Stuck Writing Songs? Tools & Habits That Actually Help Me

If you’ve ever sat down to write a song and felt completely stuck, staring at a blank page with no idea where to start, you’re not alone. I’m a songwriter and artist, and I’m constantly learning. Even now, writing songs is rarely easy.

I’ve released a lot of my own music and currently have around 95,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, which I’m incredibly grateful for, but I still get stuck all the time. Writing doesn’t magically become effortless. What does help is having tools and habits that keep the ideas flowing, even when inspiration isn’t obvious.

These are some of the things I use to keep writing when I feel blocked.

1. Voice Notes & Notes App (The Most Important Tool)

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s worth repeating:
your phone is your best songwriting tool.

Ideas don’t usually arrive when you sit down and demand them. They show up randomly, while driving, walking, cooking, half-asleep. If you don’t capture them, they’re gone.

I use:

• Voice notes to record melodies, chord ideas, or me singing rough lines

• Notes to jot down lyric ideas, phrases, or concepts

Most of the ideas I record don’t feel amazing in the moment. That’s the key thing. Very rarely do I record something and think, this is incredible. But when I listen back weeks or months later, I often realise there’s something really good there.

My notes are messy. My voice memos are chaotic. Every so often I sit down, listen back, and that’s usually when I find something worth developing properly, in the studio, with a blank project and all my tools ready.

2. Knowing the Tempo (BPM Tap)

Once I have an idea, I like to know roughly how fast it is. I use a simple app called BPM Tap.

I’ll play back a voice memo, tap along to the feel, and it tells me the tempo. That way:

• I can set the tempo straight away in my DAW

• I can tell a producer the BPM

• I can test the feel with a metronome

It’s a small thing, but it removes friction and helps ideas move forward faster.

3. Simple Utility Apps (Tuners Matter)

Sometimes you don’t have your tuner handy. Having a basic tuner app on your phone is surprisingly useful. It’s not glamorous, but staying in tune helps ideas feel better — and that matters when you’re already feeling unsure.

4. Writing Without Distractions (Typewriter / Pen & Paper)

One of the biggest changes I’ve made is writing lyrics away from my phone.

I bought an old typewriter, and I love it. Not because it’s aesthetic, but because:

• There are no notifications

• No TikTok, no reels, no distractions

• You can’t endlessly delete and rewrite

Each word feels more deliberate. You’re forced to keep moving forward. You can’t type too fast, which slows your thinking in a good way.

Even pen and paper does something similar. Physical writing helps me commit to ideas instead of constantly second-guessing them.

5. Turning Your Studio Into an Idea Board

I pin lyrics and ideas directly onto my acoustic panels.

They become visual idea boards, fragments of songs, lines, concepts, all living in the room. Sometimes just seeing words on the wall sparks a new direction.

It’s a simple studio hack, but it helps keep songwriting present instead of hidden away in folders.

6. Learning Tools That Break You Out of Habits

I’ve been playing music my whole life, and I still don’t fully understand everything — especially theory. Tools that make theory practical are incredibly helpful.

Things like:

• Noisy Clan's Circle of fifths decoder

• Piano chord reference tools

• Guitar scale guides

I don’t use these to follow rules, I use them to break patterns. When you play a lot of gigs, your hands naturally go to the same chords. These tools help me step outside that muscle memory and try new things.

7. Chord Tools & MIDI (When You’re in a Rut)

Sometimes I use software tools that let me experiment with chord progressions quickly. I can drag chords around, hear how they sound, and export them as MIDI straight into my DAW.

This is especially useful when I feel like everything I write sounds the same. It’s not about replacing creativity, it’s about nudging yourself into new territory.

8. Change the Instrument, Change the Song

If I’m stuck, I change something:

• Switch from guitar to piano

• Use an instrument I don’t play well

• Change the tuning

• Try a new sound

When your hands don’t know what to do automatically, you end up writing different music. That discomfort is often where interesting ideas come from.

9. Get Inspired (On Purpose)

Inspiration doesn’t always come from sitting alone.

Sometimes it helps to:

• Listen to new music

• Make a fresh playlist

• Go see live music

• Ask friends what they’re listening to

Hearing something great can snap you out of a rut and remind you why you want to write in the first place.

10. Write Every Day (Even Bad Stuff)

One of the best ideas I’ve heard, often attributed to Ed Sheeran, is the idea of running the tap. Run out all the dirty water, until the water turns clear.

You have to let the bad songs come out before the good ones appear.

Try this:

• Open a blank project or page

• Set a timer for 30 minutes

• Make something

• Don’t judge it

You don’t have to show anyone. Save it. Come back later. So many ideas I thought were average ended up being worth revisiting.

11. Reduce Friction as Much as Possible

Make it easy to capture ideas:

• Mic plugged in

• Notebook nearby

• Clean desk

• Phone within reach

The less effort it takes to record an idea, the more likely you’ll keep writing.

12. Collaborate When You Can

Writing with other people changes everything.

• Speeds up decision-making

• Reduces self-doubt

• Introduces new habits and chord choices

When someone else says, “That’s good”, it’s often enough to move on instead of overthinking.

13. Show Someone Your Work

If you’re really stuck, play your song for someone you trust — a friend, your partner, your mum.

We’re usually much harsher on ourselves than anyone else. Sometimes a small bit of encouragement is enough to give you the energy to keep going.

To Wrap Up

I’m not an expert. I’m not a Grammy-winning songwriter. These are just the habits and tools that help me keep writing when things feel hard.

Songwriting isn’t about waiting for inspiration, it’s about building systems that help you show up anyway.

If this helped, I’d love to hear what works for you. Everyone’s process is different, and that’s the whole point.