You can make more time for your songwriting!
Do you ever hear yourself say “I don’t have enough time for songwriting?”
You try to squeeze it in after the kids are asleep but you’re too exhausted to get much done?
Or your spouse takes the kids out for 90 minutes on the weekend, you feel like you just sat down and they’re already back? And that’s you shot until next weekend?
That’s no way to improve your songwriting, you can feel your music slip away.
In this article, you’ll learn to create more songwriting time for yourself:
1. Short Songwriting Bursts to fit into a busy day
2. Create Opportunities to Write
3. Get Your Spouse to Support You… including a conversation starter to get you both on the same side of the problem and working together!
Below the video lesson is a written video transcript, with bonus ideas and links to other songwriting resources to improve your songwriting!
Begin Video Transcript
Are you making time for your songwriting?
Do you ever hear yourself say “I don’t have enough time for songwriting?”
You try to squeeze it in after the kids are asleep and you’re too exhausted to get much done? Or your spouse takes the kids out for 90 minutes on the weekend, you feel like you just sat down and they’re already back? And that’s you shot until next weekend?
That’s no way to improve your songwriting, you can feel your music slip away.
Remember to give this video a like if you learn something,
Now let’s fix this by breaking it down into…
Three Simple Steps to Make More Songwriting Time!
1. Short Songwriting Bursts
You don’t need to think and work in hour blocks of time. Sure, longer is better, but that’s not always practical, otherwise you still wouldn’t be watching. You also don’t need an instrument for some songwriting tasks.
My goto songwriting technique is brainstorming, I sit and spill ideas onto a page for 5 -10 minutes. I write for at least ten minutes on my lunch break. Even if that’s all I do that day, I still feel productive and I’ve accomplished some songwriting.
You can write song title ideas into your phone memos while you’re standing in line. If you have your guitar you can play with a chord progression or write a new one for 10 minutes. You can sing melody ideas into your phone for 5 minutes.
When he was younger, I used to drop my son off for piano lessons and get 30 minutes of uninterrupted reading and writing time in my car. I took him to skating lessons and shivered while I wrote song ideas for 40 minutes… looking up just often enough he thought I was paying attention to him all the time.
It’s okay to work in shorter chunks of time. Enough of them can add up quickly.
2. Create Opportunities to Write
Songwriting doesn’t happen by accident. You make the time. “I don’t have the time” actually means “It’s not a priority.” which is what we’re fixing right now.
So, what opportunities do you already have? When are there little pockets of time you could use for songwriting? Can you listen to songwriting training or podcasts during your commute? Can you squeeze in time on your lunch break? Pause this video and think of three times you could squeeze in some songwriting… I’ll wait.
No really, pause the video, it’s important you actually think of them now, you’re more likely to actually do it later. I’ll wait…
Okay? Good.
And where can you make new opportunities for songwriting time? What else could you do? Wake up before everyone else and write when you’re fresh… I know that’s not for everyone, but if you weren’t up late at night trying to write while everyone was asleep it could work.
Maybe a little less time on social media, keep watching YouTube but maybe cut down on FaceBook or Instagram.
How about playing this awesome game “Kids, go play quietly in your bedrooms while Daddy plays guitar for 30 minutes… don’t come get me unless someone is bleeding.” Such an awesome game to teach your kids.
Pause the video again and think of three new opportunities to create some songwriting time. I’ll wait again….
Got three ideas? Excellent! Let’s continue with the most important step…
3. Get Your Spouse to Support You!
Have a heart to heart conversation, start with “I feel like music is passing me by… like there’s no time for it anymore. Do you have any ideas how I could fit it into our busy lives?”
Have an honest conversation, listen to your wife or husband, express how this would make you happier and more enjoyable to be around the rest of the time. Work out something that makes sense to both of you. This will help both of you and your marriage.
3 Quick Recommendations:
1. Be Prompt
If the deal is 60 minutes start packing up at 55 minutes and be done and out in 59 minutes or less. Don’t stay at it for longer than anything you agree to, stick to your agreement.
2. Come back happy
Even if your session didn’t feel productive. Say “Thanks for that time, I feel better after writing” Don’t fake it, but show and say you appreciate their help.
3. Show your appreciation in other ways.
Do something nice for no reason. Or do that thing they always have to ask you to do before they ask.
You never know, you might be sitting around stuck to your phone and get asked “Aren’t you supposed to be songwriting right now?” That would feel different wouldn’t it?
Like this video if you learned something, then check out this playlist of more songwriting videos. Thanks for watching, I’m Trevor Dimoff, I transform musicians into songwriters at epicsongwriting.com. Now go make some time for your songwriting….
End Video Transcript
Action Steps: Because “Thinking About It” Isn’t Enogh…
Think about and write about your answers to these questions. Remember writing about these ideas makes it more likely you’ll take action instead of just “thinking about it”…
♩ When can you fit in short songwriting sessions during your regular day?
♫ When could you create small pockets of time for short songwriting sessions?
♩ What longer blocks of time can you create during your week?
♫ What songwriting tasks can you do when you don’t have an instrument nearby?
♩ Who can you get to help you get to your songwriting?
♫ When are you going to have an honest conversation with them?
♩ How can you start the conversation in a safe and positive way?
Leave a comment to help other songwriters:
What’s your best follow up action you can take away from this article?
Additional Songwriting Resources…
How to Write a Song Chorus
Learn to write the lyrics and music to a song chorus!
Click and enter your email address to get it straight to your inbox…
Online Songwriting Courses on EpicSongWriting
It’s faster to get songwriting training from someone who knows how to teach it, than endlessly questing on Google or YouTube
