Do you necessarily need to write in a genre to produce a hit song? Of course not. But it’s helpful to know how genres work so you can bend their standards.

Don’t let composing become an unwelcome chore, otherwise your creative juices will vanish.

Many songwriters make the mistake of over-complicating their lyrics. Keep things simple by concentrating on the emotion of the music, and the meaning behind the lyrics rather than being super technical.

Even if it’s about an actual experience that you had, the song you’re writing has an inherent reality of its own. Enhance it by creating a focused message that resonates within the song’s own world.

Music is a poor medium for telling overly complicated stories. Simplicity and clarity are your best assets when writing songs.

Strive to write songs with a lot of dynamic and metric interest; you want them to reach a crescendo and subside rather than just moving along at the same level.

Songs rarely come out perfectly. Look beyond your first draft and try to identify the deeper essence of why you write it in the first place.

You don’t need a degree in Music Theory to write great song. All you need are inspiration and a strong impulse to share with listeners.

Practice writing your music on the fly; honing those improvisational abilities will only enhance your ability to craft great songs.

Avoid writing song melodies that linger around two notes. Using such a restricted range will likely bore your listeners.

Combining opposite patterns like staccato and legato (separated or connected notes) can be a very effective song-crafting tactic. If you’re using long-held chords, consider a shorter or punchier vocal line. Writing a polyrhythmic bass line? A good option could be to complement it with a simpler, more straightforward guitar part.

One good way to write a collaborative song is to have every member of your songwriting team write a different line to the song. Add one line each until the song is complete, and then collaborate again on the revision.

Sometimes you might have a great verse that doesn’t seem to fit well with the melody you have in mind. Work on learning to change your words without changing the meaning, so you can make these seemingly disparate elements mesh.

Don’t put yourself in a box. Stop thinking too much in terms of limitations; what you should or shouldn’t do, and don’t force yourself to write a particular way. Your song doesn’t even have to rhyme so long as it feels right. Trust your instincts.

Try writing and playing for at least a half-hour straight, deliberately avoiding cliche themes and melodies. Instead, do your best to new and original ideas. By doing this, you’ll learn to channel a mindset where ideas flow more easily.