Episode 15:

Song Mapping

Ever wonder why certain songs have more impact on the listeners than others? Ever get stuck in the middle of the writing process and you're not sure where to take your song next? Maybe you've got a great title or hook and you've started the first verse, and then you hit the second verse and there's immediate writer's block. Or maybe you're still new to songwriting and aren't sure about how to get started with putting your ideas into song form.

I've definitely found myself in all those situations before. In Episode 15 we talk through a specific songwriting tool that has helped me personally when I've faced those types of writing challenges. The tool is "Song Mapping,"  essentially viewing your pieces from the listener's perspective and building out the structure of your song based on how the listener is moving through the piece. We talk through the process of mapping out a song using a recent example where I was helping out a songwriting buddy of mine with one of his songs. This episode is more nuts and bolts songwriting than some of the more recent ones, but I do think the concepts we talk about today can be applied to other art media. 

If you are an artist looking for techniques to help you in your creative process, this episode is for you!

For more info on song mapping I recommend the books "Writing Better Lyrics" by Pat Pattison and  "Song Maps" by Simon Hawkins. These where I was introduced to these types of writing tools. Links below

Writing Better Lyrics:

https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2HG99TW9CHQBN&

Song Maps: 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1533592616/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

The Honest Songwriter Podcast is 15-20 minutes of regular, open conversation about songwriting, what it's like to be a songwriter, and how to keep improving at the craft of songwriting.