7 Habits of Highly Effective Songwriters

[@spareplanet]

7) Listening to a wide range of musical genres 6) Analyzing hits, to determine what resonated with listeners 5) Taking breaks 4) Getting feedback 3) Saving ideas (having a system to save every little morsel) 2) Revising 1) Writing daily

[@Pequenaerra]

You just saved me 23 minutes 🙏🏽

[@spareplanet]

@@Pequenaerra …enough time to write a hit song lol 😆

[@extremotionaltrouffas]

No, he didn't. There's much more to it, not mentioned here.@@Pequenaerra When you want to read a book , you just read the outline, and presume you 've read it alright?

[@spareplanet]

@@extremotionaltrouffas Good analogy, but it doesn’t apply here (imo) (imo) In this case, the list gives you all the info, because the points are simple and self-explanatory. (The only thing on that list that could be gone into in more detail is #6, and they didn’t go into significant detail about it.) Songwriting isn’t a complicated, mysterious process. It’s like basketball. Everyone does the same, few simple things - some people are just much better at them.

[@kaihlmeades]

Thank you

[@BlueBEAZY45]

I’ve been writing songs for years and I’ve found consistently that the very best stuff I write almost always happens organically. I don’t really have to put too much thought into it and the song practically writes itself. As cliche as it sounds I’ve found this to be true for me.

[@DodaGarcia]

It's insanely common for me to have ideas for melodies right as I'm falling asleep! There's something about that moment when the brain is starting to relax, that just seems to bring to the forefront ideas that don't come up during the normal brain functioning hours. And I do usually make sure to record them, although I need to start getting better at actually going through the recordings afterwards.

[@alexandranedelcucovers694]

OMG me too. Right as I'm about to fall asleep.

[@carriefingsolomon]

Same. I get so upset when I’m too tired to record them. But as my old vocal coach used to say, you’ll remember the really great ones! Or if not, at least you’ll come up with a better one🙃

[@kingbaby8399]

you guys need to learn how subconscious brain work i promise its gonna help u way more....that sleepy brain is when conscious brain is turning off and subconscious is turning on

[@mrs.beautiful_23]

Me in shower.

[@BobSperber]

Simple brilliance. After 55 years of unfocused, occasional, songwriting is now giving way to my second life. I am steadily ramping up my efforts as I look forward to retiring from my daily “career” to retire to the creative life I have wanted to live since young childhood. I don’t care about fame or fortune, I am compelled toward craft and expression. So … thank you.

[@OrezOreh2007]

This has to be the best channel on songwriting on YT, really excellent stuff. You’re the perfect duo and your tips are so insightful. I’m always looking forward to your videos. A massive thank you!

[@mdmorris6193]

What you are talking about here will put any songwriter onto an upward-trending path. Great video! I spent seven years with a Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer for a tutor. He has a theory that there is a formula to hit songs. But the formula has little to do with music per se and everything to do with how the brain processes music.

[@amirdejesus7077]

Can you elaborate

[@mdmorris6193]

@@amirdejesus7077 depends on what you mean by elaborate. If you mean “tell me the formula” then nope. Took me seven years and 2500 hours of study to work it out. And I agreed I wouldn’t divulge the principles. But you could buy his book “Mixing with your Mind” by Michael Stavrou and get started.

[@High_Gain_Pity_Party]

which is what? Not really sure what you're saying in that last sentence

[@extremotionaltrouffas]

You complement each other's train of thoughts so perfectly. And the content is top notch. Thank you.

[@banterj]

What makes this video absolutely amazing is it is not a lecture or a how-to for “dummies” or finger wagging from an “expert”…it is a conversation,and for me as a creative in Fashion NOT music,this helped me a lot,moreso as a ticking off of a checklist for myself and reinforcing some of the practices that I may not have paid attention to(but need to)…This video fell on my lap by the algorithm and I really enjoyed it.

[@mak_xx9456]

Anyone else have stellar ideas come to them in their dreams? Only to have them gone in the morning? Maybe its a subconscious thing.

[@pretending2care]

Write them down or voice memo as much as you can as soon as you wake up!

[@miguelaashoo7943]

Yep it happened to me a lot when I was about 12-13. Now it happens every now and then- unfortunately. These things also happen when I‘m half asleep, some of the songs i still remember til this day.

[@ultraphobic69]

Yep, it happens a fair bit with me. Sometimes fully formed only to evaporate after I open my eyes. A couple of times I even recorded a melody that came during the dream only to find after a listen it was shite 😅

[@vincentcappello4746]

All the time

[@Anesujubani]

All the damn time. Write them down

[@jeffmiller7653]

This channel has become my favorite! You two do such great work. Well done once again!

[@samreschke4705]

I agree.

[@Gratefulman1965]

I always find myself with musical ideas while driving to work. Two weeks ago. I had a verse with melody pop into my head. Saved it to my phone and once arriving at work I pretty much had a complete song in 8 to 10 minutes. while sitting in my car.

[@creeksiderockmusic]

My music partner writes all words before he sings. I dont! I listen to the song a few times and the song brings words out. Then I start refining. It keeps much more fun in it and takes away from putting pen to paper. 30 years writing rock songs. It works everytime!!

[@JeffSans]

I agree, i have done some these tips and it worked. I have no musical background, i just love lyrics and melodies and now i am almost there to releasing my first album ❤ keep writing❤

[@question-question]

I get the movement part. I have come up with most of my ideas walking and driving. That's when the record function on a phone comes in handy (never mind the people looking at me strangely while I talk or sing to myself....)

[@bassboy8910]

Thank you for your advice, mentoring and kindness when talking about Song Writing- You make me feel normal in the respect that I do and have done many of the 1,2,3 AM note taking etc. I feel like it’s ok to keep so many notes and ideas that I have tossed in the past. Like every song writer I have tons of notes that I almost have tossed. I am currently going through years of notes, on bar napkins, match books, or any bit of paper that had a idea on it. Lastly - here is a personal point as a professional touring musician/ writer - it is so smart to keep all notes as they happen because you can never go back to that place in time to get that same feeling that you wrote about. Be it sad, happy or everything in between. Believe me - how many of us have said “Oh I’ll never forget this idea” ha ha - anyway - best of luck and I’ll keep watching you and absorbing your amazing thoughts and ideas. ♥️

[@guitaring1]

I love that you used the concept 'necessary but not sufficient' to analyze pop music!

[@jansonfamily8579]

Keep the Videos coming, they are all great!

[@VincentCordel]

I was skeptic with the catchy title but it was a really informative and articulate video. Thank you for all the work you put in it !

[@jemsophia]

just discovered this channel and LOVING all of your videos: truly a refreshing angle on KZbin and in the songwriting world in general. thank you so much!

[@minna-maaritjaskari7793]

Great summary! The Get Back documentary of Beatles is a great example on how the first versions of Get Back - song becomes ready with the band.

[@stevenotice2918]

Your videos are some of the best. I agree with most of your concepts but i also note that most of the truly great songwriters came upon these concepts themselves, through experience and trial and error, and very few co-wrote as it’s conceived today (even Lennon/McCartney mainly wrote their own songs and then finished them together). I’d love to listen to your best songs if you could add a link. Thanks.

[@WizardOfArc]

love mention of necessary vs sufficient

[@oliii3381]

this video is INSANE thank you for those practical tips 🖤

[@lovman]

1st time listener to this channel, it popped into my YT feed. I am not a songwriter, but a listener to songs who happened to take an Intro to Songwriting course via coursera from Berklee 10 years ago. John Mayer also took a course from this particular teacher. There were thousands of students taking this, songs uploaded to soundcloud for mutual feedback and grading. 30 years ago, I also read Steven Covey's book - "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." So good songwriters could be effective people and songwriters if they followed Covey's seven habits, coupled of course with these seven habits of effective songwriting. Great job Keppie and Bennie. So a question - what IS an "effective" songwriter?" There could be lots of answers and definition to that question, depending on one's perspective - someone who sells a lot of songs or tickets or gets many likes. That is one measure. Or someone who makes beautiful music and art. It depends on what the songwriter hopes to accomplish with their art. I liked the idea of prosody in music - "songwriting means making sure your words and melody fit well together" (along with harmony and rythym). To me, what is really cool about songwriter (for the singer-songwriter - i.e. the combination of lyrics AND music, vs lets say jazz or classical with just music) is the combination of lyrics with music - those are two different skills combined in one artform (vs the journalist or writer of novels or poetry which are "only" focused on the skill of writing). Keep listening, writing and performing songwriters!

[@samvtz5514]

I write my songs when am around new people that i meet and go record it on my phone or my friends phone than go to studio to rewrite the song with the experience that i got that day or night. It always work for me📍💯🙌🔈🔉🔊🔗

[@sendjamin]

thanks kirkland brand paul & linda!!!

[@stormcorrosion176]

😂😂

[@Narikami931]

Tremendously helpful information, amazing as always! Thank you sooo much!

[@victorcobane6644]

Proud to say I have already been doing many of these, but I will admit that I need to revise my work more. Sometimes when I want a simple post-chorus or 4 bar bridge or something, I just force something out real quick, and record it into my DAW so then it's there and I can move on to where I'm feeling inspired that day. That would work if I came back to the part I half-assed later and fixed it, but sometimes I don't, because I got attached to that version. Even still, I will still try to get better at it. Great video!

[@highfive6553]

Awesome!! Thank you!!

[@knordag]

Really brilliant video guys - makes so much sense and confirmed a lot of things I'd suspected about the songwriting process but couldn't articulate. I'm hooked :)

[@fredlambert5097]

Just discovered this channel - blown away - watched three videos so far and am genuinely inspired and feel helped. THANK YOU!

[@bradmacneil3755]

Great info.These people know stuff.Many truths spoken here.Awesome 👍🏻

[@PeterSykesMusic]

Great stuff as always guys. Write on🤘🏻

[@daysleeper3910]

I love everything about this!.

[@Tiomofee]

Wow, again a noteworthy video on the strategies of songwriting. I can personally confirm the importance of (5) taking breaks and (2) re-vising. One of my most beautiful songs from the past that I had no old recording of came to me again when walking my old dog in the woods. First I only remembered a line of the lyrics, then during the course of a few weeks I could remember not only the lines I had once written but also the complete melody. When I did a recording session afterwards it came out beautifully and better than I thought it would sound/be. Thanks to my beloved dog (see icon) for inspiring my mind by "walking me" and guiding me to find what I thought had been long forgotten. ;-) Almost the same is true for a "new" song I am working on right now. It actually was written 50 years ago when I was a teenager and I was lucky to have one recording from a rehearsal at that time. Of course that sounded awful, even more way back then the song had very poor lyrics. So my first intention was to re-write lyrics in a useful way and I succeeded after maybe 2-3 weeks. The next step was to combine it with instruments I now have at hand - and I am so enthusiastic about the outcome that I absolutely must underline the impact of revision. - Unfortunately, I cannot apply the recommended most important hint (#1): to write on a daily basis - but at least I can take advantage from a long list of drafts and sketches I have kept (habit #3). We`ll see how far I get. :-)

[@iamelemc]

Great content, I love it. I use quite a lot and I am still learning

[@BrianOboylemusic]

I really appreciate these videos to help me tremendously trying to figure it all out thinking maybe one of those groups would be a good place

[@Angelsguideyou]

Literally get the best just as I’m going into deep sleep 💤

[@zigzagwanderer9531]

On 5).... most any sort of menial/repetitive task/labor can spur creativity. The mind is free to wander "a million miles away" in that creative, problem-solving mode while cutting grass, washing dishes, mopping floors, etc. Legendary comic Andy Kaufman also worked bussing tables in a restaurant for this benefit. It's a cool thing about the human mind

[@NicoleDyonashe]

This video was so encouraging and helpful, and I know for a fact that these habits work! Back in my college days, when I felt most strong as a songwriter, I did all of these things. Now that I don't do them, it almost feels like I've forgotten how to write music.

[@RaveRadio]

So happy I found this channel. Ace info guys

[@jramnorway7985]

Thank you so much for ther video. This made me open up some doors specially about the habit topic. You guys rock and made my day

[@patriciacollins5716]

So much great advice Ben and Keppie, thanks

[@JustineBlue]

You're are both great ✨thank you for your channel

[@taigguitar]

Amazing video guys, thank you

[@kaseybusler]

Oh wow, I do all of these without knowing it! Not saying I’m a top notch songwriter but it makes sense how I’m able to come up with ideas

[@prakhartiwari2624]

Great Video, super helpful !!

[@annesymon8443]

Thanks so much for this.. top notch content

[@markherzog1186]

..an AMAZING video, fabulous... sincerely.. TY!!!

[@lov3alongmusic]

The quotes are really an amazing part of the videos!

[@wakinginfinity]

Write every day!

[@apunkandamonk8942]

so grateful with you guys! fkn epic video, and already downloaded the ebook! thank you! wow, im happy

[@AnthonyHeadway]

This is really interesting thank you I suffer from writers block and I always self produce I don't want a preconceived notion or sell ... I will produce myself... Keep my independence and I haven't written an original song since 2017 it's not a must I just wait for the right moment but I can't seem to finish anything and there is no ideas

[@SillyWillyFan47]

Thanks Keppie and Benny. So many points clicked with me. The notebooks, the recorded song ideas at 2am, etc. I had a sense of arrival or coming back home.

[@DiegoRRL]

Entertained since the very first second, the best way to receive this amazing content. New subscriber from Colombia.

[@preciousmousse]

This is sooo helpful! Thank you for giving out all these connections 🙏

[@theereptoncountykillers]

long time songwriter .... nice to see a YT presentation that is informative free of condescension and had some really practical tips well done

[@christopherfryda]

Wow! Great video, thank you!

[@xpaddy01]

First I want to thank you both for creating this amazing and important video. I’d also like to thank the Universe for dropping this into my feed at just the right time! Thanks again for this video. I guess I better get to work! :)

[@namikibrooks9176]

Very helpful. Thanks for sharing ❤

[@comedycrackhead]

Such great content, could not be more appreciative of you both 🙏🏽

[@YANIDAILY]

This is a truly amazing video - so many golden nuggets Appreciate giving us this insight

[@judith4782]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, so helpful and well explained!

[@EricDubois-c4j]

Love this!! I always set a timer when making songs... If I don't get in the "zone" or "flow" within 15 minutes, I move on! Aloha from Hawaii! 🤙

[@SteveRomigsongwriter]

My last album was written from ideas I got while I walked my dog. In fact I wrote one of the best songs on the album in its entirety on one 10 k walk. So stepping away was really helpful.

[@NewFalconerRecords]

Forgive me for making a second post (I never do this as a rule), but this was an excellent video. Really great points all round. Well done once again

[@sprezzatura8755]

I was hoping to see Oliver Anthony featured in this video.

[@andyokus5735]

If you want to be a truly great songwriter and not the hacks these two are talking about then study why Burt Bacharach and Stevie Wonder are such masters of timeless music.

[@alicemaes8309]

Thanks for all these tips. Could you maybe make a video about how to re-write your songs ? I get a lot of ideas but am always stuck at the re-writing phase...

[@MYGAS21]

Great and insightful advise. Can I make a request? One of the songs that has haunted me is Nick Caves' "FROM HER TO ETERNITY"... especially that indescribable piano riff. Would you be interested to analyze what exactly is going on there?

[@offshot1st]

Alot of this reassures me im on the right track !

[@NewFalconerRecords]

Forgive me for making a second post (I hate it when people do that), but this was an excellent video. Really great points all round. Well done once again.

[@ivanrains8529]

Thanks!

[@kevinobreque_]

wow the n°1 habit was so beautifully put that it actually hurt to hear. from today im gonna try to squish my brain everyday to get better at this. thank you!

[@Zeniadix714]

Progress over perfection

[@TherapeuticMusik]

Thank you for helping my therapeutic music 🎶 🍿📻

[@CarlineFrancois]

I like the steps. Thank you for sharing.🎶🎵

[@StanleyChrisOchieng]

Wow, this was super helpful ❤

[@wachiravichamorndachaphon5257]

Thank you so much , This is a very useful video for song writter

[@bengelfranco]

Thank you

[@GingerWaters]

I was looking for a written list of ”7 good habits” from description. I guess I’ll watch this again with pen&paper.

[@asswiper100]

You guys know your stuff!! You treat the audience with respect and as peers. Thank you!!

[@Elena-du4bu]

Thank you so much for this video! I had a hard time to see the value in listening to so many different genres and always felt like I was undecided and not consistent or even having an identity crisis. It was such a relief when you talked about it’s potential in the process of making music.

[@breezygoof]

Great tips

[@annajansson221]

Fantastic advice, thank you so much!!

[@timoploog1]

Danke!

[@Test-ds9fs]

Hello, could you please make a video about the 20 most successful songs you have composed?

[@UltimateBoss-or1ng]

Thank you guys! This is a great video.

[@theofficialdiamondlou2418]

Most valuable music video on YT. 🙏🙏🙏♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️

[@BJ-fj6jw]

Thanks much SPAREPLANET for listing points of this valuable content by my favorite songwritiers!

[@smokyalxander]

I love you guys so much, thank you for your work!

[@MadsGranumMusic]

Wonderful video with wise points. Can you make a poster with all these great quates - Maybe with pictures of the artist as well? I would love to have it hanging in my studio. Maybe a print it yourself version that we can buy?

[@hurricane_valence]

I've listened to so much different type of music in my lifetime. Machine I know has helped me become a better song writer. I honestly think I'll send a way too much music Apart from music, access to music, online and streaming services, I currently have a catalog of over six thousand songs on my ipod call me old school😅

[@mekkpro]

Great stuff guys Keep it up❤❤

[@jojofelina]

Thank you guys for this honestly what a great list ! So relatable

[@frankzelazko]

at first glance, so obvious but very helpful

[@OwuorArt]

Great content

[@AaronKendallWilson]

These videos are so good! Thank you, you two!!!

[@GabiNaomiMusica]

you guys are AMAZING. thank you!

[@samvtz5514]

Thanks for the tips, coz i would go to studio to just go and listen to new music than, produce, than write. Hope am on a good track?