![279513999_123874366923237_8254239369348616105_n.jpg](https://images.ecency.com/DQmbuUi6TRR19rBXRG7MFE8vHrbZVosipUaEhhetCiVjP3t/279513999_123874366923237_8254239369348616105_n.jpg)



To a musician starting out, it seems like songwriting is supposed to be shrouded in mystery, like this closely guarded secret, almost like the magician's code, but I'm going to help you, those of you that are keen to learn, to understand the fundamentals and to realise that to be a good songwriter, you're going to need to be mutable! 

I did take a reeeeeeeeeeaaaaally long break in between, but I've been writing music for close on 22 years now. And let me tell you, there's nothing more exciting for me than helping other musicians out and collaborating.

There IS theoretically a "science" or "mathematical formula"  behind it and many exercises and rules you can follow (which I will share later), but like with all art, things don't always turn out the way you plan and inspiration can strike at any time.

This is the 1st song I ever wrote: at the ripe old age of 13! I wrote a post and put the video up here a few days ago. I wrote this song from scratch. The chords came first (the middle part, anyway) and then the rest kind of grew like a spiders web.
[Meant 2 B](https://www.ecency.com/music/@clairemobey/meant-2b-an-original-song)

As a performing artist, I do things all different ways, depending on what I'm doing and if it's for myself or if I'm collaborating. It can sometimes feel like a chicken and the egg story, and sometimes it's not clear what should come 1st: The music or the lyrics!

 When inspiration strikes, you can basically work it either way, if you've got a good ear, and a knack for putting these things together.

If I'm writing for myself, sometimes a set of lyrics will pop into my head while I'm on the loo, or driving in my car, or in the middle of maths homework with my son, and it's quite something to grab onto those phrases and try hold them in your mind, so I recommend you have a notepad or your phone handy, so you can scribble these crib notes down, before they disappear like memories of dreams as you wake up.

![135096583_10159562043585961_3307212201952077316_n.jpg](https://images.ecency.com/DQmYXKRcqt7XcmSFbYn289Ry3pxUHfhFijm6hUGPGt5FbA4/135096583_10159562043585961_3307212201952077316_n.jpg)

Sometimes, I'll be jamming on my guitar, fooling around with chords, and I'll hear a sequence that I like. I almost always have my song file handy, any time I have my guitar out, specifically for this reason, so I can jott them down and start building around it.

The idea is then at some stage, theoretically (and sometimes this can take years) you'll realise that a certain scribble of lyrics and a certain chord sequence are suddenly a perfect match together, and a song is born!

![img_20210810_164912.jpg](https://images.ecency.com/DQmYiQCuRjpUnphAqNJA91TTHNDdvmaed4qtkam2oAMEhrL/img_20210810_164912.jpg)

Sometimes, time is not a luxury for me and for many artists who have deadlines and albums to finish, so we need a bit of outside help, and that's where collaboration comes in! 

**You dont have to do everything yourself**

Here's an example of a time where a DJ gave me a backtrack to work with and I created the lyrics and arranged the vocals around it:
[One Last Time ( Embalm)](https://www.ecency.com/hive-193816/@clairemobey/tyjuithg)

Some people are lucky and are blessed with songwriting, performing, instrument playing and production skills, but most of us will be good at one or two of those things and suck at the others. Ok, maybe suck is a strong words, but it's a relief to know that you don;t actually need to do it all alone. Even if you're broke (like most artists).

![img_20210814_144725.jpg](https://images.ecency.com/DQmTWdWttLWCrUfRvM4vN5cUT94GjA47Y3mXKn2QaxuiYcX/img_20210814_144725.jpg)

You need to start somewhere though, so start jamming, record using whatever you have, even if it's your cellphone and use whatever means you can to connect with other musicians.

The internet is a weird and crazy place, so check people out as much as possible when they reach out in response to your content, but also realise that these connections are gold, and if your dream is to compose  and perform your own songs, these connections will be your key.

Sometimes you'll provide them with lyrics, sometimes they'll provide you with song files and guitar riffs, but magic happens when we work together. There are so many told out there, especially since Covid hit, that help artists collaborate - from all over the globe.

Here's my latest song,which I even made the music video for, but the musical arrangement wouldn't have been possible without @JasperDick 
[A Song of Hope](https://www.ecency.com/music/@clairemobey/a-story-of-hope-the)

Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions or ideas I can include in future chapters. I hope you enjoy this journey with me!