Songwriters, if you’re feeling stuck, there’s always a songwriting prompt that can get you unstuck.
As I’ve said before, writer’s block is not real. You just have to find something to jab you in the right direction. And this is where prompts come in handy.
But why are songwriting prompts so helpful?
Why Songwriting Prompts Are Good For You
Sometimes, I can get in my own way.
My internal editor is loud and has had about five cups of coffee. He jumps on every idea, every lyric, every melody.
It’s frustrating as heck.
That’s why I find prompts so helpful. If they’re good, they can sneak you in the back door, evading the gaze of your internal editor.
Sometimes they don’t work, but all you have to do is find another one. Eventually, you’ll find one he isn’t expecting.
Songwriting Prompts To Unstick You
Here are 11 songwriting prompts I’ve either used or can imagine being useful.
Brainstorm 5 song titles
Quickly come up with five song titles. Don’t overthink it or be critical.
For a while, I was brainstorming three song titles a day and found it super helpful for generating creative ideas.
Watch the news and listen for song ideas
This is something I heard Aaron Espe does and it stuck with me. It’s a pretty unique way to get song ideas.
Reverse someone else’s chord progression
Example: take the chord progression of “Hey Jude” by The Beatles (D-A-A7-D / D7-G-Bm-Em-G-A7-D) and write your own song with the reverse progression (D-A7-A-D / D-A7-G-Em-Bm-G-D7).
Limit your entire song’s melody to 5 notes
Sometimes limitations fuel your creativity. And with just five notes in a song, you may end up with a catchy melody.
Turn your last text conversation into a song
You never know. Maybe you see a song title, or a relational dynamic you didn’t notice before.
Create a melody using the first 2-3 notes of someone else’s melody
Example: take the first two notes of “Hey Jude” but continue on with your own melody and with a different rhythm.
Intentionally make a bad song
Some art teachers tell their students to make terrible art on purpose. The point is to focus on the process and not worry about the end result.
You are your phone
I got this idea after hearing Allen Stone‘s “Lay It Down”:
Wanna be the first thing you reach for in the morning
And the last thing you put down at night
Want my heart to be the only thing you’re charging
Search for me frantically when I’m outta sight
Is it too much to ask?
Is it too much to ask?
The rest of the lyrics use I-am-your-phone metaphors and analogies.
Go outside and listen
Listen to your neighborhood sounds. Listen for notes and melodies in the sound of the birds singing, trees rustling, traffic, or any machinery noise.
Re-write a Nickelback song
Regardless of what you think of them, you could learn something. Probably.
Open a book to a random page and point to a random part of the page — the words you’re pointing at are now your song title
I really like this one. Maybe my favorite prompt.
Bonus Songwriting Prompts
These 11 prompts are from a FREE digital booklet I made called 78 Songwriting Prompts To Get You Unstuck.
Get it for FREE below…