SongWriting Technique - Show It

Songwriting technique includes finding something small to write about and make it smaller. This good songwriting tip may sound strange but it is one of the most important lessons in songwriting.

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Write about only one idea per song. This is a common mistake for inexperienced songwriters who need help writing songs. It’s ok if you have more than one idea that you must write about, just save it for another song.

Sticking to just one idea or theme allows you to dig down into the idea and come up with things to say that get into greater detail. Detail is a very good thing. You can’t get into detail if you have three other themes to talk about.

A great tip for simple songwriting is to always be specific and give details. Use names of places, persons, things, emotions, and events. This is the secret to "show don't tell". If you want to talk about a city, don’t just say “city” say its name, district or street.

Painting a picture is a thousand time more effective than just telling what to think. A beginner songwriter might write lines that said this-

I love you a lot,
You fulfill me more than anyone else,
You mean everything to me.

Anyone can say this and they have. It "tells" it doesn't show. It’s not specific and doesn’t paint a picture. If it’s not interesting or unique and not likely to make anyone feel something.

Ok, maybe a close relative will tell you they think it's great. You should look for none family members to critique you songs. You need honest feedback that loved ones might not want to give you.

But there are any numbers of ways to say it better. How about starting with something like –

I'd climb the Rocky Mountains on blistered feet
To give to you the last drop of water that's in me.

I'm not claiming this is a great piece of writing but it does show undying love for the person. However it doesn’t say “I love you”. It doesn’t have to.

Notice how I use the songwriting technique of getting specific with the name of the mountains and what kind of feet. Try coming up with some lines to replace mine.

There are thousands and thousands of songs that are written about love. If you get specific, you won’t sound like everyone else. That’s part of finding your own voice and a good songwriting technique to learn.