I'm working on songwriting lately, but I often get stuck. I can sometimes be a perfectionist, and I think that's the reason why I tell myself that the song I write isn't good enough, and then I tend to start all over again.
Does anyone know any useful techniques that can help me become a better songwriter?

To avoid getting stuck:

1. Finish the first draft no matter what. Remember that writing is rewriting: songs rarely get written just the way you want them in one shot. "Yesterday" originally had the lyrics, "Scrambled eggs... I've just spilled my breakfast on my legs." So even if you have to write some lines you hate or that sound like nonsense, get it down. You can always fix it later.

2. Don't compare. Don't look at your lyric and think, "Wow, that's not as good as Elvis Costello." (Or whomever is your Songwriter You Most Wish You Were.) If Elvis had looked at his songs and thought, "Man, that sucks compared to Johnny Mercer," he wouldn't have written anything either.

3. Listen to some music you never listen to. Go down to the library and get some zydeco, or gospel choir, or really old bluegrass or something.

Also, read Jimmy Webb's book "Tunesmith." Lots of techniques in there.

Do you play with anyone? Sometimes I'll have something I think is crap, but our bassist won't think so, and we morph it into something I like. A second opinion doesn't hurt.

_________________
-Classic 50's Strat.
-Std. Telecaster.
-Mike Dirnt P-bass.
-Custody of SE Strat.
-Peavey Predator/Dean Evo/Epiphone DR150/Gibson Slide (much older than me).

Rellik Productions Inc.

-Who are you writing your music for? Know your goal.
-Where does inspiration come from?
-Don’t use the same formulas for your songs!
-Listen to music of someone who inspires you to write.
-Some of the most powerful hooks are derived from taking a simple melody and modifying it ever so slightly. Why does that make it powerful? Hooks need to be predictable and not predictable at the same time. If there is a degree of predictability then the listener will be able to relate to the song more quickly. For instance, how many of you have said in your mind, “that would be so cool if this song did this...” and then the song took the same direction you wanted it to go. Immediate satisfaction.

Good luck!

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Ah! Such a relief - and yet so annoying - when someone takes something you have been struggling with for ages and just makes a couple of little adjustments that put it all right. The agony - the ecstasy!

That fella has to get a credit, no matter how tiny you want to believe his contribution was...

- C

Just keep writing crap. Eventually you'll get something good. That's worked for me. Nine out of ten songs I've written are destined for a folder that is opened only to deposit more stuff into. The other one actually turns into something.

Then, record demos of all the crap. Lock it up for a while, and when you're famous, "leak" it to the public.

Picking up a cheap reacording device or program helps too. That way you can listen back or have someone critique it for you, and pick out what you like and dislike.

_________________
-Classic 50's Strat.
-Std. Telecaster.
-Mike Dirnt P-bass.
-Custody of SE Strat.
-Peavey Predator/Dean Evo/Epiphone DR150/Gibson Slide (much older than me).

Rellik Productions Inc.

ah, there are some good inspirations listed here.

let's take a look if I could use them in one or another way.

thanx guys and cheers

Thank you everyone for the advice! I will try my best

I do the same thing. It's sooo annoying.

_________________
"Speak the truth, and speak it ever,
cost it what it will
for he who hides the wrong he did
did the wrong thing still."
-Miss Uel

Usually when I hit a wall, I wait a little while and then come back to it. I never throw anything out, and one of the good things about doing that is that you can look back on what you thought was your best song three years later and realize it was crap. It's through writing tons of crap songs that you improve.

_________________
Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalairdmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckslaird
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I dunno but I divide into parts of the song, But then again I play the instruments in my head at once while doin' it .
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"I just go where the guitar takes me." Angus Young

There are many things to look at when writing songs.When I was 17 I used to sit in my room and try to write an album Thats 30 years ago .My brother found the tape and put it on a cd for me ,it sounded in the vein of Buddy Holly and the Beatles not that I ever had a good voice but everyone I have played it for has told me wow those could have been hits yet at the time I did not think they were very good yet today I do it also reminded me of who I was listening a lot to.So always play your stuff and get peoples opinions .Heres a tip that I learned from the Beatles write outside the box A DAY IN THE LIFE WAS INSPIRED BY A BUNCH OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THE BENEFIT OF MR KITE FROM AN OLD POSTER AND PENNYLANE AND STRAWBERRY FIELDS PLACES PAUL AND JOHN NEW AS KIDS .So it does not always have to be about a girl which is usualy the first thing you write about when first starting out good luck and never give up.

its really helpfull to have someone to play with or a band in these occasions. plus: theres a motivation.

i have notebooks filled with lyrics & no melody for them at all!

I carry a notebook almost everywhere and, anytime I have an idea, no matter how small, it gets written down. The same goes for any guitar bits that float into my head. I'm not really the type to write songs in fifteen minutes; most of mine take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. What usually happens is that I'll have part of a song and take it to band practice. Then the other guitar player will tell me about the sweet chorus he wrote and how he needs verses. More often than not, we stick my bit on his and have a new song.

Good luck!