1. RESEARCH. LISTEN. WRITE.
Make a list of 2-3 artists from different genres and research the producers behind their best work. Create a mix similar to the feel of one of these artists using only 5-6 instruments.
2. WHAT IS PREPRODUCTION AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR A SONGWRITER?
Dave Isaacs is a musician, educator, songwriter, performing artist, and a longtime NSAI workshop pro. In this blog post he goes into depth about the decisions songwriters can make prior to a production session that will be a game-changer in the creative process. Click here to read more.
3. RE-MAKE A TRACK USING ISOLATED INSTRUMENTS AS A REFERENCE
Take a song you've written before that's gone through the production stage and listen to isolated instruments in that track. Re-make 1-2 other versions with different instruments being the focus.
4. BUILD A TRACK BASED ON PARTICULAR DRUM BEAT OF CHOICE
Find a song you enjoy based on its' feel and tempo. Play along to that track to understand the rhythm and produce your own track around that drum beat and aura of the song.
5. TEMPO REMIX
Choose a song you've written with slower tempo and try speeding up the tempo to create a new version of the song.