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Getting From Novice To Pro

Getting From Novice To Pro

Guest post by Nicole D.Garrison
Writing lyrics and making musical compositions for songs can be challenging. Even the most experienced songwriters come across a creative block at some point. More often than not, songwriters are skilled musicians. There are many songwriters out there but not all writing songs on the same level. Some can be classified as professionals while others are described as novices.

What's the difference? The gap between a novice and a professional, in any discipline, usually boils down to growth. Basically, a professional songwriter aims to make money off his or her songs and reach the top in the field of songwriting. As for the novice? Keep on reading to uncover the key differences between a professional songwriter and one who remains a novice, even after many years in the business.

Professional songwriters constantly try to create hit songs. Novices wait to feel inspired

Some songs become popular while others don't. Those that do are able to evoke the glow of familiarity and feature lyrical content with a relatable meaning. The lyrics are a strong predictor of a song’s commercial success. Words matter. They determine if a song will climb the Billboard charts or fail. Differentiation plays an important role in a song’s success, so much emphasis is placed on lyrics. A professional songwriter is always trying to write winning lyrics that will catch the attention of artists.

A person in the songwriting craft work hard at creating musical compositions that are powerful enough to blur boundaries and reach a much bigger audience. They find ways to become inspired and become creative through their experiences. A novice songwriter, on the other hand, waits for inspiration to strike. They work and practice only when they feel motivated enough.

Don’t wait for inspiration to write songs

If you sit around waiting for a stroke of genius, you’ll never write songs. Write, no matter if the lyrics or musical composition isn’t great. Creativity gets better with practice, not to mention that you’ll have a bucket list of ideas. Each song you write helps you get fresh ideas, expand your vocabulary, and so on. Keep in mind that the music industry has deadlines. Approach your songwriting craft with commitment, serious-mindedness, and in respect of time. The industry has transformed in complexity, so lack of project management can be hurtful.

Professional songwriters attend music performances

Not only does a professional songwriter constantly compose music and lyrics for songs, they also find time to attend music performances and even perform. Some pursue chances to get in front of audiences at festivals, night gigs, industry showcases, etc, while others go out in order to meet other music professionals. A pro creates a lifestyle around them and their music, to keep the right people interested in knocking on their doors. They know they have something different to offer and are always trying to sharpen their musical craft.

What does a novice songwriter do? Well, they rarely make an effort to grow beyond their comfort zones. When people don’t pay attention to their songs, they often blame the music business. Lack of exposure and work ethic means some novice songwriters will often look for shortcuts or try to bend the rules. To be fair, bending the rules can be a good thing but not if one is trying to sell performers lyrical creations that contain painful grammar mistakes.

Speaking of grammar, a professional songwriter who doesn't have the best control of the English language would most surely use TrustMyPaper, Grammarly, or GrabMyEssay to monitor their grammar usage. They don’t sacrifice grammatical rules in the name of composition or just trying to get a song published.

Getting back on topic, if you sell your music and record samples to an artist or a band, you need to be careful. Stay consistent with your practice and always seek opportunities to improve yourself. Never exaggerate your achievements and strive to be the best songwriter you can be.

Professional songwriters experiment. Novices are content with doing the same thing

As a songwriter, you don’t answer to anyone. This means that you can do pretty much anything. A pro songwriter doesn’t hesitate to test the limits of loudness and strangeness. They understand that each note produces a different reaction. So, they investigate the results of trying different techniques to break out of the creative rut. All that starts with getting a good understanding of the conventional boundaries of the style or genre they’re approaching. A songwriter who is just starting out or remains a novice for an extended period is happy duplicating their previous creations and simply change the lyrics. That’s not how you get a winning song.

Ernest Bailey, a professional songwriter affiliated with Studicus, argues that “a good composer gives their work emotional impact and create memorable experiences for listeners. It’s not enough to get your message across. You have to make sure that listeners stay involved from beginning to end.”

Songwriting takes you on a journey. It has its ups and downs, but it’ll take you somewhere.

Remember that it’s important to have a creative vision. It’ll take time to perfect it, which is why you need to be patient. Start small and work with what you have. As you go up in the melody, you’ll know what path to take.

What’s the biggest difference between A pro and a novice songwriter?

Besides inspiration, there are numerous other things that define the songwriting craft. Let’s focus on the perspective or viewpoint. Why? Because it’s the single biggest thing that distinguishes a professional songwriter from a novice. A person who has been working at becoming deeply embedded in the songwriting profession for a long time thinks deeply. They don’t worry about creating perfect songs. All they care about is finding an idea that’s better than anyone else’s.

A pro constantly thinks about writing another song, they study the music industry, strategically choose their demos, and never complain that their music doesn’t get enough attention. The point is that if you’d like to transition from a perpetual novice to a professional, start with changing your mindset.

If you don’t get into the journey with full honesty about what it takes to get from novice to pro, you might never break into the world of professionally-written songs. Change your way of thinking if you don’t want to struggle big time.

BIO Nicole D.Garrison is a content strategist, writer, and contributor at Best Essay Education and a number of platforms for marketing specialists. She is a dedicated and experienced author who pays particular attention to quality research. In her free time, Nicole is a passionate runner and a curious beekeeper. Moreover, she runs her own blog LiveInspiredMagazine.

Disclaimer: Please note that the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Tunedly.