Getting stuck

[sedge]

Hey Restless ! I Hear you , I think we all do!

Something not been suggested I think

If your missing a chorus or verse or middle, go back, borrow a melody from another song you have written

Transpose of course if needed.
The more out of style or tempo it seems to be - the better , try like mad to make it fit coz it causes the head to inspiringly bend and no doubt lead to a new melody of it's own as it forces the change of words, different notes, bet you

good fun , glad to know not alone!

Sedge

[Casey H]

Also consider collaboration. Lately, more and more I've been showing the songs I'm stuck on to co-writers for new perspective and new ideas.

Best,
Casey

[Kolstad]

It's important to try not to push it, like Bob says. Often when we want things done we push harder, but that just don't work in the creative domain. Instead try to build a habit of writing every day, put stuff aside, write new stuff, just enter the continuity of writing. If those are particularly important to you, make a specific pile. When I put work aside that I'd like to finish soon, my head subconsciously works on it all the time anyway, so keep your notebooks at hand. The good thing about putting things aside, but not completely away, is that it enables you to take time off knowing you haven't lost track of it.

[Restless]

Thanks everyone for all the cool advices! I'll try some of those the next time I get stuck.

[gongchime]

For melodies I haven't seen any book better than Berklee's book on writing popular melodies.

sections should be contrasted so If the chorus starts on the beat then the verse starts off the beat. If the chorus starts on a strong scale tones 1,3,5 then the verse starts on a weaker tone than you started the chorus with. If the chorus ends in a strong rhythmic position such as the third beat of the second measure in a phrase of two bars or the first beat of the fourth measure in a four bar phrase, then the verse ends in a weak position. If the chorus ends on a strong pitch such as the 1,3 or 5 then the verse ends on a weaker pitch. The Beatles also had the idea that if the melody is diatonic then the harmony is chromatic and if the melody is chromatic then the harmony is diatonic. Hope that helps you break out of stuckness. You can also contrast straight and syncopated, flatline and dynamic etc... You could also try spoken word or rap. There's no reason for it to even have a melody if it just isn't supposed to have one.

[eeoo]

If you're a guitar player something I often find useful is throw a capo on and play along in a different position or even better tune to a different tuning (for me that's usually open G or open D) and put a capo on. Somehow this opens my ear, kinda puts me in a different headspace.

eo

[Restless]

A lot of great advices! Thanks! I'm sure they will help other songwriters as well.
I'm gonna add my own advice: I've noticed that sometimes I stop myself from writing songs about painful subjects that I find hard to deal with (or I can't finish the song cause I stop myself from fully going into it). So sometimes the key to writing a great song is letting go of all stops and obstacles and just go with your inner feelings. Don't be afraid of them. The best songs come from a place of pain.

I know sometimes writing is more of an "auto-pilot" for some songs (especially if it's written to fit a certain listing), but I believe that better songs are written from the bottom of the heart.

[Kolstad]

... sometimes the key to writing a great song is letting go of all stops and obstacles and just go with your inner feelings. Don't be afraid of them. The best songs come from a place of pain.

I know sometimes writing is more of an "auto-pilot" for some songs (especially if it's written to fit a certain listing), but I believe that better songs are written from the bottom of the heart.

I believe there's some merit to that, even though imagination also can be as "real". IMO the key is to write from a place where you deal with that pain in some constructive way, though. That way your song doesn't end up like so many dreary old school songs that can't get played on radio anymore, but will contribute with something unique and uplifting as well. I think that's one big change in lyric writing that came out of the 90'ies.

[Restless]

I believe there's some merit to that, even though imagination also can be as "real". IMO the key is to write from a place where you deal with that pain in some constructive way, though. That way your song doesn't end up like so many dreary old school songs that can't get played on radio anymore, but will contribute with something unique and uplifting as well. I think that's one big change in lyric writing that came out of the 90'ies.

I agree.
Writing a song with whiney lyrics just about how miserable you are is obviously not so good imo, but writing a song about how to overcome it/deal with it will appeal to a lot of people and lift them up from tough situations in their life (which is what a lot of people are looking for in music).

[Burt Crow]

I have heard this idea before about how crippling ‘chords’ can be, but no matter how you start if you keep hitting a brick wall you’ve got to mix up your approach.

I think Robin Frederick said in one of the podcast about your first ideas are your ‘habitual’ response & often feels right, but might not necessarily be the ‘best’ your capable of achieving.

By your post I assume you have completed the lyrics for all song sections or are you writing the lyrics/music together then get to the Chorus and ‘choke’?

If it is the first, then try writing the melody first then put the new or altered lyrics to it, if it is the later start by writing the chorus (lyric/melody) first. You say you think your verses are strong – have you considered that they might actually be Chorus to another song?

Take one of the strong verses you have (I’m sure you might need to squeeze it a bit) and turn it into a Ch with the melody you have – then try to create the Vs for this new song.

HTH
Burt