Blink 182 is a great alternative band with powerful hit tunes like “All The Small Things” and “Adam’s Song.” Isn’t it unbelievable how they come up with so many hit songs?

If you’re a beginning or advanced songwriter, you probably understand how difficult it can be to compose a hit among other things. However small these are, here are 7 tips to get you closer to composing a song for the charts like Blink 182.

1. Don’t get discouraged.

Too many songwriters quit to quickly when presented with the task of writing a hit song. The thing you need to realize is that all artists, even Blink 182, write poor songs. These are just small obstacles that can be overcome by continuing to write until you strike gold.

2. Force yourself to work.

There’s always a few days when you can’t seem to get started on even the smallest thing. Sometimes, however, forcing yourself to get started is half the battle. You might be missing out on tons of creativity time if you let laziness walk all over you.

3. Write in a private setting.

If you’re out on a park bench with dogs barking and babies crying, you can’t expect to get much work done. I’m sure Blink 182 refrained from writing their songs in the middle of a performance. Pull your self away from all the small distractions in your life and you’ll find yourself to be much more productive.

4. Try different instruments.

Have you been plucking away on your guitar and can’t seem to come up with anything anymore? Maybe you need to hear your ideas on a different medium. Sometimes when things are getting stagnant, you need to stray from your common instrument and hear your compositions in a whole new light. Pick up a different instrument and see how your songs reveal themselves.

5. Bounce ideas off people you trust.

There will always be people in your life that will be supportive and constructive for your songwriting. Take advantage of their presence and give them small tastes of your work as you complete it. They’ll be happy to help and you’ll gain some valuable feedback.

6. Keep a log of everything you come up with.

Every good songwriter, including Blink 182, needs a place to keep all their songs. Buy a small, cheap, but sturdy notebook to house your compositions. You’ll find your song ideas begin to really stack up when you read back only in a couple weeks.

7. Develop shorthand for writing song melodies.

Every small idea that you develop can be the most important one that you have, so you need to log them fast, but in a way you can recall them later. Blink 182 doesn’t always write everything out in real music and neither should you. Come up with your own shorthand method for your songwriting so you can save time and energy when you log your songs.

There’s no telling who the next monster of pop or rock is going be next, but consistent and dedicated song-writing can get you there. Put these 7 small things into action and see if you’re playing the stage with Blink 182 some day.

This is a curated article that was originally posted on EzineArticles by Kyle Hoffman. Image used with permission from Pixabay.