Get Lyrical: Tips For Aspiring Songwriters

posted in: Features

Whether it’s moving into a new apartment, reaching something on a high shelf or passing a difficult class, we all need a little help sometimes. Writing lyrics is no different. Sometimes having a pro with years of experience provide wisdom Mr. Miyagi style can give you the boost you need to write that epic song”or defeat the Cobras on a sprained ankle during the karate championships. (Sorry, I’m not sure why we’re stuck on Karate Kid references.) In order to provide you with a little valuable advice, we caught up with Robin Frederick, author of Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting and Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film and TV, to get her take on some of the things that can give your songs a lift.

OS: First, could you give us a little background info on yourself? How did you get into songwriting?

RF: I think most songwriters start out because they’re drawn to the idea of expressing emotions and ideas with lyrics and music. That was it for me. I just wrote on instinct and picked up song craft by accident in the beginning. Then I got a job writing three to four songs per week for the Disney Channel, and I had to learn a lot of song craft very quickly in order to keep up. I’ve also been a signed recording artist which is a whole different type of songwriting. Eventually, I worked as Director of A&R for Rhino Records so I got to see things from “the other side of the desk.” I learned what the music business needs and how important it is to be able to write good songs”songs you believe in”that also work for the music industry. Currently, I work with TAXI, a music company that helps songwriters and artists move forward with their craft and their careers. It’s been a wonderful experience. There’s so much talent out there. I’ve been lucky enough to make a living at what I love doing”songwriting”and I love being a part of helping others do the same.

OS: What do you think are some of the most challenging things about writing lyrics?

RF: I think the hardest part of lyric writing is getting emotions into your lyrics. Basically, songwriters must try to capture in words something that’s indescribable! What is love? Yet, most songs are about love. This is the great task of songwriting. If emotions could easily be put into words, we wouldn’t need songs.

Too often I see writers using cliches to express emotion: Lines like “you’re always there for me” or “love is blind.”  Cliches are actually true statements that have lost their emotional impact through overuse. Even though they’re true, listeners simply don’t hear them. Therefore, it’s important to find fresh ways to express emotion, offer new insights to listeners, if lyrics are to be compelling and effective.

To avoid cliches and increase the impact of your lyrics, try using images to create a mental picture of a situation or emotion and personalize it. Instead of “love is blind,” try “I’m stumbling in the dark when I’m with you.”  Translate a feeling into a physical sensation: “Your words are jagged nails.” (Check out the lyrics of Bruno Mars’s “Grenade” for a great example of this technique.) Kick up your action words a notch or two; instead of “I look at you,” try “I stare at you.” The word “stare” has more emotional intensity than “look.” A simple change like that can increase the emotional effect of your song on listeners.

OS: What are some of the mistakes that budding songwriters often make, and should be conscious of?

RF: First, I’d like to point out one of the things that we all do right”beginning songwriters and pros”we all put our feelings into our songs. That’s the whole idea of a song. Now… an effective, successful song is one that expresses the songwriter’s emotion in a way that reaches out to listeners and makes them feel it too.  When I hear a song by someone who’s just starting out, the problem is usually that the emotion the writer put into the song didn’t reach the listener. I can usually figure out what the songwriter was trying to express but the song doesn’t make me feel it.

This is where song craft really comes in handy! Because song craft exists solely to help you, the songwriter, reach your listener. There’s no other reason. Song craft wasn’t invented just to torture us songwriters. It’s not an arbitrary set of rules. Songwriters have been testing these ideas on listeners ever since the troubadours. We know it works. So… if you use lyric images and details, keep the focus tight, develop your theme, use the kind of structure that helps listeners follow what you’re saying, if you reinforce those lines that express the heart of your message in the chorus”in other words, if you use lyric craft to express your feelings”you’re more likely to hit a home run with the listener!

The biggest mistake I see aspiring songwriters make (and I made it too, at first) is to think that song craft is your enemy, that it will make you write formulaic songs that sound like everyone else’s. That’s a misconception that can really hold you back. Song craft is a challenge to greater creativity and, when you use it right, it provides a pathway straight to the listener’s heart.

OS: Do you have any tips for beating writer’s block?

RF: I honestly don’t think there is any such thing as “writer’s block” in the way people usually think of it: a lack of creativity, inability to keep a piece of work moving forward. Writer’s block is not about a lack of creativity; it’s about identifying and solving a problem so you can get on with things. The thing that stops you from writing is just a problem you don’t know how to solve. So, what you need are ideas for solving it, things to try. If your problem is getting a song started, then find three ways to start a song and try them to see which one works for you. If your problem is fear of failure or fear of not writing a song that’s “good enough,” then try using a hit song you think is great as a guide, or fool your “inner critic” by treating your songwriting as a game. Those are just a couple of suggestions.  Always give yourself plenty of solutions to try. Then, when a problem arises, you can plow right on through it.

OS: Are there any weird tips that you’ve found help write lyrics” things that people wouldn’t expect to be helpful?

RF: You can find song titles and lyric lines in the most unexpected places. Eavesdrop on conversations. Use headlines from newspapers. Here’s a good one: Check out some of the over-the-top talk shows where people get really emotional; I once got a whole verse from the Jerry Springer Show.

OS: If you could give just one tip to aspiring songwriters, what would you say? What’s the most important thing to keep in mind?

RF: Always write your emotional truth and keep your listener by your side while you write. What questions will the listener need to have answered? Maybe that ultra-poetic line needs to be followed by a more direct, transparent statement so your listener stays with you. Never “dumb down” your lyric for listeners but don’t treat them like the enemy, either. They want to get inside your world. They want to feel they’re on the inside, listening to honest, revealing, emotional thoughts. It’s all part of being human. Use it! Be human.

Check out Robin’s books on Amazon, and head over to her Facebook page for free writing tips!