A very common question for every beginner guitarist:

How do I find musical ideas? How do I write music?
Not an easy question to answer I would say!

One of the challenges all musicians have is finding ideas for music. When you are creating original music it is important to have steady stream of inspiration. It is important to note that people can find inspiration from many differing things depending on their personality.

Living your life is the best source of material for songs. Try and be aware of everything around you. Take notes about people and situations you experience, documenting your reactions to them. Your own reactions are important because personal songs are often the best and easiest to write for many musicians.

Another tool that can be very useful when writing a song is to put yourself in someone else’s shoes or situation. If you find yourself stuck in a rut then this can also be a good way to change your style of writing.

When it comes to writing music it is important to try and develop you musicianship. New skills are like doorways to new songs. Many times you will learn a new technique and a whole song can be built around that. For this reason it is important to always be on the lookout for new skills and ideas.

One of the best ways to pick up the new skills is to learn other musician’s techniques. When you see one of your musician friends playing something interesting try and learn it. This does not mean you should rip off another person’s song, however use those musical ideas to inspire you.

Becoming proficient at your instrument will make it a lot simpler to think of good ideas for your songs.

Melodies are all inside you and they don’t have to be complex. When you are singing to yourself in the shower remember that even the simplest three note melodies have the potential to become songs.

You can find ideas for music and lyrics all around you. Don’t be afraid to open your mind and come up with new and interesting concepts. Experiment with your song and music writing until you create something that you believe in and that is fun to play. And be sure to let me know how your writing is going!

Learn more about Dan Orr on his Google profile.