5 Strategies I Use to Finish EVERY SONG

Finishing songs is the #1 challenge of all songwriters. It's relatively easy to find inspiration and ideas - but finishing songs is not about inspiration. It requires some different tools. In this video, I work through the 5 highest impact strategies I use in my practice as a professional songwriter.

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WHO AM I?
We are Keppie Coutts, and Ben Romalis, two professional songwriters, performing artists and teachers with over 40 years of collective experience in the music industry.

We have studied and taught at some of the best contemporary music colleges in the world including Berklee College of Music, Sydney Conservatorium, the Australian College of the Arts, the Australian Institute of Music, the LA School of Songwriting and JMC Academy.

Our goal is to help people write better songs! Our belief, having worked with thousands of songwriters (many going on to find careers and success in music), is that your songwriting, like all things, can get better with meaningful and deliberate practice. Our intention is to share the skills, knowledge and ideas that we've had the privilege of gathering with others who embrace the art and craft of songwriting.

[robertrussell]

Just finished...." Two by five" Robbie Russell. Finally a song with your help, I'm closing in on better songs.Thanks for all your help . I can't....not finish ....a song, I just keep at it. Two by five took me 5 months and probably 4o lyric changes. I'm ok with it if I can prove growth in my choices. Of course I'm too close to it, but even I, can see growth and progress at least in the right direction. This channel is so helpful. The more I learn though, the more I see is involved in creating a good/great song. Now I need to be less wordy :) Write On !

[guitaring]

your enthusiasm inspires me. your smart, well thought out videos provide me with tools. which I will now go and put to use. thank you!

[FronzSchornack]

Thank you so much H.T.W.S. I find you truly inspirational in my song writing and song writing ideas, sometimes it's easy to start a song but a bit difficult to conclude and finish. I love going for a walk in the park where I reside here in So-Cal and find that to be very useful, again I'm grateful for all the things you do for us all in teaching the craft.

[migrantfamily]

My no. 1 key to finishing songs is: Have a hard deadline.

[suadiggitti]

Your help has allowed me to complete some of the lyrics that I have been tooling around with for several months, even years in some cases. Thank You!

[jeffro.]

I like the funnel analogy.
I often come up with parts of a melody or a chord progression that sounds like it might be the basis for a great song.
(But, and I can tell what the rest of the analogy will be...)
But, I never take it to the end, and complete it, putting all the finishing touches on it.
When I first started playing guitar I was much younger, and I could write good lyrics. Then I would come up with a few basic chords (actually, I didn't find out until MUCH later how complex they actually were, lol), and make a song.
When I performed it for friends, they always liked it! (Surprised me!)
Nowadays, I don't bother, because I can't really sing all that great, and don't have great lyrics any more!
But, I'm learning!

[samuelstone]

The challenge for me is overthinking the process.
I watch videos like this and it doesn’t help me as much as it actually makes the whole thing seem too daunting and complicated. If anything, it’s a deterrent rather than a motivator.
I think some of my best songs have been ones that I didn’t think about. Or at least I didn’t feel like I had to think about to any degree. They just happened. All I know is, I certainly did not sit there and think about song maps, structure, lyrics, title etc.

[acousticmonkey]

One factor I definitely use is having an angle, theme or concept when writing. So if I want write a song about Christmas, I would write all the ideas, colours and emotions that come to mind. That way, if I write two verses and a chorus and want to add to it 6 hours later, I still have all the ideas in front of me or in my head to play with. Saying, "I want to write a song about love" is too broad, so you have to narrow down each of the angles e.g. new love, cheating, desire, waning love, etc.🙂

[bradh]

I finish on about the 7th or 8th song.

[tammieschiller]

Hi Keppie! I purchased your course in Udemy, , , how to write songs start to finish, is the song form template there? The different structures for bars etc you mentioned in this video?

[Dextermoon]

Where can we hear songs you’ve written

[suefauziyah]

Impossible to watch videos on this channel without taking notes. So many gems in this one. I recently took 2 songwriting classes at Berklee Online (Harmony and Melody). Both were wonderful but they were all about the music, and I needed guidance on crafting lyrics. Keppie’s videos have provided the much-needed missing piece. Many, many thanks to you!!

[franbert]

Since getting a dog, my creative juices have soared. I’m convinced that the rhythm of walking and “zoning out” are amazing exercises for songwriting.

[bcole]

So helpful. One of my main tips that I use to finish songs, even though I've only got two done in my short career, is to...

Get away from the song! If you have the ability and time, let your subconscious work on it. Come back and hear it fresh. Then get to work. Then stop.

Eventually, though, you Then need to really sit down and polish. As part of this process, I really try to edit out anything that is superfluous and get to the CORE of what is happening. A fresh ear is really good for finding when you're doing way too much

[highvolumepls]

Finishing my first original album, just realised I needed your video like blood, many thanks for huge help, specially lyrics❤😊 from Hamburg

[Rango_Jnr]

Yes, I always witness that, as I speak now, am stock with a song am writing now, titled Laura, am done with the first verse, the pre_chorusbot am having issues at the chorus, am trying to put down something that will match the chorus but it doesn't fit , I don't know what to do now, am stock at the chorus, pls can I get help pls 😢

[jayburd]

I got sparkles when you said corpus collosum

[Sentientfx]

You are an excellent teacher - thank you!

[GodsStoryteller]

2 last strategies ...

Listening again.

[yt_blank_hank.]

*Time to stop procrastinating mate* good tips tho