I posed this question to the Songwriting Scene Facebook Page: What is your songwriting “achilles heel”? That is, what’s the hardest part for you?
My buddy Rich Boniface said “Finishing, no doubt — Great at starting. Got at on of songs 50-80%.”
Deborah Martin agreed, saying: “Got a million songs started…good choruses, catchy bridges, soulful verses…just can’t commit to tying up loose ends.”
So why is it sometimes so hard to finish a song, and how can you get unstuck? I think it might depend on why you’re having a hard time…here are some possibilities and some potential solutions (just suggestions from someone who’s been a professional writer for over 15 years!)
1. You’re bored.
You’ve been playing with this pop tune for months…strumming the chord progression over and over, singing the melody until you’re sick of it. You’d rather be working on a blues song, anyway.
Songwriting fix: How about turning your pop song into a blues song? Or a rocker? Perhaps changing up the rhythm or taking the melody in another direction could give your tired song new life and the inspiration to get it D-O-N-E.
2. You’re a perfectionist.
You start dozens of songs but as soon as the going gets tough, you move onto something else because it wasn’t perfect.
Songwriting fix: Consider your song an experiment rather than one you’ll share with the world — that could take the pressure off and allow you to at least experience getting to the finish line. Once it’s done, you might be surprised — perhaps it is good enough to share after all!
3. You think you should be a prodigy who can write a song in one fell swoop.
If it doesn’t come out right the first time you sit down and strum, you think your song is a failure, so you move on.
Songwriting fix: Hello, have you ever heard of an editor? Even Jane Austen had one. Let your inner editor take over once you’ve taken a stab at a first draft. Don’t be afraid to play that first draft for other songwriters to get some feedback, then try to edit and shape the song. You’ll be surprised how much improvement you can get the second time around.
4. You’re scared to finish.
Maybe it’s a song that has a lot of personal meaning for you. Maybe you’re afraid of the feedback you’ll get if you do actually finish the song and play it for someone. You’re a scaredy-cat.
Songwriting fix: Get over it! If you were writing just for yourself in the darkness of your cave you’d be writing novels or goth poetry. If you’re writing a song, it’s meant to be shared — so get to the end and get it out there!
What do you think? Any other reasons you can’t get that &$%#@ song finished?
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Maybe it just isn’t ready yet. I like to have several songs unfinished. I go back to them and work on them when I don’t have anything new to write about. What’s the rush to complete a song anyway? Let it simmer for a while, add some spices, taste it, when it’s right you’ll know.
Good point, Brian! Songwriting as slow-cooking, simmering pasta sauce…I like that.
Some good points here.
@Brian – I find the same thing sometimes, you need to let a song sit in your sub-conscious for a while. Leave it for however long, maybe a week, maybe a few months, maybe more. I came back to a song from a year ago & because it felt fresh to me, I was able to transform the melody to give it that elusive ‘lift’ I had been searching for when writing it.
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