Nashville singer/songwriter Sarah Harralson shared her single “The Chance” with us back in June. The message was fantastic and it’s evident that she takes her time with songwriting and enjoys the process.
Today she celebrates the release of a brand new version of one of the tracks from her 2019 full length album, “Love on Lease”.
In honor of the track’s release she’s been kind enough to share some of her songwriting tips for anyone who may be experiencing writer’s block:
*All of the following is written by Sarah Harralson
What Are You Feeling?
I always have a running list of titles, ideas, or hooks in my phone. But it typically depends on what my mood is when I’m writing for what I will want to write about. If you’re writing with another person, you can always have them offer their own song ideas. Either way, it’s important to start the songwriting process with a concept. If I’m not liking any of my ideas, I will usually write from a songwriting prompt or even find inspiration from literature. Check out Jeff Tweedy’s book, How to Write One Song, if you are needing inspiration ideas.
Song Mapping
For me, sometimes a melody is already flowing before I have an idea of what I want laid out in the song. But before or after you have a melody in mind, it’s important to lay out a song mapping, or concept mapping, of what you want to say in your song. I typically will write out elements of what I want the backstory to be in the verses, and anything that would work with the hook in the chorus, and then carefully craft my lyrics once I know what my basis is.
Play With a Melody
I’m definitely the kind of writer that needs a melody going before I can start structuring and spitting out lyrics. Melodies set the tone of a song and help with syllable structure. Pick up an instrument or create a loop, and see what you come up with. Sometimes I like to play chord progressions I don’t normally play to break barriers.
Make it Flow
By this point, you should have your melody and majority of the lyrics laid out. Check every line to make sure they feel right. Do you have a rhyme scheme and does it work? Do the lyrics paint a picture in a unique way? Can you say something in a better way?
Look it Over and Record a Worktape
Make any additional tweaks and edits in your lyrics and melody. Once you feel the song is completed, it’s time to create a worktape. This can be done just recording a guitar/vocal into your voice memos on your phone. I usually sit on a worktape for a few days or weeks before I record a demo to see if the song feels right and needs any additional edits.
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