Songwriting Exercises

Welcome to the most ridiculous productivity party your creativity has ever crashed. If your brain currently resembles a tumbleweed inside a broken synth, you are in the right place. This guide gives you practical, timed, and slightly offensive drills to beat writer block, sharpen lyrics, invent melodies, and build hooks that actually stick. Every drill comes with an explanation for musicians who do not want to read a textbook, plus real life examples so you know when to use each exercise.

We write for humans who make music between shifts, between texts, and between existential crises. Each exercise is designed to be repeatable, measurable, and mildly humiliating in a way that produces results. If your songs have been polite and forgettable, these workouts will teach them to steal the table at the bar and not apologize.

Why Songwriting Exercises Actually Work

Exercises force constraints and constraints force decisions. When you limit time or words or notes, your brain stops arguing with itself and starts shipping. Here is the science that matters. Repetition builds pattern recognition. Timed drills build momentum. Specific tasks train the parts of your creative muscle you actually use when writing songs. That means faster finished drafts and fewer drafts that live forever in a folder called drafts that smell like regret.

Also creativity likes friction. If you give it infinite options it will pick none. If you give it two chords and a rubber chicken, it will choose a direction and then make something weird and honest. We will show you how to pick the right weirdness for the job.

How to Use This Guide

Read whichever section hurts the most then do the drills. Each exercise includes a time target. If you are pressed for time pick five minute drills and repeat them daily. If you have studio time use the longer drills and record everything. Recordings are your friend when you hate a line tomorrow but will miss it in two weeks when it becomes obvious it was the only good idea you had all month.

We will explain terms and acronyms as we go. For example DAW means digital audio workstation. That is the program you record in like Ableton Live Logic Pro or FL Studio. If you do not use a DAW these exercises still work with a phone voice memo app. We endorse low stakes tech over overpriced perfectionism every day.

Warm Up Drills

Start every session with a warm up. Yes this is annoying. No your voice will not thank you immediately. Do it anyway. Warm ups align the physical instrument and the mental instrument. The vocal warm up takes one extra minute and saves you from recording the same weak chorus ten times with slightly different regret energy.

Two Minute Vowel Pass

What it trains

• Melodic ideas
• Singability
• Vowel shapes for high notes

How to do it

1. Set a timer for two minutes. Play a simple two chord loop. If you do not have chords use a metronome at eighty BPM.
2. Sing only on vowels. Use ah oh ee oo. No words. No explaining yourself.
3. Mark or record any moments that feel like repeatingable phrases.

Real life scenario

You have a coffee and twenty minutes. Do the vowel pass. You will leave with two or three melodic gestures that can become hooks. If a busker asks how you wrote it tell them you borrowed it from a vowel and a bad mood.

One Minute Rhythm Tap

What it trains

• Lyric phrasing awareness
• Syllable economy

How to do it

1. Set a timer for one minute.
2. Clap or tap a steady beat. Count four.
3. Speak a phrase in time with the beat so the natural stresses land on strong beats.

Real life scenario

Use this on a noisy subway ride. Make people glance. That glance is motivation.

Lyric Focused Exercises

Words are the glue that holds a song to a listener. These exercises make your lyrics less vague and more like a film scene. Replace broad statements with objects behavior time and smell. Specificity is the fast track to honesty.

Object Drill

What it trains

• Concrete imagery
• Showing not telling

How to do it

1. Pick the nearest object. It can be a scratched mug a phone charger or a plant you are ignoring.
2. Write four lines where the object performs an action in each line. Ten minutes.

Example

Object

: chipped mug

Lines

:

• The chipped mug hides my lipstick like it is guilty.
• I pour coffee so bitter it apologizes for existing.
• It listens while I argue with my reflection.
• When I leave the mug keeps the heat a little longer than I do.

Real life scenario

When you are angry at someone and do not want to text them write about a mug. The mug will not reply and you will have better lyrics after you stop being dramatic into the void.

Time Crumb Drill

What it trains

• Sense of place and moment
• Emotional context

How to do it

1. Write a chorus that includes a specific time of day and a day of the week.
2. Make the time matter. Use it as a character not a label.

Example

Chorus

:

It was nine fifteen on a Tuesday that smelled like rain. I left your sweater on the radiator and pretended it was warm enough for both of us.

Real life scenario

This drill works if you are trying to make a memory feel immediate. If your song is about a breakup a Wednesday afternoon will communicate different energy than a red eyed Saturday morning.

Dialogue Drill

What it trains

• Conversational lyrics
• Hooks that sound like text messages

How to do it

1. Set a five minute timer.
2. Write two lines alternating between two voices. Keep it natural like text messages.

Example

• You: I am at the corner we said we would never meet at.
• Them: I left my umbrella in your car and I kept it because it fits my hands.

Real life scenario

Use this when you want a chorus that could be screenshotted and posted with a sad latte. The best pop lines read like something someone would send at 2 am and then regret for three years.

Melody Drills

Melody is where your sentence becomes singable. These drills will push you to make memorable contours and memorable intervals. Remember that comfort equals singability. If your melody requires a yoga class to hit it restrain the ambition.

Leap Then Settle

What it trains

• Dramatic top notes
• Singable resolution

How to do it

1. Pick a four bar phrase. In bar three make a melodic leap of a third or a fifth.
2. In the next two bars resolve by stepwise motion. Record and compare the feel.

Real life scenario

Use this for chorus titles. That leap will feel like the lyric is putting on sunglasses and walking into the room.

Vowel Shape Test

What it trains

• Singability on high notes
• Prosody and phrasing

How to do it

1. Sing your chorus on the vowel ah then on ee then on oh. Which vowel feels easiest on the highest note? Choose that vowel for important words.

Real life scenario

If your final chorus is shredding your larynx after the second take change the vowel. Your voice will forgive you and the crowd will not notice the swap unless they are rude music critics who smell like old stage smoke.

Harmony and Chord Workouts

Harmony is the mood lighting. These short drills will help you decide when to keep the lights warm or switch them to dramatic police interrogation blue.

Four Chord Loop Variations

What it trains

• Chord movement and bass patterns
• Finding the best place for a hook

How to do it

1. Pick a four chord progression. Play it for two minutes. Change only the bass note on the second pass. Change only the rhythm on the third pass.

Real life scenario

This is the go to when you need a feel quickly for a pop chorus. Change the bass and the whole thing suddenly has attitude without rewriting your life choices.

Borrow a Chord

What it trains

• Modal contrast
• Emotional lift

How to do it

1. Play a simple progression in a major key. Insert one chord borrowed from the parallel minor. Notice the unexpected emotion.

Example

Key of C major. Progression C G Am F. Borrow an Ab from C minor for one bar before returning to C. The small change makes the chorus feel dangerous then safe again.

Real life scenario

Use this trick if your chorus needs a moment that says I am telling you a secret without getting legal about it.

Rhythm and Groove Drills

Rhythm gives your lyrics a place to breathe. These exercises are rhythm first. If your words feel off beat this is the section that will solve that problem while making your producer nod like they are in a trance.

Syncopation Swap

What it trains

• Pushing phrases off the beat for interest
• Breaking monotony

How to do it

1. Take a four bar verse phrase. Move one strong syllable to an off beat. Repeat and record the difference.

Real life scenario

If your track is too polite to get noticed at a playlist audition use this to make the vocal bounce a little. The listener will feel the groove even if they cannot name why it hooked them.

Clap Back

What it trains

• Groove intuition
• Phrasing resilience

How to do it

1. Record your vocal line. Remove all instruments. Clap the rhythm back while humming the melody. This reveals weak spots and gives you ideas for syncopation and rests.

Real life scenario

Run this in a rehearsal room that smells like old pizza. The clap will cut through the haze and show you where the song needs to breathe.

Structure and Form Drills

Song structure is a promise to the listener. These drills make sure you deliver payoffs on time and not in a dramatic monologue forty seconds before the end.

One Page Map

What it trains

• Timing of hooks
• Section contrast

How to do it

1. Write a one page plan that lists sections with timestamps. Aim for the first hook within the first minute.

Real life scenario

Use this when you have studio time booked and no more excuses. Producers love this. It prevents you from spending three hours on the intro that will be cut for streaming.

Contrast Swap

What it trains

• Dynamic control
• Arrangement decisions

How to do it

1. Pick a verse and chorus. Change three elements between them such as dynamics lyric density and melody range. Make the chorus feel like a lift when it hits.

Real life scenario

Perfect for cleaning up choruses that do not feel different enough. Your listener needs the chorus to feel like a window opening not a slightly louder suggestion.

Collaboration Exercises

Songwriting is often less lonely with a partner and more effective if the partner is not a gossiping goldfish. These exercises shape quick co writes and prevent endless negotiation.

Yes And Layer

What it trains

• Agreement momentum
• Rapid idea stacking

How to do it

1. One writer sings or says a line. The other responds by adding a line that accepts and builds on it. Keep the flow. Ten minutes max.

Real life scenario

This is perfect for writers who argue with every note. Saying yes will save time and produce material you can edit later. Editing is cheaper than stalling.

Role Swap

What it trains

• Perspective
• Challenge to default habits

How to do it

1. Split roles. One person writes melody the other writes lyrics. Switch after twenty minutes.

Real life scenario

If you always start with words try letting someone else name the tune. You will be surprised how often a melody corrects the lyric problem before you even see it.

Workflow and Finishing Drills

Songs do not finish themselves. They need a dictator who cares about clarity and hates dithering. These drills force closure and create recordable drafts quickly.

The One Change Rule

What it trains

• Editing precision
• Decision making

How to do it

1. When revising a draft make only one change per pass. Repeat until you cannot improve without changing the song into a different song. Then stop.

Real life scenario

Use this when you have an album deadline or a mood that must be captured now. This rule prevents you from mutilating a good take by trying to perfect everything at once.

Demo Quickly

What it trains

• Prioritizing vocal clarity
• Creating a pitchable version

How to do it

1. Record a clean vocal over a simple arrangement. Do not bother with perfect ads
2. Export and label with date and version number.

Real life scenario

Send this demo to collaborators or publishers. Clear demos are more likely to get feedback and less likely to get ignored while a better produced version is still imaginary.

Fifty Drills You Can Steal Right Now

We promised specifics. Here are fifty exercises with time targets. Pick five and do them back to back.

1. Two minute vowel pass. Time 2 minutes.
2. One minute rhythm tap. Time 1 minute.
3. Object drill four lines. Time 10 minutes.
4. Time crumb chorus. Time 15 minutes.
5. Dialogue drill. Time 5 minutes.
6. Leap then settle melody. Time 10 minutes.
7. Vowel shape test on chorus. Time 5 minutes.
8. Four chord loop bass change. Time 10 minutes.
9. Borrow a chord for one bar. Time 5 minutes.
10. Clap back on isolated vocal. Time 10 minutes.
11. Syncopation swap for verse. Time 10 minutes.
12. Write a chorus using only five words. Time 10 minutes.
13. Write a verse that never uses the word love. Time 15 minutes.
14. Record a one take demo. Time 20 minutes.
15. One page map with timestamps. Time 15 minutes.
16. Contrast swap between verse and chorus. Time 20 minutes.
17. Yes and layer co write. Time 20 minutes.
18. Role swap co write. Time 20 minutes.
19. Object list of ten items for a character. Time 10 minutes.
20. Write a bridge that contradicts the chorus. Time 20 minutes.
21. Find a hook by humming on a train. Time 10 minutes.
22. Write a post chorus chant of three words. Time 10 minutes.
23. Replace every abstract word in a verse with a concrete image. Time 15 minutes.
24. Cut a verse in half and rewrite. Time 15 minutes.
25. Write three alternate titles and choose one. Time 10 minutes.
26. Record five funny ad libs and keep the best two. Time 10 minutes.
27. Write a chorus that doubles as a tweet. Time 10 minutes.
28. Write a verse from another person perspective. Time 15 minutes.
29. Write a chorus without using the title word. Time 10 minutes.
30. Write a melody with steps only no leaps. Time 15 minutes.
31. Write a melody with one big leap in the middle. Time 15 minutes.
32. Write a hook with only one vowel repeated. Time 10 minutes.
33. Sing a line as a whisper then as a belt. Time 10 minutes.
34. Write a chorus in 90 seconds while standing up. Time 90 seconds.
35. Write a chorus in 3 minutes while lying down. Time 3 minutes.
36. Write a verse that contains a camera shot for each line. Time 20 minutes.
37. Write an answer song line that responds to a popular chorus. Time 20 minutes.
38. Create a chord progression by playing random major and minor shapes. Time 15 minutes.
39. Write a melody then write lyrics to the melody only using monosyllabic words. Time 20 minutes.
40. Translate a poem into a chorus. Time 20 minutes.
41. Find a hook from a conversation you overheard and make it singable. Time 15 minutes.
42. Write a chorus that starts quiet and ends loud in three lines. Time 15 minutes.
43. Take a sad idea and make it sarcastic. Time 15 minutes.
44. Take a happy idea and destabilize it with a small dark image. Time 15 minutes.
45. Write a chorus with an unresolved chord at the end. Time 10 minutes.
46. Write an entire song map in 30 minutes using the one page map. Time 30 minutes.
47. Do the one change rule edit pass on a draft. Time 20 minutes each pass.
48. Record a demo and send it to one person asking a single question. Time 10 minutes.

Diagnostics and Editing Drills

Once you have material these drills help you refine without destroying the vibe.

Crime Scene Edit

What it trains

• Removing fluff
• Clarifying images

How to do it

1. Underline all abstract words like lonely broken and healed. Replace with a concrete image.
2. Find the time or place clue. If none exists add one.
3. Replace being verbs with active verbs where possible.

Real life scenario

Use this before you call a song finished. It turns bland into cinematic fast.

Prosody Read

What it trains

• Stress alignment
• Smooth singing lines

How to do it

1. Speak every line naturally and mark the stressed syllables.
2. Make sure stressed syllables land on strong beats. If they do not rewrite or move the melody.

Real life scenario

This stops you from recording a chorus that feels off even though it looks perfect on paper.

Practice Plan: 30 Days to Better Songs

You do not need to do every drill. Pick one warm up and three drills per session. Alternate lyric melody and production days. Here is a template you can steal and adapt.

1. Day 1 Warm up plus object drill and vowel pass. Record results.
2. Day 2 Warm up plus four chord loop and leap then settle. Record demo.
3. Day 3 Warm up plus time crumb chorus and one page map. Send a demo to one friend.
4. Day 4 Warm up plus dialogue drill and clap back. Revise lyrics.
5. Day 5 Warm up plus demo quickly and one change rule pass. Label version.
6. Repeat and cycle across 30 days. By day 30 pick the best three demos and do a final one change rule pass on each.

Common Mistakes and How These Drills Fix Them

• Too vague Use object drill and crime scene edit to add concrete detail.
• Bad prosody Use prosody read and rhythm tap to align stresses with beats.
• Chorus does not lift Use leap then settle and contrast swap to widen range and rhythm.
• Endless rewriting Use one change rule and timed demos to force decisions and create momentum.
• No hooks Use vowel pass and chorus in 90 seconds to force memorable gestures.

FAQ

How long should I spend on songwriting exercises each day

Start with thirty minutes. Consistency matters more than duration. Ten focused minutes daily beats a four hour scream session once a month. Build up as you see results.

Do I need to play an instrument to do these drills

No. Many drills work with a metronome or a phone voice memo app. If you can hum you can write. Instruments speed things up but do not make you better by themselves.

What is a DAW

DAW means digital audio workstation. It is the software you record and edit music with like Ableton Live Logic Pro or FL Studio. You do not need a DAW to start exercises. Use a voice recorder on your phone and upgrade when you want more control.

How many exercises should I do per session

Three focused drills plus a warm up is a reliable dose. If you are in a creative surge do more but label versions. You do not want to lose the good ones to a flood of unfinished chaos.

How do I know which exercise to pick

Pick the exercise that attacks your main pain. If your lyrics feel generic do an object drill. If your chorus is flat try leap then settle or a vowel shape test. Match the drill to the symptom.

Will these exercises make my songs sound formulaic

No. Exercises are a way to generate raw material. The editing and your voice make songs unique. Use the constraints to bypass perfectionism then edit for personality.

Action Plan You Can Use Right Now

1. Pick one warm up. Do the two minute vowel pass.
2. Choose three drills from the fifty list. Set timers and do them without explaining your choices to anyone.
3. Record everything and label versions with date and a short note about mood.
4. Do one change rule edits after a break. Stop when the song breathes better than your lung capacity allows.
5. Send one demo to a trusted person with one question only. Repeat the process tomorrow.