Songwriting does rely on inspiration but most writers will tell you it consists of 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Although it is something that flows from a place of passion and joy, it doesn’t mean that lots of work doesn’t go into it.

I’ve heard so many people say that they have written a song in 10 minutes and unfortunately most of the time it sounds like a 10 minute song. The idea, concept or key melody can happen in 10 minutes, but thats only where it starts. From that point onward the real work begins.

So what does songwriting consist of?

I am going to discuss some key points in the next number of blogs. The main areas I want to focus on is Lyrics, Melody, and Rhythm. Even though there are many other components, most of what we do can be summed up in those 3 categories.

Lyrics are the content of the songs, and that which tells the story or conveys a certain idea or feeling.

Melody is that piece of beauty that gets stuck in our head and we end up humming endlessly. This too can convey feelings, emotions and hidden messages.

Rhythm isn’t the way the guitarist is strumming the song although it can include that, but its the way the lyrics bounces and flows.

So, join me as we dive into this great and wonderful adventure of discovering the building blocks of songwriting!