Previously we’ve discussed some very concrete steps you can take to start writing songs on the guitar.
This topic involves something very un-concrete and un-structured. In fact it’s fairly abstract, but it also may be the most important. It has to do with doing nothing! That’s right, allowing yourself time to sit with your guitar and do nothing but whatever comes out. Right or wrong, good or bad, pure gold or pure crap!
We are talking about setting aside moments to grab your guitar and just “doodle”.
It is in these moments of unrestricted doodle time – when the internal editor is turned off, and you are free to let your fingers drift where they may – that moments of supreme inspiration can occur.
It’s often said that the best songs, some of the biggest hits in modern history, happened fast when they were written. Read interviews with the writers of some of the mega hits throughout the years – and one common theme is that many of them came out in a moment of inspiration and were completed in less than an hour!
This is often the result of “doodle” time, allowing yourself to become totally uninhibited on the guitar and let the subconscious shine through. The trick is to “empty your mind” and not go into a “doodle” session with any expectations. Don’t tell yourself, “I’m going to sit down and write a great song”.
Go at it more from the approach of un-focused freedom. Play around with various chord combinations, or come up with new chords you’ve never played before. Sing some random melodies over random chords. Just let it roll out without trying to force an idea to come together on the spot.
In these sessions, it’s a good idea to keep a recorder of some sort handy. I have a small, hand-held cassette recorder and boxes of tapes that have accumulated over the years. All with little snippets of ideas that I have laid down in numerous “doodle” sessions. Many of these have turned into songs.
So at the next opportunity, when you have a few minutes to break out your guitar, allow yourself time to “doodle” a bit. Find a quiet place and clear your head of the anxieties of the day, and simply let your fingers dance where they want to. You may be amazed when a tiny little bit of un-forced inspiration emerges to become your next hit song!
Good luck with your writing!
