stereo with turntable and a few albums. Started buying my own at some point with money earned from odd jobs as a kid. Listened to local FM radio who played rock before it became classic rock, which the same stations still play now. Checked out some live concerts at Pine Knob and lesser-known acts who played at my college. Open mic nights there were my first experience with amateurs with acoustic guitars getting up in front of people to play live. It made me want to be like them some day. Eventually, I got up the courage in 1989. In the early 90s, I played in some duos and bands and solo, some actual paying gigs, a few as the headlining act. Realizing shortcomings as a performer, and dislike for playing covers, gravitated toward originals. Then cassette recording experimentation, buying more instruments, getting a computer, releasing my own CDs & downloads, digital aggregator distribution, etc., on through to being what I am now.
I do, however, claim to have a few minor qualifications for giving advice about writing songs. Who am I to be giving people advice on how to write songs? I am a self-releasing, independent solo artist with 12 albums of original material. There are over 150 songs I’ve written, recorded and released worldwide that you can listen to right now on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, Bandcamp and most other music streaming services. The most popular is one called “Mackinac Island” which people have played enough that I actually make a little bit of money from it every year. One really great solo artist – Ultimate Rick Jones - recorded and released a really great cover version of another song I wrote called “Used To Be Good Looking”. Oh yeah, almost forgot, I also won an honorable mention t-shirt in a songwriting competition once. That’s about it.
I wrote my first in 1990, so for the last 35 years, I figure I’ve averaged writing approximately one song per month, which should bring the total over 400 songs at least since taking on the hobby. So, by my old math, that’s around 30% I’ve released, meaning my keeper ratio is approximately 3 out of every 10 songs being release worthy in my own mind. In retrospect, I could now pick a few from each album I could’ve done without releasing at all. I’ve stopped caring about counting the volume, and there’s probably more than 500 first takes by now on old cassettes and in my phone, but many of the early attempts might not even qualify as being actual songs, depending on how you define them. Anyhow, this further backs up tip #13 above.
Thankfully, I’m not a famous celebrity, yet I’d like it if the music became more popular of course. So, I’m not well known or critically acclaimed in any way (no critics have ever written about my music to my knowledge), but in an attempt to help my music reach a larger audience, I followed advice to create a web site and blog so people could learn more about my musical pursuits with the hope it might result in more streams.
Since I’m mostly a non-performing songwriter and solo artist, I don’t have much to blog about except to occasionally announce the availability of new music. Lately, however, I thought that beyond that, out of all the music-related things I do, the songwriting part is probably what I’m best at, hence a couple more posts about the craft. Hope you’ve enjoyed them.
In closing, for you actual fans of my music who happen to be reading my actual songwriting advice, I’m happy to report that more new songs are currently in progress. Actual songs too – no artificial intelligence being used. Check back for updates, and as always, thanks for reading (and listening)!
