Is songwriting much different than writing poetry? Have you tried to put music to some of your poems? Get inspired by reading songwriting quotes written by the world ‘s greatest musicians, how they do it and why they do it.
If you ever tried writing songs, this post is going to make you think, and perhaps even motivate you.
Here are 16 quotes about songwriting and the process of songwriting. Surely this will give us some insights from people who have already “done it.” Perhaps we can soak up some inspiration and tips for ourselves from in between those lines. Enjoy!
The Quotes
“Imagination is the key to my lyrics. The rest is painted with a little science fiction.”
Jimi Hendrix
Makes sense when you think about some of the stuff that Hendrix played like “Hey Joe” and “Little Wing “…
Just Write
“I never sit down to write. When I’m moved, I do it. You just wait for it to come. You just hear it. I can’t really describe writing. It’s in my head. I don’t think about the styles. Whatever comes out I use and use whatever kind of instrumentation that works for those songs.”
Lenny Kravitz
“As a songwriter, Gram (Parsons) worked very much like I do, which is to start with a couple of chords, and see how far it can go. Some would rather sit around with paper and pen and try to make things fit neatly together. But Gram would also work very hard, harder than I ever did — on honing it down.”
Keith Richards
Structure
“Mine is a structured songwriting process. I start with the music and try to come up with musical ideas, then the melody, then the hook, and the lyrics come last. Some people start with the lyrics first because they know what they want to talk about. Then, they just write a whole bunch of lyrical ideas, but for me the music tells me what to talk about.”
John Legend
“I wish I were one of those people who wrote songs quickly. But I’m not. So, it takes me a great deal of time to find out what the song is”
Leonard Cohen
The Good and The Bad
“I got this cheap little empty plastic notebook at my local drugstore and bought a little slab of filler paper. The very first title I wrote in it was ‘Proud Mary ‘. I had no idea what that title meant. I work hard writing songs. However, the fact that there are a lot of good songs means there are also a lot of really bad songs I’ve written that you’d never hear.”
John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
Be Productive
“I think songwriting is the ultimate form of being able to make anything that happens in your life productive.”
Taylor Swift
“If you like someone’s work, the important thing is to be exposed to everything that person has been exposed to.”
Bob Dylan
Believe in it
“I hope that what it comes down to at the end of the day is that people believe that I believe what I’m singing. It comes down to being believable.”
John Mayer
Source: guitarsongsmasters.com
Related: Tips for Writing a Song Like a Pro – TUTORING YOU
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