15 Practical Tips for Songwriters, Composers, and Producers of ALL Genres

Here's some common sense tips that I endorse that should help you along your path to becoming a competent and confident composer, songwriter, or producer. I don't do advice videos often but there's a lot of things I wanted to get across here that my average video doesn't have room for. Hopefully you find it helpful!

A special thank you to my lovely Patreon supporters. They are why this channel exists, still! Join them here if you like - we do live Q+As once a month and also the occasional special lesson or live composing stream.

Table of contents:

00:00 Intro
00: 37 Tip 1 - Practice Songwriting As A Skill (not a talent)
01:55 Tip 2 - Start Recording (If you haven't already!)
02:38 Tip 3- Don't Worry About Unfinished Tracks...
03:13 Tip 4 -... But Make Yourself Finish A Track!
04:05 Tip 5 - Deeply Analyze Your Favorite Music
05:03 Tip 6 - Criticize Your OWN Music
05:30 Tip 7 - Know Your Own Tastes
06:45 Tip 8 - Find Good, Trustworthy Feedback
07:25 Tip 9 - Ego and Songwriting
08:24 Tip 10 - Why You Should Learn Basic Theory
09:24 Tip 11 - Learn About Other Instruments
10:35 Tip 12 - Find Collaborators
11:25 Tip 13 - Embrace Technology
12:54 Tip 14 - Inspiration
13:38 Tip 15 - Write Music For Yourself
14:23 BONUS TIP!!!!

[kozmobluemusic]

i see Jake Lizzio
i click
i do not ever regret

[DarioTinucci]

"Ultimately, what we're doing here is just making noises, organized noises" is esaily going to be one of my favorite quotes ever

[madnessbydesignVria]

My only comment on the 'embracing technology' tip would be:

Use technology as a tool, not a crutch. 

I'm a drummer, and I often sequence a drum track to act as a place holder. Then, I compose the majority of the piece. At some point, I go back and record 'my' drum tracks (playing live on my midi drums (I live in an apartment, and midi drums are pretty amazing now)). This gives me something better than a click-track to compose over, while still allowing me to add my 'real drummer' dynamics and feel later.

When you do vocals, don't just bang out some garbage tracks and 'fix them in post' with autotune, try to get the best takes you can - then fix what you have to with autotune. Also, don't be afraid to not use autotune, or go light on it. A little imperfection can feel way more authentic... :)

[bipedal_earth_roamer]

I'm so glad you're posting again.

[martynspooner]

So pleased Jake is posting again, he has helped so many people in so many different ways

[fathuman]

I started appreciating the wisdom behind Tip 2: Record yourself, about 8 years ago. It was amazing how dismissive I was of anything I played in the moment, but when I just recorded something, anything, threw some basic drums behind it and just played it back my ears heard things differently than when my fingers were involved. For example you might just hear a small 2 beat fragment that locked with the drums in a certain way and you can grab that and develop it into a 4 bar riff. Something that you might've completely overlooked when you're thinking of theory and your tone and how much your fingers are hurting or whatever.

[yuzurihamoon]

I don't play any instrument or know anything about making music, but your videos are always fancinating to watch even if I don't understand many of the things you are talking about. It's like watching well produced scientific documentaries about space ships or human body, you don't need to fully understand the topics to enjoy the narrative itself. Thanks for the great work Jake.

[mvwzppw]

Some people are born with tremendous talent but also tremendous humility. Thank you for making the world a better place by sharing your knowledge.

[whatbreaksthesilence]

Thank you Jake! I’ve been watching your videos since you did that Kokomo analysis videos and now our band is releasing 3 live performance music videos. Your advice, teachings, and insights played a huge part

[drummermomcjs]

I have and love The Chord Progression Codex. I have already learned so much and am only half way through. It has brought me to a whole new playing field in songwriting and improved ny understanding and skill on the piano and giutar.

[Mujcanal]

Jake, you are a real gem for us, thank you. ❤

[guitaring]

I love your videos. They're chock-full of good ideas and insights and are well thought out and executed. I'm glad you're back from your hiatus.

[EtheRenard]

Great video!
For the tip number 3, people should also understand that 3 minutes is the industry standard, but there are tons of songs that doesn't fit that time. It can be a soundtrack or a song for children, the time of it can totally vary very quickly.
Good criticism should give you the willingness to learn and be better, while bad criticism destroy your motivation. You also have to want to be criticized. If you get critics without wanting to, because you just mind your own business without specially wanting to improve right now, it becomes a unsolicited comment.

I started as a drummer when I was 13, and when I wanted to put my exercises in a software, I accidentally discovered MIDI and musical composition with Tux Guitar then Guitar Pro 5. I had a hard time understanding chords and all, but with time and with the good videos, it's always easier! My goal is to be a professional composer, maybe for video games. I'm almost 28 and I'm starting this project... even if it's really hard finding clients!

[zerozucker]

don't be afraid to have some fun with organised noise, thank you brother

[spotlight-kyd]

Tip X: Take part in composition / production challenges, either online or organized by you and your friends locally. These force you to finish songs within a given time frame and let you try out styles/instruments/software you wouldn't maybe otherwise have tried. And they teach you to accept that sometimes you have to stop working on something and say "it's good enough" and move on to something else. And if you do this regularly, you'll be probably surprised that you finished many more tracks than you did before within a given time period.

[thejontao]

Cross-medium inspiration… yes!!!

My girlfriend and I see a lot of contemporary dance shows (which also tend to have great experimental soundscapes). I get a lot of inspiration (both musical and literary) from dance shows.

Seeing how a problem is approached and addressed in one medium can be a great way to finding a new way to approaching or addressing a similar problem in your chosen medium.

My art history professor (back when I was in university almost 30 years ago) used the phrase “let paint be paint” when talking about certain art movements. This one sentence has brought more insight to my own musical practice than anything I’ve found in music itself, ever.

[timbarth]

Good to have you back. Your channel was a part of my musical journey for a long time and these advice come at the right time for me to progress.
Thank you for that great advice.

[ColsScotland]

Love how you talk to camera/viewers in a straightforward way. not condescending or 'aloof', (like I find some others doing)! I'm a Frank Zappa fan, also love loads of other music too of course - Black Sabbath, Queen, Rush, SLF, CCR, GnR .... You make everything about writing/producing, even music theory(!) so clear to understand. Thank you! 😎

[Jesse]

Yes! Thank you Jake! I am a musician/songwriter and, for my day job, a graphic designer. And I am always saying that very same thing about creativity! Being creative means just sitting down and creating -- doing the work. If it sucks, so be it! At least I got it out of the way and out of my head. There is no "right time". The best way to start, is to just start! And I'm going to vouch for all your tips. My own experience has taught me the same exact things! ::Great minds think alike!::

[jeremiahreilly]

Bravo. I just love your videos. I always learn so much. Make Music. Produce. Record. This is really key. The great artist Chuck Close—who worked really hard and painted daily—said, "When I look at a finished painting, I can't tell which parts I painted on my good days and which parts I painted on my bad days. I paint every day."