Cool thread. A quick check and balance reveals I'm not making too many mistakes but could do better:
Mistakes I Make From Those Listed So Far
The most common beginner mistake I see is people filling a whole song with one single idea, essentially repeating themselves but using different words Yep. Almost every song I write has a single theme or idea, be it a story or a character or even an emotion (leaving, stealing melodies, being happy, remembering better times). I don't see this as an issue - but assuming it is, I'm guilty.
I believe it's important to critically analyse your work and put the listener first. I play what I like. I write what I like. I guess this could be my biggest mistake.
Writing a melody that closely follows the chord sequence will usually result in an uninspired tune. Yep, guilty. My singing is pretty limited and thus I rarely - no, never - write something where the melody note would not follow the chord sequence.
The biggest mistakes must be Not listening to the top 20 at least once a month. Guilty. I've never ever in my life listened to pop music. Just doesn't connect with me. Even when I was a teenager (which is the demographic that the top twenty is aimed at - although pre-teens these days, too) I never connected with pop music. Always preferred The Allman Bros. to Bros.
Not Finishing song. Kind of guilty. For me a song isn't finished until I've played it live a few times (enough times for me to know whether it's going to work or not). There are plenty I've written that I've never played live.
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Mistake I Don't Make From Those Listed So Far
Rhyming every line - nope, not guilty. I like a good rhyme but I'm happy to write songs that don't rhyme. I actually think what's worse is obvious rhymes/over-used rhymes (same thing can be said about subject matter) but this doesn't seem to bother anyone but me, so I wouldn't dream of mentioning as a mistake.
Getting stuck on a particular tune. Thinking it's their best and spending too much time recording and promoting it. Definitely not guilty. Not written anything that I think is worthy of spending more than one take on yet, and definitely nothing that warrants promoting.
2nd most common mistake is thinking your song that makes mistake #1 is really great. Not guilty - still don't think I've written a great song, let alone a really great one.
Trying to be original is another one. Not me. Originality is as rare as hen's teeth IMHO and I certainly don't go searching for it as comments here will testify!
Settling. Settling for "that'll do" phrases and lines. Believing that one or two pretty good lines will carry a lyric.......not! Every line, every word! is a link in the chain of a quality lyric. Accept no substitutes! Not guilty. Many of my songs have taken years before I find the right rhyme or just the right story.
Overconfidence..... Ha! No. Not me.
Taking the opinion of others as absolute gospel Nope, not guilty. I listen to what others say. I consider their ideas. I might agree, I might not. A lot depends on who they are, what they listen to and like, the quality of what they produce etc etc.
Not listening enough to great songwriters and absorbing what they can teach you. Not guilty. I listen to great songwriters all the time. But, of course, what I consider great mightn't be what others consider great. There are hit singles I think are appalling.
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On a personal note, the biggest mistake I make is never practicing writing for others. All my songs are written for me, and because of my limitations in singing and playing and music knowledge it follows my songs are pretty limited. The best songs I've written are where I've been the lyricist and I've given the melody and chords and arrangement over to others. Which is why this may happen more in the future.
Cheers
Derek