Songwriting is one of those activities where it pays to change your approach now and then. If you always begin with a lyric, come up with a few chords first. Or if you tend to begin with a melodic hook, find a drum beat first and jam over it for a while. The rhythm may lead you in different directions.
Here are some ideas to get you going.
Start with:
Melody
Verse
Hook
Rhythm groove
Drum sound (Alicia Keys did this with “Girl on Fire”)
Keyboard sound
Lyric
Keyboard texture (like an arpeggio pattern)
Chord progression
Try each of these and see what happens. You may surprise yourself!
Here’s a Songwriting Template you can use when composing.
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