Originally Posted by: snojones

As you put projects together, also play with theory to make changes (key modulations, tempo changes, voice leading, ect) in songs when you write the music part. I am serious that this was the place that theory became tangable to me in a meaningful way... and I get a free refresher every time I play those songs. Make theory more than theoretical abstractions, and have fun doing it.

Yep, Sno got this one on point.

A few other tips going down the road of song writing:

(1) Get some tools, like EZDummer, maybe even a bass (if you don't already have one), a DAW to record with like Reaper, and an interface like something from Focusrite. Yes, there's a few hundred dollars needed to get this stuff but having the tools will be much more fulfilling by being able to make nice, full sounding tracks. An example was something I posted here years ago that was music for a work video (the version I posted wasn't fully mixed but...). I had these tools to be able to render the full track based on what was in my head.

(2) Why number 1 above is important is this; don't try to just write with or for guitar. I've heard a million demos in my day (long ago...) and I can tell that many guitarists write only with the guitar. You say; but that's what I learned to play! Yes, as a tool. But not THE tool.

Thing is, you'll sit there with the first tasty riff you drummed up and then ask yourself; ok, now what do I do? Then you find yourself trying different chords to try to find that next interesting thing only to be underwhelmed. Like Sno said, know some of the theory stuff is good. Know the Circle of Fifths. All good stuff. However, having more than just a guitar as your tools, you start thinking of a bass groove or a drum pattern and now your playing within a song context and not just one riff to the next riff change.

Learn how to orchestrate these tools in your writing. I'd posted another work song thing here (a different one) but I did it all with Apple Loops within Garageband (I've been a Mac guy for a while now). It's was just a bunch of different loops I assembled from a drum patterns, a bass line, Guitar riff and even a little organy stuff. I did not write any of it but I did build it as an 'orchestration'. I was all little pieces that I built in to a short 'song'. It did turn out kinda cool. The lesson here is that I was literally building a song by pieces but it helps me listen to what was needed to make it interesting.

(3) Learn how to record and mix. Learn things like Gain Staging (the amount of input) and what makes for good recording practices. I used to follow the Recording Revolution years ago and there were a lot of tips on these things. You don't want to have something good but ultimately sound bad.

It's good to know things like how to get guitars to sound nice and 'wide' in the stereo field (the trick is to record the same riff/part twice but pan each track left and right). Also learning the power of EQ and know where to cut frequencies for each instrument and overall mix. Stuff like that.

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You may already know some of this stuff but I thought I'd post it. Song writing can be fun and rewarding but these are some things I've found useful and the little bit of work I have done.