How I Come Up with Song Ideas aka 5 Songwriting Tips

In this video, I talk about my techniques for generating song ideas. This is the first in a series of videos about my songwriting process. The next video will focus on how I keep track of all the different bits of music.

[DNeil]

This guy is a genius! He builds his own instruments and has a solid grasp and education in music which is evident in the way he talks and performs...
I wish I could download his musical brain!

[LifeBeyondLyrics]

This related to my writers block on another leval. I'm currently a commercial songwriter at Middle Tennessee state university and I myself have most of the same issues so I'm super excited because I know all these tips will work. I think all my frustrations just clicked in my head, after watching your video. Thank You!

[RobSanx]

Interesting ideas, thanks for sharing them. I also like the idea of not getting stuck on an instrument. I’m mainly guitarist, and I composed my last song on the piano. So what’s important there is what sounds good at that moment, not the resources you already have. And I thought the same when I received a drumpad a company gave me to test it out. I felt the pads help me to create more freely, with the brain and ears and not with my knowledge or my hands/muscle memory. It’s like you’re discovering something every time instead of recalling formulas. And lately I’ve been searching for this kind of approaches, more like playing and enjoying the process making it fun.

[NicholasSpanos]

I'm definitely going to try these tips with my own writing. I have so many fragments of songs on my phone, so I'm incredibly excited for the next video. Thank you, David!

[indive]

Great tips! Thanks for sharing with us. I am waiting for the next video in this series, because I feel trapped with the amount of not finished demos (it's feels kinda sinful to say, but it's 144 ableton projects now).

[listenin]

You have amazing hosting abilities. I feel like you're almost talking to me directly. That, and you're super insightful. Thank you for sharing what you've learned!!

[pedterson]

Another good way to cheat your muscle memory is using alternate tunings/scordatura.

[uniworkhorse]

Thanks a ton for the help David! Sharing your process and wisdom from years of experience is really enlightening. I hardly have written any songs, so this is super helpful. ✌️

[brookemcquiggan]

Crazy that's the only way I been doing this.

[AndyDrudy]

I definitely get me best ideas in the shower! I think because im the morning a shower causes a rush of bloody which I presume is good for creativity. I wonder if you can promote creativity by causing your metabolism to acceletate sharply. Also, it is important to be original rather than good, but preferably both. I am currently blown away by the Billie Illish album which makes everything else sound boring.

[spoons]

Wow everything he says about trying to make music while holding an instrument is so ture

[petermuller]

when you said that your mixing the both techniques I thought you play your guitar under the shower :D

[joseabony]

Hi David, do you also use logic pro x ? thx