Catching Lightening in a Bottle

A fleeting lyrical idea that walks into your mind for two seconds or grasping at the melody that wakes you up at 2:47 a.m.can be like trying to catch a bullet in mid air while standing on a watermelon. Once we do catch that lightening in a bottle it's an addictive and productive strategy for writing some great songs. Below are 5 strategies to create the lightening, get closer to the lightening and simply bottle up that lightening when it does strike! (and yes when I say lightening I mean write the best dam song you possibly can!)

1. Take a walk - For me a walk is always a great way to discover an idea, churn and "slow cook" it in your head, give your songwriting mind a well needed break or snap a writers block. Walking is very meditative, healthy for the mind, body and spirit and something us humans were designed to do from day zero.

2. Chunk it out on the piano - The piano is a very black and white and linear musical instrument. Even if you can learn a few basic chords and key signatures (The key of C is all the white keys) tapping out your melody on the piano allows you to literally "see" the melody and music with your eyes. It's very easy to visualize the possibilities of where a melody or harmony can go when playing the piano.

3. Don’t think about it - There have been numerous stories and examples from NASA engineers to successful entrepreneurs saying their most creative ideas and eureka moments came when they were not focusing on the problem itself. The unconscious mind is always working for us and it helps to nudge your mind to think in a different direction and to restructure the mental challenge that represents the problem. A wandering mind connects the creative challenges we’re tackling with what we experience and let’s the lightening ideas connect.

4. Authentic conversations with other humans - Simply having a good, healthy, meaningful, genuine conversation with other people that are about real subjects and topics. During these conversations always have your song radar on listening for "hook lines", unique song ideas, repetitive words or themes, contrasts and opposites, phrases that "roll" off the tongue, subjects that will translate to a large audience and phrases that make you smile, laugh or go "Hmmmm".

5. Jump on it and hold it - What I mean by this is when that "lightening bolt" idea does strike you STOP everything and write it down, record it in your phone, email yourself, or whatever you have to do to catch the bullet!

Best of luck in catching lightening and sometimes we have to learn to hold and dance with the lightening before we can catch it.

Stay in tune and stay in touch.

Kent