It's all about tension and release. Great tips! Thank you.

I feel inspired today, a year ago I would watch a video like this and say to myself I don't know what she's talking about or where to start. Now your words ring true and I'm doing a lot of what you share generously. And ofcourse magically my songs are a lot better. Thank you for providing me with this free content. Music wasn't valued when I was growing up, I learned guitar and vocals and songwriting well into adult. You don't know how you've enhanced my life. Bless you and all you do. Cheers! -Gayle

I have binge watched some of your videos here and I like your ways of teaching and the content you come up with. Great channel for songwriters.

A further use of spreadsheet.. is to use it as a writing tool. One cell per line, carriage return to drop to next line etc. What you can end up with is a series of one line opportunities about the verse idea, or if it all works, a completed verse in 'x' number of cells all in a row. What is useful is to drag and drop each cell to rearrange orders etc, swap out ideas, as no cut and paste is required. Your scrap book of ideas can be set to one side of spread, each in one cell in rows, that way all words are visible in sentence or line, added benefit is cell spacing across rows can be set to mimic vowel timings or beats across line, you get a visual clue if the right amount of words and syllables are fitting intended meter. In practical use I have set up verses as above, with examples of rhyming sentences, and ideas in another area. Drag in appropriate sentence to build workable verse. Hope this makes sense.

I agree with #3 and the other comment someone mentioned about rhetorical devices, most songwriters do overlook them and they are extremely important for good lyrics. It's not enough to just use simile and metaphor, those other devices need to be studied and Elements of Eloquence is a great resource to start!

Keppie your explanations are so lucid and clear, really invaluable, thanks

I have been following you guys for a long time now and I am eagerly waiting for your videos and have been following your advices and they definitely works. Keep the gold coming through your videos. Also, love the `Everything's a love song` series

As your eyes began to well up with the speaking of loss so too my eyes. Empathy is everything.

Wow! I just discovered your videos. They are so focused and succinct. Well done!

Keppie - these videos are incredible. Just discovered your channel and am watching a new video every day!! Thank you for all your hard work in sharing all this great stuff with us.

You're amazing! Thanks for all the videos you put out there. I'm learning so much from them!

Another fantastic, to-the-point, informative video. Thank you!

Brilliant advice as always! Love watching you and learning! I always learn something new as well as ok im doing that right. Love it. Thank you! Cant wait for the next video!

This channel is pure gold.

This is gold!❤

Hello Keppie, At the end of the video where you ask about more concepts, one that helped me a lot when I started, was advice given by Miracle of Sound in one of his studio sharing videos: "Embrace the chaos" When starting out we might feel the need to "do it the right way", so we go seeking a method, a plan, steps to follow. But I can't ovestate how much pressure and tension embracing the creative chaos relieved. I try not to worry about music or lyrics first, when and how I add instruments to the arrangement etc. I simply go with the flow and indeed embrace the chaos and uniqueness of each song I work on. We're all different, and so are our creations 😊 It makes the process even more enjoyable. Hope this helps someone! 💚🎶

This is the best video lesson on songwriting I've ever seen. And I've seen hundreds of videos on the subject.

You are a very clever teacher. Great stuff. So well thought out and presented.

Great tips! Thanks.

Paying attention to you is the first tip that comes to mind. Thank you Keppie. Such a generous spirit is hard to come by these daze :)

You're wonderful, thank you for this.

Thank you so much.. very amazing explanation 🙏🙏🙏🙏

❤️ thank you

Thanks for this explanation

You are so good ! Thanks

Love how you are so brave and bring examples from your own practice. Isn't it embarrassing?

I love your presentations

Excellent ‘advice” .I’ll try to use these ideas with the current prompt! I know I have found my songs becoming too general and not clear, which is a shame , often I really like the chord progression but the lyric let’s the song down. Thanks this shall help me with the concept and get going.

Thank you for sharing this video. It is excellent. I like that you say it will take hard work to improve but it can be done. I am frustrated that my lyric writing does not came anywhere as easily as writing the music but if I look back at the amount of time I have invested in studying music then I really shouldn't be surprised.

U r such a goat…i wish i had studied under u!!!

You dear are part of my soul tribe cause I really get you 🙏🏾☝🏾Grateful

I am so fascinated! And excited to try my hand at songwriting. Do you have a place perhaps on patreon where people share what they've done? Or a SoundCloud info exchange?

Tnx

Would you consider filming a masterclass with a student in the process of writing, maybe from square one, or with particular focus on elements of a near-finished product, like creating a chorus, changing lyrics and why they need to change, choice of chords/inversions for certain effects, modulating, adding a bridge etc etc. ?

*** I might have something of value for songwriter *** So there's a book ... OMFG.... AS I WROTE THESE WORDS SHE BROUGHT UP THE BOOK!!!! I READ THIS IN 2023... OMFG !!! Well now I know I'm on the right track... This writing will change your personal life. You'll see how much there is to experience. Dang... this is my favorite comment ever on KZfaq bc I literally had the idea and understand before someone put it together for me... Rare moment... Most of us don't think often... lol That's my story and I might change it.

I remember driving to work through traffic years and years ago. Peak hour. Sometimes bored. Sometimes thinking time. Mind to wander through me. One day, a pretty girl walked by in a very short skirt and pony tail. (There was more to her, including a facial expression to dream of which I can’t explain, but you get the idea). I was about twenty years old. I drove past the girl, stopped because of stopped traffic. The girl walked past, I drove past, stopped. The girl walked past...I drove..... stopped... drove...girl...drove. Stopped. It’s still one of the best twenty minutes I can remember in my entire life. (Did not try to be too obvious with my glancing. I was too shy for actual genuine looking). Anyhow, I have been writing songs for about 50 years. Maybe it’s time to write another song. 🤔 Btw I might start brushing my teeth more regularly.... Whenever someone suggests I don’t do something, I suspect they might be saving up a really, really, great number one idea, all for themselves! 😡 Btw nowhere in this post have I intimated any of my songs are any good. I just love doing it. Just loving doing what you’re doing, I’ve come to understand, is why you do it, and spares you a lot from that crappy self doubt. But don’t get rid all self doubt, it is one of the key ingredients of creativity! Mmm..... How much self doubt is too much and how much is too little? To be honest, l write most freely when I don’t overthink things.... so I’ll stop now. 😎

I'm 57 and there comes a point where you've wrote about everything in your life. from my song ''Ordinary day' to 'Crossing the Rubicon' ive totally run out of things i think anybody would be interested in... 'Probably tomorrow i'll feel different.

Keppie, have your listened to "Miracle and Wonder," Malcolm Gladwell's audiobook about Paul Simon's songwriting? Much in there to reinforce your ideas and provide insight into a genius (IMHO) songwriter. Would love to know your thoughts.

Does bridge,breakdown,break,interlude,tag,intro,and outro and also tag do they all serve the main story?

Can you please 🙏 make a KZfaq tutorial on does album 💿 sequencing change and also make a KZfaq tutorial on more than 6 or 7 tracks and more than 30 minutes to consider a record aka studio album 💿?

in your opinion why are studio album 💿 viewed as one big story?

I have a interesting 🧐 question is standard album and deluxe edition records do they tell the same story like example four by one direction has 12 tracks and the total 🟰 duration is about 43:33 and that’s the standard version of the record now what happens if there’s bonus tracks like example one direction four has 16 tracks the total 🟰 length or duration from start to finish is about 57:19 does it count if it it’s telling the same story when the album sequencing change from start to finish aka standard edition what it comes with aka 12 tracks aka deluxe edition aka ultimate edition with bonus tracks that has 16 tracks? Four album 💿 japan 🇯🇵 total 🟰 duration is about 57 minutes while the ultimate edition is about 1 hour and 11 minutes does it still count telling a story and does the album sequencing change even though it still count as telling a story for album 💿?

Can i say im a songwriter even if im not really good at it ? Or it’s the title more for the expert ones?

This was REALLY good(/informative/useful!) ! THANK YOUUUU ! __/|\__

Why songs have to start from beginning to end iamlxgend told me that this is the natural order of life all things have an beginning all things have an end. Is that true Jonathan that all songs aka tracks have a beginning to end or is it song structure or album sequencing or both what’s your opinion about it?

I don’t wanna write about stuff from my life, is there another option?

Someone like you by adele is in key of Am though right ? Lol

And who is responsible for the total duration of the whole entire studio album 💿?

I bought DAW computers condenser mics guitars pickups amps speakers pedals....... And my dumbass cant even writ

*Promo sm* 😚

Thank you very much, I understand nothing

You guys are great at clarifying the general craft of songwriting. However i disagree that we should do exercises to find things to write about - that’s just practicing our fake sincerity. The best songs come from real events and related thoughts - even if ultimately the true story is embellished or hidden behind poetic devices. Interesting unusual people write good songs. The rest can be learned but i’ve never heard a great song come out of a dull person. That’s just how it is.

David Bowie said that he used to write constantly, even if it seemed mindless.

"Facts" are subject to change. A truth is not

And do you agree what iamlxgend and Nathan eswine on why are album 💿 viewed as one big story? They both said And why are album 💿 are viewed as one big story? IAMLXGEND 8 months ago It is a cohesive collection of songs used to tell a bigger theme or project an overall vibe. Think of an album as a book. And your songs as chapters. Every book has chapters. Every album has songs. Each chapter is different. Each song is different. But the collection of chapters (the collection of songs) is what tells the full story of the book (of the album). The music 🎼 🎶 🎵 KZfaq channel iamlxgend agrees with you why are album 💿 viewed as one big story and same thing that goes with me. Why are album are viewed as big story? Nathan Eswine 4 months ago Usually the songs on an album are the result of an artist's creations during a season of life. This means the songs can all speak to a similar set of themes, ideas and topics. So the aim of an album name is to try and sum up the big story/concept that all the songs pull from when they were written. It's not always like these, especially today. But traditionally, an album is like a "book" with the songs inside being like "chapters."

40 years? I don't see it, I'm thinking more like 30 max. 😁Seriously though, thanks for some great tips, especially for a guy who has been brushing his teeth for, well let's just say, a bit longer than 40 years and wants to put some of those years into a glass of water...lol. I just hope they're not lying to me when they say you're never too old to learn. 👍🫰 Thanks again.

Tip # 0 Cannabis. IYKYK