You may be asking yourself… “Do I really need to do a warmup when I sit down to write a song?”
Well, not exactly. Songwriting sessions can be straightforward and simple, sometimes. You may have many days where everything goes quite smoothly. But there will be those times where the blank page feels intimidating, even if you felt quite inspired when you first sat down. That’s where songwriting warmups can come in.
Play a Song or Two
When this is helpful: when it’s been a long day, your brain is full of fuzz and starting a writing session feels like a feat.
This can be your own song or someone else’s. The first time through, just get into the groove of playing. The second time, try to connect with the songwriting aspects: that melody you really like in the Bridge, your favourite lyric, what this song means to you, etc.
Edit a Song
When this is helpful: when you are struggling to focus.
If you are set on writing a new song today, it may be helpful to set a timer for this exercise, as it can quickly take over your entire session. Look at another song of yours that needs a bit of refining, maybe some lyric tweaks here and there, maybe some heavier re-writes. I feel that this can get my brain in the mood to write something new.
Good Ol’ Scales
When this is helpful: if you need to start with something that’s not songwriting.
I personally connect with playing scales on the piano and guitar, not as much with my voice. And since I need to practice my scales anyway, going through the motions can get me into that flow state that I need for writing.
Object Writing and/or Brainstorms
When this is helpful: when you are looking for ideas or need to expand on the one you have.
If that blank page is really tough that day, you may just need to blather onto the page. Object writing can be as simple as writing for ten minutes about any object you choose, or doing a more structured object writing session. If you already have an idea, it can be helpful to brainstorm all those emotional and visual ideas onto the page before trying to come up with actual lines.
Brain Dump/Morning Pages
When this is helpful: when life is getting in the way of writing.
Ever since doing The Artist’s Way, I’ve found doing my Morning Pages before writing sessions particularly helpful. Essentially, it’s a three-page brain dump about absolutely everything and anything. If you’re done after one or two pages, that’s fine, too. Whatever is weighing on your mind, get it down on the page and see if you can get it out of the way, or even work it into a song.
If All Else Fails…
If you’ve done a warmup or two and still can’t get into writing your next song, try out a songwriting exercise and call it a day. After all, not every session is a productive one. I love this post that really highlights the importance of just showing up.
