We’ve covered a lot in this chapter! The task of “writing a great song” may still feel like a big one—but hopefully the sub-tasks of tackling each element, and taking an exploratory approach which leverages your other musicality skills make that task feel not just manageable, but exciting.
My final piece of guidance is a simple one: Start today.
If nothing else, start documenting the potential “diamonds” which you spot throughout your other musicality training and music practice. Dabble with the exercises in this chapter in a playful way, and focus on enjoying the creative experimentation. Maybe an amazing song emerges, maybe it doesn’t. Let yourself off the hook for the final outcome, and focus on enjoying the journey. As you adopt the identity of the songwriter, everything you experience becomes potential inspiration for a song.
If you’re working on Ear Training, you can leverage the building blocks of Part II to great effect in your Songwriting, as well as incorporating Songwriting activities into your practice with those building blocks. For example, composing your own melodies to help you internalise certain intervals or solfa notes.
If you’re practicing Active Listening or Playing By Ear, you’ll find that both can be a tremendous source of inspiration and greater understanding which can feed into your own writing. Naturally the Expansive Creativity approach to Improvisation can be an endless source of new musical ideas to write lyrics for and refine into songs. And as you explore the approaches to Expression and Performance presented in the following chapters, you’ll find new levels of emotional expression available to you, to enhance your songs.
Remember above all that we are all naturally creative, and that the more you create, the more creative you’ll become. Ultimately it all comes down to your own musical taste, and finding better, faster, easier, and more enjoyable ways to express your own musical creativity in ways you enjoy and can be excited and proud to share with others.
I’ll finish by repeating what I said at the start: whether or not “Songwriting” features in your Big Picture Vision, I cannot overstate the impact that writing your own music will have on your musicality, and your musical fulfilment. And if it turns out that actually, writing songs delights you and becomes a big part of your musical identity—all the better!