You have the potential for musical greatness. Dig deep and commit to practicing every day. Even with all the talent in the world, crafting the perfect song is work.

Your inner critic is often what stops you from writing an amazing  song. Silence it until you’re done with channeling creativity.

All songs begin in silence. Fill that silence with observations and emotions from the world around you.

Opposites can create great contrast for your ‪songs. If you’re using long-held chords, then staccato-style vocals might do the trick.

Try using a different time signature and varying your rhythmic range in the next ‪song you write.

Many musicians double vocal lines and shift pitches when recording to achieve richer‪ vocals for their songs.

Despite what some fans may say, nobody wants to hear you release the same album twice. It’s okay to keep your fans in mind when writing, but the best songs come from writing from the gut.

When recording sound, lower compression ratios (between 1.2:1 & 3:1) yield a more natural sound as opposed to the higher ones.

Do you write ‪music, or does music write through you? Channel your inner genius to make the latter happen.

Many aspire to be world-famous musicians, but the truth is that most of these aspiring musicians do not end up with a glamorous life. Here are some things you might not realize about living life as a musician.

Image via Flickr by Valerie Everett

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Complicated emotions can be hard to describe – you might find strong imagery to be a more effective vehicle for your songs.

Using a consistent rhyming ‬pattern will give your songs a sense of smoothness and movement.

If something works for you, don’t turn it into a formula to be repeated. Your ‪songs will only sound mechanical if you do this.

Try setting a goal to write one new ‪song a week. You’ll have a full album’s worth of songs written in a little more than three months.

Unless you learn when to break the rules, your songs might not be as inventive as they potentially could be. The trick, however, is knowing how to distinguish between when the rules should be followed, and when they can be bent.