Songwriting Tools
What songwriting tools does a songwriter use?
If you were going to build a house would you do it with your bare hands and nothing else? Course not; you would need tools to aid in getting the job done. Well it's the same with songwriting; songwriting tools will help you do a better and faster job.
The good news is you don't need a lot to get started. To get writing songs all you need is an instrument of some sort, your voice (be it good or bad) and a pen and paper. Oh and a bit of songwriting skill of course...
There are of course other songwriting tools available to you which you may find useful or not, it's up to you to experiment with them and discover for yourself which ones work for you.
Inside The Songwriters Toolbox
Minimum Songwriting Tools Required
- Pen & Paper - This is probably the most important tool. Copybooks, notepads, hardbacks, A4 jotter, beer mats, napkins etc... Whatever you chose to write on doesn't really matter; the most important thing is that you get your ideas down on paper before you forget them.
- Musical Instrument (commonly guitar or piano) - The main instruments used by songwriters tend to be the piano and guitar. But having a basic familiarity in as many instruments as possible will go a long way to improving your songwriting. If you are going down the producer/songwriter route the piano is definitely the most important instrument as keyboards have many functions within the studio environment.
If you are interested in learning the piano I strongly recommend checking out the website Learn Piano Today. It will show you how to learn the piano using proven methods and tips, for multi levels, with sound clips and WMVs to aid in improving practice and performance.
- Voice - Being able to hold a note is fine if you are just recording rough demos but if you are planning on sending your songs out into the world (publishers, labels etc.) you will need to hire a professional singer.
If you need expert help with your singing, I recommend singing tips with Barbara Lewis.
Optional Extras
- Audio Recorder - A tape or digital recorder of some sort is a priceless piece of equipment. As a songwriter you will constantly be coming up with ideas and if you don't record them, you could lose them forever.
- Rhyming Dictionary - Are you stuck racking your brain trying to find the perfect rhyme? A rhyming dictionary will solve all your problems.
- Thesaurus - There's nothing worse than getting stuck using the same words in your songs, over and over again. A thesaurus is great for giving you other options. It can also be great for generating ideas; just randomly flick through it until you find a word that inspires you.
Try It For Yourself
Get comfortable using all the songwriting tools and learn to use them inside out. The better you are with the tools the easier the writing process will be.
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