5 Simple Songwriting Exercises to Transform Your Lyrics

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Tired of writing lyrics you just don't love? Fascinated how your favorite songwriters come up with such incredible lyrics? This video shows you 5 incredibly powerful exercises for turning ideas into lyrical gold, and crafting lyrics that'll make yer' mum proud.
Random word generator: perchance.org/useful-generators
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ABOUT KEPPIE
Hi I'm Keppie! I'm a professional songwriter, and songwriting teacher. I've been teaching song and lyric writing for over 10 years now for some of the best contemporary music colleges in the world- Berklee Online, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music's Open Academy, as well as for the Australian College of the Arts. At other times, I've taught for the Australian Institute of Music, as well as the LA School of Songwriting.
My goal is to help people write better songs! My experience in the classroom, with thousands of students at this point (many going on to find careers and success in music), is that your songwriting, like all things, can get better with meaningful, deliberate practice. My intention is to share the skills, knowledge, information, and ideas that I've gathered with anyone who wants to improve their songwriting.
Keppie's music is here:
www.keppiecouttsmusic.com/music
ABOUT BENNY
Hi I'm Benny. My passion for music and creativity stretches across multiple disciplines and art-forms. I am a founding member and songwriter / lap-slide guitarist for one of Australia's best and most bearded country-bluegrass-folk bands, THE GREEN MOHAIR SUITS. To date the Mohairs have released 4 full-length albums and tour both nationally and overseas.
I am also the Founder and Head Producer of SILAMOR STUDIOS, a boutique studio specialising in Composition for Film, TV and Interactive Media. I write extensively across various instrumental and lyric-based genres and has been commissioned for major projects by Adobe, Cathay Pacific and Audible. I currently release original songs under the name SILAMOR.
I am also passionate about education and have taught song and lyric writing as well as film composition for JMC Academy, Collarts and the Australian Institute of Music. I design and regularly facilitate workshops on creative process and innovation.
Links to Bennny's music are here:
The Green Mohair Suits
open.spotify.com/artist/7M3Zf...
SILAMOR
open.spotify.com/artist/5HOpa...
www.silamor.com/music
Work Flow Audio:
/ @workflowaudio-studymusic9916
#howtowriteasong
#howtowritesongs
#songwriting
#songwritingforbeginners
#writesongs
#johnlegend
#taylorswift
#writeasong
#howtowritelyrics
#lyricstips

[@BJ-fj6jw]

"I get stuck in your rain." STOP! That's so beautiful!

[@htws]

If it inspires you, feel free to use it :) Just make sure to build on it, and make it your own!

[@vineethkumar6750]

May I know the meaning of that sentence. I didn't quite get it

[@Nobddy]

@@vineethkumar6750 Rain is often considered to have a negative connotation in Western writing. It implies a lack of sunshine and thus a darkness and coldness. So the line is essentially saying, ‘(when I’m with you,) I get trapped in your negativity.’

[@dickrichard626]

​@Nobddy "western" writing 😅

[@placebo5466]

your love is like a storm i get stuck in your rain waiting on a feeling but all you give me is pain

[@dopeljones]

Another great example of contrast is the song "running" by ibejii. With lyrics like Hell may turn cold, like a lava stone but my heart for you will never. Absolutely gorgeous.

[@GK-hs5wz]

An oxymoron even in that case

[@dperez611]

1) metaphors 2) upgrading verbs. Example you don't need to say the dog bark loudly as loudly is implied. She walk into the room."call to action" Automatically just cross out any adjectives or adverbs.that are inside the lyrics there might be some that are needed. Underlined every verb that is used. And pick one verb for one section. 3)Use specific imagery. Find a way to paint a picture instead of just saying sunday afternoon. 4) Contrast. 2 opposite ideas. Good/bad Hot/cold. 5) Last line pivot. The surprising element at the end.

[@windmonarch]

Anger is a storm - metaphor The clouds of your mind gather, darkening in your eyes. Your words are lightening, striking out at the nearest touch point - your voice swells and spills, and I harden like ice. My dark glances rumble on the horizon of our days. - extended metaphor 👏👏👏👏👏

[@transformationgeneration]

Lyrics and melody are my strong point. They come so simple for me. My trick is "don't make them too difficult, make them clever". I am always complimented on my lyrics by nonplayer friends and my , melodies by my musician friends. But I live in the Midwest. There's no-ne hearing me beyond those folks.

[@randolphvillamer]

I should've thanked you before, but here it is. 30+ years of writing (radio and landlines then) At least I know now that your channel proves that music transcends time. Thank you

[@zalananevem]

this channel gives so much value with such great editing/story-telling.. i'm kinda speechless. most of the times other channels just keep bsing, beating around the bush and don't provide any actual value in much longer videos then yours, but your content is full of it and you don't waste any of our viewers time. how did i not find this channel earlier? i'm so grateful that i arrived here now. incredible work, keep up the quality content! i instantly subscribed.❤‍🔥

[@jeaniemarinella4746]

Thank you so much! I often have some anxiety around writing the lyrics to my music causing me to avoid the process but this actually motivated me to get started!

[@juliasmithoficial]

i absolutely LOVE this channel! thank you guys so much for the amazing tips! ❤

[@michelle-psl4441]

The tap's been on a while and the water's beginning to clear. Thank you Keppie & Bennie for all the wonderful tips and exercises to help clean the pipes!

[@aaronlarsen7447]

You are such a good teacher.Thank you. I absorb all the best teaching. Everything you say is useful.

[@martoneill]

Brilliant as always- thank you!

[@user-bc3bp7kg5e]

Thank you so much! Great video and helpful exercises!

[@clivebarnett9673]

Excellent and inspirational! You are passionate about this and it makes all the difference!

[@Tjsarx]

I really appreciate you. This is really good. And straight to the point. Grateful!

[@const71]

many of these ideas apply to screenwriting ... so cool :)

[@tonyharp2009]

I love your lessons!!

[@gofrankurdi]

this was so helpful! Thank you so much! I'm considering your course now!

[@iamryan_inBits]

Another great video Keppie, thank you 🙏

[@tracypattin3746]

I LOVE your channel! And YOU are fantastic. I'm inspired on my new songwriting journey. Thank you!

[@anitacoffey]

I'm loving the information here. Wow. I'm so excited to get started! Thank you. I'm subscribing!

[@xraycreative741]

These 5 lessons shine in powerful simplicity. Thank you!

[@giorgiobenedetti4116]

Thanks so much for this extremely useful video. It helped me out a lot in the writing process! :)

[@hansvanlavieren7027]

I love this. Very useful and helpful ❤

[@cmdrando]

amazing advice, and I love that you've given 5 actions to take...Makes it way less conceptual and more pragmatic. now, I'm off to do these exercises!

[@markwhittaker6321]

I really love your lessons and style. So helpful!! Thank you.

[@joezagame5598]

Excellent video! This teacher knows her stuff!

[@halhamilton3234]

Just found your channel. I am starting to write and I am learning so much. Great content.

[@htws]

Welcome aboard!

[@MaBaKar]

Thanks, appreciate the tips!

[@franciscotamburri5146]

I love your content, you're an awesome teacher

[@MrVuvu]

Such good advice. I also get anxious with lyric writing in my music, which leads to avoidance. Everything you said reminds me of Sade's song Pearls. Thank you. New subscriber here.

[@ranaghazzaly4115]

Thank you i’m learning so much from you ❤

[@loganmorgan5145]

I really found the video helpful on my journey to make good lyrics. Thanks for your help.!

[@QuincyKane]

This is very helpful; thanks for sharing!

[@aspen-forest]

thank you so much! very helpful!

[@RBReZe]

Very Useful Information. Thank you so much!😉

[@GrooveMasterAcademy]

Gteat video, I used to attend the Harriet Schock songwriting workshop in LA off and on for a few years. You brought back a lot of knowledge and added a lot as well.😊. Thank you.

[@frombeginnertoband7973]

This is a great tutorial - thanks v much 👊

[@KL-xv5gj]

Very practical and insightful advice. Thanks 🙏🏻

[@Sxlly-to1pe]

Is this good? "You may ruin my life, but you will never take my heart You may run away to not to admit that deep down, You don't like the truth that you drowned me in your storm"

[@RocheKlaase1]

I knew something when i saw you.. Thats beautiful!!

[@jenniferzuiff8517]

This is one of the BEST videos I’ve ever seen on lyrics

[@rifatahmed6214]

By far the greatest tutorial ever!

[@user-vj7ub3pr6i]

This helped so much. Been listening to hella tool and Maynard Keenan’s writing is just so genius I wanted to make music heavily inspired by them.

[@singsters9624]

Thanks for making this video it really helped and I liked and subscribed 😊

[@izio4408]

This is amazing advice!!!!

[@Jiminsboost]

Thank you so much for this I am going to try the 5 metaphors

[@barrycoulter6951]

I felt i made headway on the last song i wrote (Desert) after a lesson of urs…. Now i see all of the imperfections in it after this lesson! Lol thanks for the insight!

[@SilverSim]

Great video, thank you so much ✨

[@mazetoeden9334]

Very helpful, thanks!

[@Hoogste100]

You are the best !!❤

[@MustafaBaabad]

Excellent lesson on song writing. Thank you. Cheers from Indonesia

[@charleshyde3337]

Woah that song with the skyscraper and falling out the 25th floor saying her goodbye, gave me GOOSEBUMPS sooo beautiful

[@fanievanrooyen9851]

Oh wow!, I find your knowlege and ease of your expanations very engaging. Thank you. I am Afrikaans speaking - I was lost in a desert of phrase and expression, I now rest in charming pastures of appreciation.

[@BJ-fj6jw]

Keppie how do you do that??? "Anger is a storm". It's magical how you conjured this extended metaphor. I get (slowly) how you arrived at this because you kindly explain, but it's so entertaining and awesome how it seems to effortlessly roll out of your creativity. It is inspiring. 1:42 into your video... cant wait to watch the rest!

[@whatabouttheearth]

You're gonna have a brain hemorrhage if you hear 'Lungs' or 'Flying Shoes' by Townes Van Zandt or any of Leonard Cohen well known ones 😂

[@ConservatoryOzarks]

Wow thank you how useful 🎉

[@pedromejia157]

Hello there, Thank you. I appreciate the time and effort put into this. Great stuff

[@ronwhitehouse23]

Great video thank you. I would love to hear your views on Marc Bolan's mystical lyrics during his pre T Rex days.The lyrics in these magical songs I still listen them today. His Unicorn album was a really special treat.

[@BrendaBoykin-qz5dj]

Thank you⭐🌹⭐

[@ghostbrains6]

Thanks!

[@brownin329]

Hi Keppie, do you have a video on how to match chord progressions to the metaphors in your lyrics to set a mood?

[@Nancychosen]

Thanks alot

[@stgregorychildrenschoirgul3411]

I wish you could be my personal instructor. You are so good a teacher

[@PamelaKyeiBaffour]

I love this channel

[@Balluna]

My notes: 1. metaphors & describe them further. then pick out some parts 2. upgrade verbs & cross out adverbs/ adjectives 3. imagery is important (showing>telling) 4. contrasts - opposing things are spotlighting 5. power positions - 1st and last lines of every section are most important (last line pivot - surprise!) all songs that were mentioned: 2:53 School Night - Ani Difranco 4:01 Golden - Jill Scott 4:03 Circle Games - Joni Mitchell 4:05 She burns - Foy Vance 4:07 Take me to church - Hozier 5:46 Motion Sickness - Phoebe Bridgers 6:49 Nothing - Bruno Major 8:23 The Bed Song - Amanda Palmer 12:54 River - Johnny Mitchell

[@gasparucciox9706]

super!

[@isaacwu4995]

Thank you

[@danmanley2525]

You already helped me. I've been writing for years and I read my work and hate when I can't convey my thoughts with out correct word imagery

[@GnatGames]

Honestly, I’m just starting

[@vernardvanhoute]

great advice

[@julianc.mcclain]

You just changed my world hahah tf! So cool

[@moon_skeloton19-plays-on-ps4]

I have runaway stuck in my head was listenin' to the ocean I saw a face in the sand But when I picked it up Then it vanished away from my hands, dah I had a dream, I was seven Climbin' my way in a tree I saw a piece of Heaven Waitin' in patience for me, dah And I was runnin' far away Would I run off the world someday? Nobody knows, nobody knows And I was dancing in the rain I felt alive and I can't complain But no, take me home Take me home where I belong I can't take it anymore I was painting a picture The picture was a painting of you And for a moment I thought you were here But then again, it wasn't true, dah And all this time I have been lyin' Oh, lyin' in secret to myself I've been putting sorrow on the farthest place on my shelf La-di-da And I was runnin' far away Would I run off the world someday? Nobody knows, nobody knows And I was dancing in the rain I felt alive and I can't complain But no, take me home Take me home where I belong I got no other place to go No, take me home Take me home where I belong I got no other place to go No, take me home Take me home where I belong I can't take it anymore But I kept runnin' for a soft place to fall And I kept runnin' for a soft place to fall And I kept runnin' for a soft place to fall And I kept runnin' for a soft place to fall And I was runnin' far away Would I run off the world someday? But no, take me home Take me home where I belong I got no other place to go No, take me home Take me home where I belong I got no other place to go No, take me home, home where I belong, no, no No, take me home, home where I belong, oh, oh, oh No, take me home, home where I belong, no, no No, take me home, home where I belong I can't take it anymore

[@edwither8284]

🎉thank you,I have a hard time writing lyrics .

[@juliojrart3142]

Beautiful🎉

[@tamzinwatterott1134]

My favourite lyrics is the lyrics of Serve the Servants. My favourite song that has bad lyrics is probably something like hysteria-muse

[@suzetteemberton4368]

This is concrete advice, with real examples, and it’s incredibly helpful. Thank you! I’m a composer wanting to learn how to write good lyrics, instead of just the music. I can use this!

[@hectorguzman8435]

I came here to get help too! I have an easiness of composing music but struggle with words for lyrics

[@mo2cubing]

6:26 "hardly" and "little" are one such adverb and adjective respectively, but they're easy to miss so I see your point.

[@Randomstuffthekid]

The like button glowed when she said to press it

[@FranklyCharlotte]

'School Night' - one of my favourite Ani songs. The guitar tuning is murder though but I figured it out - feeling chuffed.

[@robertourbino4392]

Subscribed 👍

[@nicholasheal5925]

0:39 1. EXTENDING METAPHORES 4:08 2. UPGRADING VERBS 7:37 3. USE SPECIFIC IMAGERY THAT WORKS HARD 10:48 4. CONTRAST 11:48 5. POWER POSITIONS

[@stestetsonmusic]

Word association is something I like to do

[@samseitz9937]

If you’re looking for a case study is amazing lyric writing check out David Wilcox (American musician). His writing on the album how did you find me here is one of my all time favorites

[@jimbeaux4988]

Have you done a video about how to check that you aren't copying off an old song? If not, could you do one?

[@tiffanystarling6749]

9:34 that's funny cause my interpretation of this sentence was that she faced the truth as something she was looking for. She says that she found her glasses, i think the use of the verb "find" here is kind of specific. If it was only the scene of a couple in the bed, she could have said "i took my glasses". And then I interprete the other part of the phrase "you turn the light out", as the fact that the other one lives in denial. So, it joins your interpretation, meaning they are not on the same page, but it can be interpreted in a stronger way. Maybe she faces the fact that they are not on the same page anymore, and the other one chose to ignore it, so, not only she has to deal with this disconnection in her couple but she also has to deal with being alone confronting the problem.

[@3scoopsofguac]

Amazing video! Though it pains me greatly Alex Turner never gets a mention haha

[@user-zl2lv7eg4d]

superrrr

[@labyrinthwomb]

I know you're mostly right about adverbs and adjectives... but I wouldn't go to an extreme. Think of these classic songs: Isn't she lovely Tiny dancer Psycho killer Brown-eyed girl Beautiful Boy American Girl Purple Haze Comfortably numb Born to be wild And the most classic of all: We are never ever ever getting back together - 4 adverbs in one line! ;P

[@labyrinthwomb]

Can't help it... More successful songs: Fast Car Killing me softly Despacito Single ladies Bad guy Just dance Used to be young Jaded High hopes

[@whatabouttheearth]

'Nobody Home' by Floyd for a highly noun based song

[@TulsaMikeFloydd]

Loved this one. BTW, “litttle” at about 5:48 is an adjective, no?

[@nicostruppich]

“ Eating samosas that my neighbor dropped at my door” - oh yum, and now I’m distracted

[@htws]

Yeah - my neighbour's the best ;)

[@suites.74]

I have a question. Many songwriters write lyrics based on the phonetics, syllables and consonants first and then fit a story to it. Just making the words sound nice and using language as a phonetic instrument on the melody. Do you have any videos on how to make a story with these nonsense words that sound pleasing to the ear?

[@Friendship1nmillion]

( 1st like to your comment ) Maybe I am the Walrus by The Beatles 🤷 . Then again even though I've written songs ( & gotten some of them recorded ) I'm a student here , not 1 of the teachers . ♑️✍️🇳🇴🇦🇺

[@whatabouttheearth]

You don't know how to use metaphors? This is showing you a metaphoric creation process. She is merely showing how to derive metaphors to use on your own. This is really basic stuff. Listen for metaphors in 'Suzzane', 'Merriane', 'Hallelujah'by Leonard Cohen, or 'Lungs', 'Flying Shoes' by Townes Van Zandt

[@suites.74]

I am suggest a different video idea, one that talks about how certain words sound. @@whatabouttheearth

[@guitaring1]

The Bed Song by Amanda Palmer should come with a warning. I don't remember the last time a song made me cry.

[@ViktorVanRiver]

Nick Cave's O Children line "Forgive us now for what we've done It started out as a bit of fun" kills me every time

[@htws]

We are, probably unsurprisingly, massive Nick Cave fans ;)

[@SQUiMTAROT]

Bro! Incredible content you guys I got the e-book a lil while a go and it 10xd my game IMMEDIATELY. Cannot describe hot grateful I am for youtube teachers 🙏will continue to come back for more! ❤‍🔥

[@KosieRosie]

🤓☝️ akshully “anger is a storm” is a simile - point is still absolutely solid tho

[@PamelaKyeiBaffour]

I love this channel thank you so much ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊❤😊❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊❤❤

[@patchrockit]

I'm old now. I recorded two songs I wrote a long time ago and just uploaded them. Just 2 songs. I'd love to just get any feedback. Please don't troll me, and I know i'm not a great singer. Just poking around songwriting channels in hopes of constructive critiques.lyric changes/i can commission an actually good singer and a guitarist to actually play the two songs well. Lyrics are in the description area of the two videos. I'm not trying to get views, I have maybe 9 subscribers that are random people or bots. i don't know. Just reminiscing on times and found an old phone i recorded the 2 songs with a bit ago. Thanks all!

[@joannasandquist1599]

Our love was a death trap: you placed roses on bear traps and left my blood tracked in the snow. Oh I think you know.

[@aoeulhs]

Anyone here a fan of John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats? He's a very prolific songwriter and as a lyricist he's relentlessly astounding.

[@htws]

Well - I AM! ;)

[@notinterested8798]

Nick aloe’s Lately I’ve Let Things Slide is a masterclass in telling details

[@notinterested8798]

Lowe!

[@jeremymorrisonmusic]

Ok just curious on part about Adverbs and Adjectives you said only adjective was Hard but isn’t Little also adjective and Hardly an adverb? Not meaning sound sassy just want to see if I am missing something here. Love your channel and content❤