This document provides 14 tips for learning how to write songs, with many recommendations to visit Nashville, Tennessee. Some key tips include getting involved with the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), scheduling co-writes with other songwriters, studying the lyrics of well-written songs, seeking opportunities to visit recording studios, and remembering to pay forward the knowledge gained to help other new songwriters. The author concludes by promoting their fictional book series called "Nashville" that explores the Nashville songwriting community.

1. 14 Ways
to Learn
How to
Write a
Song

2. 1.
Head for Nashville Tennessee.
Nashville is a treasure trove of
information and opportunity. If you
aren’t sure you can yet justify a move
to the city, go for long weekends, get
to know the city and see for yourself
why writers and artists flock here.
Some of the greatest songs ever
written have been written in Nashville.

3. 2.
Go to the Bluebird Café. It is a must
visit for anyone who wants to learn
how to write a song. It’s one of
Nashville’s most well known
listening cafes for talent on the way
up. Songwriters perform rounds
most nights of the week, and many
greats like Garth Brooks and Pam
Tillis got their start there.

4. 3.
Join NSAI. It stands for Nashville
Songwriters Association International.
This is a wonderful organization for
helping you learn the ropes. An
annual membership affords you such
opportunities as Song Camp, a
wonderful long weekend of
songwriting workshops taught by
songwriters who know the business
and have written hit songs.

5. 4.
Get to know other song writers who
are also just starting out on the
songwriting journey. NSAI Song Camp
provides an awesome opportunity for
this. The camp brings in attendees
from all over the country and
sometimes from other countries.

6. 5.
Schedule some co-writes with song
writers you begin to get to know from
your visits to Nashville. Finding writers
who sync with you and your work can
be a bit like dating, sometimes it
works and sometimes, it doesn’t. But
when you find the right fit, the results
can be magical.

7. 6.
Plan to write during your visits to
Nashville, but also schedule writing
appointments via Skype. Skype is an
incredible tool for song writers to meet
up online and get a writing session
started. You can be flexible with
timing, especially if you have a full-
time job and are writing around that.

8. 7.
Study song lyrics. Especially those of
songs you have loved. Great song
lyrics move us, make us feel every
emotion from sadness to elation.

9. 8.
When a song really grabs you, make
a point to disassemble it. Look at the
melody, the structure of the song,
intro, verse, chorus, and bridge.
Looking at the individual parts can
sometimes help us figure out why
something works as a whole.

10. 9.
Enter a songwriting contest. Contests
are often judged by producers,
songwriters and other industry
professionals. This is one way to begin
getting your work noticed.

11. 10.
Read great books on songwriting.
Here are a few highly recommended:
Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison –
The Art of Writing Great Lyrics by
Pamela Phillips Oland – Six Steps to
Songwriting Success by Jason Blume.

12. 11.
Study the careers of successful
songwriters. Think of some of your
favorite songs. Find out who wrote
them. Google the writer and read
what you can about their journey from
new writer status to hit songwriter
status. There is much to be learned
from those who have succeeded.

13. 12.
Write songs that speak to you. Songs
that pull some emotion from you,
whether it’s happiness, humor or
nostalgia. If it makes you feel, it will
make someone else feel as well.

14. 13.
Seek out an opportunity to visit a
recording studio. Nashville is blessed
with more than its fair share. If you
happen to meet and click with a
writer who is planning to record a
demo of a song he or she has written,
ask to tag along so that you can
begin to learn how the process works.

15. 14.
Songwriters in Nashville are known to
be a pay it forward community. Most
are extremely generous with their
talent and experience and are
willing to share what they know with
those just getting started. As you
progress, remember to practice the
art of giving back.

16. I love books and
music. I write both
fiction and song lyrics.
I can usually be
found tinkering with
one or the other. My
love for songwriting
and the Nashville
community led me to
start a fictional series
called, of course,
Nashville. I hope
you’ll check it out.
Inglath Cooper

17. Nashville – Part
One – Ready to
Reach. Buy it at
Amazon.com

18. Nashville – Part
Two – Hammer
and a Song. Buy it
at Amazon.com

19. www.inglathcooper.com