4 Songwriting Mistakes You Need To Avoid

Songwriting is an art, and everyone will approach it slightly differently. However, as a songwriter there are some common mistakes you should be avoiding. Do you feel that your work is not coming together as it should? It could be that you're committing some common mistakes without even knowing it. Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid to improve your craft. 

1. Your Song Sounds The Same As The Last One You Wrote

This is such a common problem, especially for those who have a very distinct writing style. You may find that you're falling into a rut without even meaning to. That can meaning using the same keys, chords, time signatures, and so on. If this is happening to you, you'll see that your songs are starting to lack any particular style that makes them stand out. 

Luckily, there's plenty of things you can do that will help you get your songs to stand out more. Many artists looks to collaborate with others, in order to shake things up and make their work different. “You can take the time to listen to music from different genres and artists before you start writing” says Annalise Pierce, a music industry writer from Paper Fellows and Boom Essays. “When you do that, you'll be taking in more ideas across a broad spectrum, and that will show up in your work.”

2. The Song Is Too Repetitive

This is actually quite a delicate balancing act. Of course, your song is going to need a certain amount of repetition. You need it to have a catchy hook, and your chorus will most likely not change the second time in the song. However, if there's too much repetition it just makes the song boring. 

You can avoid this by looking at the bands you love, and see what makes their songs exciting the whole way through. What makes them so engaging? You'll see the best bands are making the effort to create whole new second verses, instead of repeating the first verse or single lines as the song goes on. They'll also have interesting things going on in the melody, to add layers to the song. Try using their techniques in your own writing. 

3. Not Having The Best Rhymes

Is having rhymes in your lyric writing important? There are two schools of thought on the matter. Some feel that you have to have it because it helps the song flow better. Others feel that it's overplayed, and all rhymes have been used before. Whether you use it is up to you, but if you are using rhymes in your lyric writing, you'll need to ensure you're using them well. 

Many bands will try and get around rhyming by using 'almost' rhymes. For example, you'll see this in Coldplay's 'Yellow' where they rhyme “beautiful” with “skin and bones”. There are very few songwriters who can really get away with this. Instead, if you want to break rhyming formula, be overt about it. Pick the words that really get across what you're trying to say, and don't try and mute the fact it doesn't rhyme by having backing singers sing the 'right' sound under it. When you're more upfront, it sounds a lot better. 

4. Including Song Sections You Don't Need

This is something that a lot of song writers are guilty of, especially if they're new to the art. “It's very easy to add sections to your song because you feel you should have them” says Adrian Marsters, an editor with Ox Essays and Essay Services. “The problem is, if you're adding them for this reason they're not adding much to the song as a whole.”

How do you ensure you're not just adding sections for the sake of it? When writing, question why you're adding something. Are you adding that extra bridge out of habit? If so, try shaking things up, and ask yourself what the song really needs. 

These are four tips that will really help you up your song writing game, and start correcting any mistakes that you're making. Being thoughtful when writing will go a long way, as you'll understand why you're adding anything to the song and create something that's unique and interesting.