Nothing can advance your career faster than having great songs. I believe that songwriting is a learned skill that can be sharpened thus advancing your musical career. Here are a few tips that you can use to shape up your songwriting skills. Some are obvious and basic and others are techniques that you may not have tried.

Write with a drum machine
Start off writing a new song with a drum beat (this can even be a factory programed beat) and write a riff or rhythm around the drum beat. I often find musicians that are not drummers write many songs with the same feel, this may help fix this problem. You can also have your drummer start with a beat that you write around but beware, make sure that the drum patterns are not too similar to something you already have written.

Use a rhyming dictionary
If you write lyrics this can be a great tool to help you with rhymes. You can pick one up inexpensively at any book store.

Collaborate with others
If you normally write by yourself or with your band members, find others to write with. Many people have unique approaches to songwriting and you will definitely learn from this and come up with some fresh ideas.

Write with other instruments
Experiment with other instruments other that your main instrument. If you play guitar try keys and visa versa. How about writing on bass? You may be able to come up with a cool riff and turn it into a new song.

Dissect Songs
Take songs from big name bands and pull them apart and study them. Find out what types of scales are being used for the melody or lead vocal, how the bass and drums are working together, what cords are the back up vocals forming? What is the structure of the song (verse-chorus-verse-bridge). Use this info to help you come up with something that is equally cool but unique to your sound.

Join a songwriting association
There are many of these across the country. You should see if there is an association in your city. They can offer critiques of your songs, networking and you may even meet with industry professionals. If you donÕt have one in your city consider starting one.

Start with a vocal idea
Start writing a new song with a cool vocal idea and write the music around this vocal idea.This may yield some different and interesting song ideas.

Try everything
If you do write with others try any and all suggestions no matter how weird the idea may be. Dont instantly shoot down any ideas, give it a try if it doesnt sound good, dont use the change.

Well there you have a few tips to help you with your songwriting. Good luck and keep plugging. I really do believe the more that you write the better you will become.