September Songwriting Challenges
Alternate Tuning Exploration: Joni Mitchell is famous for using alternate tunings on her guitar that explore beyond the EADGBE guitar tunings. Follow in her footsteps. Experiment with alternative tunings on your instrument to discover new chord progressions and melodic possibilities.
Songwriting Speed Round: How many songwriting interviews have you read for the writer brags that the song was written in 30 minutes? Set a timer for a short duration (e.g., 15 minutes) and challenge yourself to write a complete song within that time frame.
Dream Journal Lyrics: For one week, go to your journal immediately upon waking up and try to recall what you dreamed about that night. Then, use entries from a dream journal as inspiration for lyrics, exploring the surreal and imaginative elements in your songwriting.
Polarizing Genre: A lot of folks (not me) have genres that they hate to listen to. This week, try to write something in that genre and see what comes out.
Geographical Inspiration: Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.” Katy Perry’s “California Gurls.'“ Choose a specific location (real or imaginary) as the inspiration for your song. Explore how the setting influences the mood and themes of the composition.
Interconnected Songs: Pick one of your favorite songs that you’ve ever written. Now write a prequel and a sequel to that song.
Chord Progression Copycat: Choose a song you’ve listened to over and over again. Analyze the chord structure employed and use it as the basis for a new song this week.
Non-Western Scale Exploration: Beyoncé’s music often incorporates scales more common to Eastern musical styles. Incorporate scales from non-Western musical traditions into your songwriting for a cross-cultural influence.
Unison to Harmony Transition: Begin a section with a melody where the vocal is doubled. Then, gradually introduce harmonies to build complexity throughout the song. Notice how harmony influences the stickiness of your melodies.
Back Catalogue: If you’re deep in the grind, this is your sign to pick a day and recharge. Use your recharge day to review bits and pieces of unfinished songs you’ve written this year. Take note on which ones are promising and create a folder for these songs so you can bring them into future writes.
