Songwriter's Checklist

[jwebbinspired]

I found this article while surfing today. It is a checklist to go over before considering your song "finished" and especially before playing it in public.Although this might appear to be very simple and straight forward, I found it to be a very handy checklist. http://www.ascap.com/nashville/murphy/murphy10.htmlPS I'm a BMI member...and ironically I find all the handy articles on ASCAP... Andy

[southpaw]

Thanks Andy, cool stuff.Pretty basic stuff, but essential info nonetheless. I do wonder if theres a more detailed checklist somewhere? Maybe ill try to compile one at some point.. Anyways, handy stuff!Cheers

[partyofone]

Yeah thanks.. I put together a songwriting checklist and production checklist of basically all the great tips I learned at the Rally. I find myself forgetting to pull it up so I should probably hang it up somewhere in my studio!

[jwebbinspired]

Patrick, Would you be willing to share your checklist? It would be interesting to see what others have on their list.Andy

[matthoggard]

heres my list.1. Do I have enough cigarettes to get me through this next set or session?2. How am I doing on bourbon? Maybe I should get another bottle?3. Make sure its all cranked to 114. Have I forgotten to turn the power on in my studio5. Check the bourbon again.6. Double check list above.

[jwebbinspired]

LOL nice, good list, I'll print that out

[scottyrock]

here is a list I picked up from somewhere that I keep going back to1)adheres to a succesful song structure2)intersting title or idea3)universal theme, not too personal to relat to4)makes the singer look good5)has verse lyrics that clearly lead to title6)contains one focused idea7)evokes one emotion8)uses correct pronouns9detail,detail,detail10)opening line grabs listener11)maintains consistent tone and style throughout12)uses fresh imagery13)sounds conversatrional14)avoids cliches15)is not redundant16)does not preach17)second verse adds new info18)DOESN'T TELL HOW THE SINGER FEELS/MAKES THE LISTENER FEEL IT19)bridge(if needed) adds a new angle20)each line flows logically to the next21)has a title that pays offthese have been a great guideline to keep if my song gets too carried away as art and I need to remember Im trying to communicate to someone not just express myself

[davewalton]

Mar 10, 2009, 8:11am, scottyrock wrote: here is a list I picked up from somewhere that I keep going back to1)adheres to a succesful song structure2)intersting title or idea3)universal theme, not too personal to relat to4)makes the singer look good5)has verse lyrics that clearly lead to title6)contains one focused idea7)evokes one emotion8)uses correct pronouns9detail,detail,detail10)opening line grabs listener11)maintains consistent tone and style throughout12)uses fresh imagery13)sounds conversatrional14)avoids cliches15)is not redundant16)does not preach17)second verse adds new info18)DOESN'T TELL HOW THE SINGER FEELS/MAKES THE LISTENER FEEL IT19)bridge(if needed) adds a new angle20)each line flows logically to the next21)has a title that pays offthese have been a great guideline to keep if my song gets too carried away as art and I need to remember Im trying to communicate to someone not just express myselfThat is a pretty darn good list.. concise and simple enough for anyone to grasp. It's a keeper for me. Thanks for posting!

[hummingbird]

thx 4 this list, very useful.

[ciskokidd]

Feb 21, 2009, 6:10pm, jwebbinspired wrote:I found this article while surfing today. It is a checklist to go over before considering your song "finished" and especially before playing it in public.Although this might appear to be very simple and straight forward, I found it to be a very handy checklist. http://www.ascap.com/nashville/murphy/murphy10.htmlPS I'm a BMI member...and ironically I find all the handy articles on ASCAP... AndyNo kidding! I think the ASCAP website is way better than the BMI site. But hey, I'm BMI all the way now unless there is some major reason to change!Cisko