How to Become a Singer-Songwriter
How many young people haven’t dreamed of being on a stool on center stage with nothing but a guitar and a voice, singing their own masterpieces and receiving thunderous applause from their fans?
Although it’s difficult, I assure you it’s not impossible. You’ve heard this all before–it takes perseverance, dedication, and little bit of luck. Yeah, yeah, but how can a young songwriter take the steps to get there–put simply–how does one start this journey of becoming a singer-songwriter?
Studies show it’s best to start at an early age but it’s not a requirement. The following are tips to help an aspiring singer-songwriter get started and learn quickly so they can be playing their own songs proudly in front of an audience in no time flat:
1. Choose which instrument you want to accompany your voice and songs with–either an acoustic guitar or piano/keyboard. Acoustic guitar is the popular choice here because of the intimate, personal sound it gives, but the keyboard also opens up a world of possibilities because it’s more versatile as far as playing songs, bringing different colors to your songs, and being able to play bass notes in all keys.
The best tip here is to pick an instrument played by an artist you want to emulate, and you can’t go wrong. Either way, once you master one instrument, you’ll probably want to learn the other like many other artists.
2. To learn either guitar or piano/keyboard quickly, find the chords used in one of your favorite songs, and practice by slowly switching from one chord shape to the next until you’re comfortable, and you’ll find your fingers landing on the right chords with ease, and before long, you’ll be able to play the song from beginning to end.
The trick here is to take one song at a time and build your chops with every song. This is the easiest way to learn an instrument because your favorite songs will give you all the motivation you need, and the chords you learn will inspire your own songwriting.
3. Next, use the easiest free beginner songwriting guide on the web, at Beginner Songwriting Tips To Get You Hooked.
Sounds simple, huh? Nothing is easy, but if you put forth decent effort you’ll be surprised at how fast you can actually become the toast of your town–err, well maybe your neighborhood or block for now!
