Miranda Lambert Says Frustration Led to Songwriting

Miranda Lambert says she didn't begin playing guitar until she felt it necessary. Early in her career the singer had a clear vision of what she wanted and didn't want on her albums, and the songs she was being offered just weren't good enough. In a promotional video for Guitar Center, Lambert said her father helped her get started.

"I really didn't enjoy the songs I had been sent by producers in Nashville," Lamber says in the video below, "so I decided I would try to write the songs, because I thought I had a lot to say. So my dad taught me three chords: G, C, and D. Which that's really all you need if you're a country artist anyway."

The 'Baggage Claim' singer started getting serious about music around age 16. Songs come to her in one of two ways, either she'll work out a melody and then write the lyrics, or she'll dream up some lyrics and a concept and sit down to write the music. These days, she's even more particular about what makes an album.

"Make sure you know who you are from day one," the singer advises anyone considering a career in music. "People will always try to change you and maybe somebody will be better than you and make you feel like you're not good enough, but if you know who you are and you have something to say in your music, there's someone out there who wants to hear it."

'Baggage Claim' is heard throughout the video. The song will be on Lambert's new album 'Four the Record,' which hits stores on Nov. 1. Earlier this week, she also revealed a new song called 'Mama's Broken Heart' that she says she hopes will be the next single.

See Miranda Lambert Talk Songwriting