For singer and songwriter Elizabeth Barnes Music, a passion for music has come naturally since childhood. Of course, this hasn’t made songwriting an easy process. As this Minneapolis, MN-based songwriter has learned while writing her debut album, music has the power to speak to us in a way that words alone can’t — but only with the right craftsmanship. With that in mind, here are a few essential do’s and don’ts of songwriting.

Do:

Be sincere.

It can be easy to focus on trying to write a catchy hook, but you should never neglect the emotional aspect of songwriting. Putting your actual emotions into your lyrics will allow the song to make a powerful connection with your listeners.

Make sure lyrics fit the melody.

Quite often, a melody will pop into a musician’s head long before they come up with the lyrics for a song. Don’t try to twist the melody to fit a lyrical idea — instead, focus on using conversational lyrics that fit the melody. This will make the song much more catchy and memorable.

Don’t:

Use vague language.

When crafting music that will make an emotional connection with your audience, you can’t water things down with vague language. Unfortunately, this can be quite easy to do when starting with a more general concept. For the best results, create a lyrical hook that summarizes the emotions of the story you’re trying to tell. 

Rely on chords alone.

Finding a good chord progression is a strong start — but no talented songwriter is content to let the chords carry the song. This is your foundation. Use it as a baseline to build a melody and craft meaningful lyrics. Otherwise, your song won’t stand out.

As you use these essential do’s and don’ts to create emotionally compelling songs, you’ll be able to create beautiful, memorable music —just like Elizabeth Barnes Music. Drawing from her own experiences with love and loss, she is excited to share her new album IVever Adorer, with the world. Several singles are available now, and you can follow her on social media for the latest updates.