Become a songwriter who never
lets a great idea get away?

I've heard fishermen talk about "the one that got away". Usually, this fish was huge, strong and smart... too smart to be caught.

Have you ever had a great song "get away"? More times than I can count - I've had great ideas that should have been recorded, but I was in the car, asleep, or doing something that wouldn't allow me to record it.

So how do you become a songwriter that HEARS it, TRANSLATES it and RECORDS it before you lose the magic.

It's a sure sign that you've become a songwriter when you dream about songs. You're snoring away while hearing the perfect hook, beautiful verses and bridge... only to wake up and mumble, "I'll write it down in the morning".

It won't happen.

It can't happen.

Elvis has left the building and he took the inspiration with him.

One of the main reasons for owning your own recording gear is to be able to capture an idea while it is hot. There is a vibe that can't be recreated the next day... sometimes even the next hour!

If you hope to become a songwriter of memorable and inspired tunes, you should consider purchasing a recording setup for your home. It is worth the money and learning curve.

In addition to learning from your own recordings, you'll have the best tool possible for grabbing the emotion AND mechanics (rhythm, melody and harmony) of your idea while it is fresh.

True inspiration is needed to become a songwriter. Yes, sweat and work will be needed since there are no short-cuts to developing and improving your craft.

But, occasionally you'll be given a song, a gift out of nowhere... and you can either grab it and run with it. Or only hope to remember it later.

I have shown up at people's homes before, only to say, "I'm sorry...but I've got to write this down before I lose it." They laugh, but they understand.

Inspiration can come at the most inconvenient times.

Here are some strategies to help you become a songwriter that can HEAR the elements of a new song, use music theory to UNDERSTAND what it is, and CAPTURE it before it gets away.

1. You must FIGURE OUT THE BASIC GROOVE of what you're hearing.

It will either be 8th, 16th or triplet feel.This affects every part of your musical idea.

(Check out Rhythm Without the Blues for better understanding of these different feels.)

2. Think of a SIMILAR SONG for REFERENCE.

Think of a song you like that has this same feel, or at least close to it. If possible, replay it in your mind and try to sum up what the drums, bass and guitar are doing.

Usually, the entire rhythm section is doing something that delivers a lot of the groove and mood you like.

This seems like a lot of time and work, but actually it takes seconds or minutes at the most. You are just trying to latch on to a song that you can reference IF YOU LOSE YOUR IDEA.

3. FIND THE MELODY.

You have to "find the notes" you hear. This is also known as hunting and pecking.

If you're an experienced player, this comes easy. Even basic knowledge of music theory can really help now. Major and minor scales help you understand melodies AND the chords that go with them.

Finding the melody will help do several things for you:

4. ESTABLISH THE KEY SIGNATURE.

Yes, your music lessons can pay off.Those scales might help you become a songwriter.

If you spend 30 minutes trying to figure out the mechanics of your song, you can easily lose it. Go ahead and get some basic understanding of theory.

(Click here to go to Power Tools: Principles of Music Theory .)

You will also begin to...

5. RECOGNIZE CHORD PROGRESSIONS.

It may just be a 1-chord groove. Or, you might find some interesting variations and substitutions.

In Western music, you've only got 11 notes to worry about... and the chord possibilities have been labeled pretty thoroughly. It's okay to call it what it is.

You haven't "sold out" if you aren't spending days searching unknown frontiers of space to figure out what you're playing.

6. DON'T WAIT TOO LONG TO HIT "RECORD".

(If you do not have recording gear, read on!)

Be careful. It is easy to have your original idea get lost in the excitement of creativity. That's OK too, but you can evolve out of what you originally heard and lose it forever.

The goal here is to capture the essence of your idea. It is not to become a songwriter that records hit songs in 1 "take". You can rewrite later.

If you've only got the HOOK... or just a phrase, don't worry. Press "record" and play/sing it. If you don't play an instrument, just sing it a cappella.

7. DON'T BE A PERFECTIONIST.

If you're experienced with the playing and recording, you can capture some great grooves and feels pretty quickly. If not, just try to get down the essence of what you're hearing.

Go for the VIBE of it... Be honest and raw. This probably will never be heard by anybody but you. So just relax, breathe deep and let it rip: even with wrong chords and sour notes.

As you can see, I am pushing you to grow as a musician. Wouldn't it empower you to hear something in your head, recognize what it is, and instantly write it down?

Think of the time you'll save. The ideas you would keep. And the usefulness of having your songs charted - by you!

I believe most anybody can become a songwriter with a little talent and perseverance. But great songwriters seem to find the magic that goes beyond theory, form and technology.

They start with an inspiration that gets translated from heart to hands. What the artist originally "heard" in imagination is captured and shared with the rest of us.

I hope these ideas help you in your journey to become a songwriter that hears it, grabs it and shows it to the rest of us.