Day 1 - Gather Your Supplies - 15 Day Songwriting Challenge

 

Welcome to Day 1 of the 15 Day Songwriting Challenge! If you've never written a song before, you're in the right place! This challenge is a 15 day video course on youtube designed to take you step by step through the process of writing a song. 

If you've never heard of me before, hi, my name is Abby Lyons! I'm a singer-songwriter and youtuber. You can hear my original music here on spotify. I wanted to create this songwriting course because when I was twelve and started writing songs, I had next to no songwriting guidance. I threw myself into the process and learned through a series of trial and error, but it would have been so helpful to have had instruction at the beginning.

Because of that, I designed this challenge with the beginner in mind. In this video series, we'll cover a range of topics, starting with how to come up with topics, all the way to how to know when your song is finished. We'll cover how to write lyrics, chord progressions, melodies, and the different sections of a song. The goal is to have a fully completed song by the end of the 15 days. 

At the end of each video, you'll receive a short assignment and a free template to help you complete it. You can download the free booklet of templates here. If you are a part of my patreon community, you have access to the fully completed songwriting book, which has extra templates, resources, stories, examples, and more in-depth advice.

So enough chatting! Let's get started with day 1! Watch the video below to begin your songwriting journey!

For day 1, your assignment is to gather all the supplies you'll need. Here's a list of all the materials you'll need to acquire: 

• Lyric Notebook: Get a notebook with lined paper for writing lyrics. Make sure to get a physical notebook, rather than using your computer or phone (this helps with the editing process and also limits unwanted distractions). Here is my recommended notebook for lyric writing. I like this notebook because it lies flat and it's inexpensive.
• Recording Device: You'll need some sort of recording device to document your music ideas. You can invest in a Tascam DR-05 or use a voice memo app on your phone.
• Instrument: If your instrument needs some kind of set up, go ahead and do that now. Tune up your ukulele, change the strings on your guitar, or put a nice little lamp on your piano.
• Small Notebook: You'll also need a small notebook or a notebook app on your phone for when you're out on the go, just in case you get struck by any great ideas. If you use a notebook app, I recommend still writing down your ideas in your physical notebook when you return home later.
• Optional Music Notebook: If you read and write music, you may also want to get a music notebook with manuscript paper. Here is an inexpensive option for a music notebook.

Writing a song can be a bit intimidating, especially if you've never done it before! That's why I've created a free template for each video in this course. Since today's assignment is about gathering supplies, I've created a free checklist so you can make sure you get everything you'll need. You can download it below, along with the other templates. 

If you want more in depth guidance on songwriting or even feedback from me on your song, come join my community on patreon! We are a friendly bunch over there.

I'm so excited that you are starting your songwriting journey! The experience of writing a song is always a bit scary at first, but it's so thrilling when you start getting things down on the page. For me it's one of the best feelings out there!

Feel free to throw any questions down below in the comments. Let us know what supplies you've gathered together to write your first song and good luck!! ;)

Abby

I'm Abby Lyons and I love writing songs, singing, playing ukulele, playing piano, and helping you do all that fun music stuff too! Thanks for visiting my blog! :)