Wednesday, March 4, 2015 by Jake Hahn | songwriting

Eliminate confusion and overwhelm when you're writing a song!

Look at the process as a whole.

What steps do you take? 

Where are you in the process?

Did you skip a step?

Are you randomly "noodling around"?

Do you know EXACTLY what you're working on?

You've gotta KNOW what to expect!

Be able to maneuver your way through the sometimes choppy and unpredictable waters of writing a complete song - you NEED to know this stuff!

For example:

If you're POLISHING your song when you SHOULD be DEVELOPING your song then you're simply treading water - you're not really moving along at all. Or if you're DEVELOPING your song - but you haven't taken the time to SET UP your space and recording device - then you run the risk of say -forgetting a melody you have, or missing out on capturing other really good ideas. All because you skipped your SET UP.

Here's how I view the process:

• SET UP

• STARTING YOUR SONG

• DEVELOPING YOUR SONG

• POLISHING YOUR SONG

• RECORDING YOUR SONG

• RELEASING YOUR SONG

It's crucial to "begin with the end in mind".

Know the result you're after before you even start!

Be honest with yourself.

I like to compare it to the old carpenters adage -

"measure twice - cut once."

If you take a moment to observe where you are and what you need to do in order to move your song(s) forward, then you'll have a much clearer view as to how to do so.

Wherever you are...START THERE!

Wanna know how you can use these steps for YOUR songs? 

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