Singer-songwriters sometimes lose focus on filling or expanding their repertoire with well-written, well-arranged, completed songs. If you’re looking to get signed to any type of music deal or just gain exposure for yourself or your band, it’s important to be able to sing your best material from beginning to end at a moment’s notice upon request, either on stage, at a social gathering, or even at a big fiesta–you never know who’s out there listening!

Many singer-songwriters easily gain exposure for their music through impromptu performances in front of someone who knows a friend of a friend of a cousin of an industry insider or executive. Those who aren’t prepared to play their music on request lose out on a bigger chance than they think. Of course, being signed on the spot may not happen, but you can gain a lot of interest from someone connected in the music industry and use that networking to open doors for opportunities.

So make sure you take your acoustic guitar or keyboard setup the next time you attend your best friend’s sister’s barbecue, just in case someone says, “Hey dude, you play music, why don’t you go get your guitar?” Your reply should be, “Why not? I’ll be right back.”.

Then sing and play to your heart’s content, go easy on the wings and ribs, and wow them with these songwriting tips.

The following practice regimen is for singer-songwriters performing with a solo instrument but works just as well as with groups and bands:

1. Make a list of your absolute best songs. If you only have three songs that’s okay, as long as they’re killer songs and they showcase your talent.

2. Once you’ve made the list, take one song at a time, play them from beginning to end and figure out what you can improve in each song. To stay focused and organized, it’s a good idea to write down notes and/or record your performance with some type of portable recorder, or even your home studio setup.

3. When you’re satisfied with one song from start to finish (this could take an hour to several days), move on to the next one. The point is–arrange your songs well and practice each one until you’re satisfied that you’ve gotten the best out of each song.

Remember, as a singer-songwriter, your competition is fierce! Only the best of the best have a chance at making it big or simply developing a fan base in their hometown. Even if you’re super-talented make sure you’re ready to execute great performances at the drop of a hat–people will remember you long enough for you to capitalize on their interest.

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!