Showing posts with label songwriter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label songwriter. Show all posts
Saturday, June 2, 2012
How to Become a Successful Independent Artist or Songwriter
By far the most important skill to have if you wish to become successful with anything, is ATTITUDE. An old Chinese proverb once said, "90% of the journey towards success is over once you have stepped outside your front door." The reason many people fail, is because they'd rather stay in and watch the TV.
Of course, that first step outside is a philosophical one. As a musician or songwriter, you spend the vast majority of your time being creative. If you think that writing a great song, or playing an instrument well, is the hardest part of being a successful artist, you are wrong.
Despite all the skills you need to know and perfect in order to make your music shine, these pale into insignificance compared with the hard work and other skills you will need to learn in order to record, market and sell your art successfully.
Fortunately, most creative people also seem to excel at other things. The term "Jack of all trades" could quite easily apply to most musicians or artists. After all, the first thing most artists have to learn, is how to find time for their art whilst running a home AND holding down a Day Job in order to pay the bills! It is therefore not unusual to find musicians who are also Physicists, Engineers, IT Professionals or Teachers, to name but a few.
Most of these people are quite content to keep music as a hobby, at least whilst bringing up a family. However, we all get to a stage in our lives (usually once the kids have grown up and left home), where we want to cease working for a "Living", and instead, work for our own "Satisfaction".
There are few things in life more satisfying than being admired for something we created. If our creations also manage to influence others, then it is even more rewarding.
This "first step outside your front door" is taken when you decide to pause from the creative aspect (the ideas), and take a positive step towards learning new skills, or employing others who can do those things for you.
There has never been a better time in the history of mankind, to take those steps, either by yourself, or with others who would help you.
--Where you used to have to pay for tutoring, or buy books, in order to learn the techniques of songwriting, or playing an instrument, you can now find scores of articles on the Internet (like this one!) that will help you for free.
--Where you used to have to save up a considerable amount of money to pay studio costs and hire session musicians to make a decent demo recording, you can now find all the necessary tools, and even the musicians, on the Internet who would help you for little or no cost at all.
--Where you needed to sign a record deal in order to be able to afford a producer and a master quality studio, you can now buy your own PC and some music software, and collaborate with a producer online, who will give you the capability to make radio-ready recordings.
--Where you needed a record company with a huge advertising budget to market and sell your recordings, you can now (with some hard work), market and sell your CDs to the Whole World for next to nothing.
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The Music Industry doesn't like the changes that the Internet has brought to the business. Digital media can be freely copied by anyone with a PC, anywhere in the World. No longer do the record companies just have to worry about the CD pirates who manufacture illegal copies to sell on the black market; they also have to now worry about every PC-literate man, woman and child, making their own copies too! This has led the music industry into a perpetual fight against filesharers (making enemies of many consumers in the process), instead of embracing the business advantages that the Internet brings to us.
The Music Industry still believes that 8-16 year-olds buy most of the records, so they are still catering primarily for that market. Recent industry figures are telling a different story, and the secret is the "Baby Boomers".
Yes ... The same people who created the above market perception in the 70's by buying the largest proportion of records ever, whilst they were teenagers, have now grown up! The largest age group to buy CDs TODAY, at 26% of the population, are over 45. Not only that, but they still like the same kinds of music as they did then. So there is no need to change your art to fit today's teenybopper market if you aren't that way inclined.
Now that we know the secret, we also know that the next big thing in music, isn't going to be another form of Hip-hop, Techno, or R'n'B; but a return to real music, such as was made during the 60's and 70's. However, we'll be creating it with modern tools on a Home computer DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) system, instead of in a multimillion pound studio complex!
So, whilst the Music Industry is still hesitating by trying to shun the new digital era in favour of antiquated business models, hardware in the form of CDs, and markets that still only cover limited territories; we can now jump ahead of them onto a more level playing field, find our own markets, and sell to the Whole World with only a simple website!
<b>Sounds easy, doesn't it? ...</b> Well, that is the first hurdle you will face. So many musicians think it is easy, that there are millions already doing it! So to be successful you will need, like any other business, a proper business plan.
<b>CONCLUSION</b>
<B>The road to being a successful independent musician, begins with ATTITUDE.</b>
You need to find enough time in your schedule to drop the guitar & scoresheet and use your creative energies towards developing a proper BUSINESS PLAN. This means taking a step back and listening to your music through Joe Public's ears. You need to think up a business name, logo, and short slogan that encompasses what you are, and what your music is trying to say to people.
<b>Register your business "name" by buying a domain name that suits you as soon as possible.</b>
Pages on free MP3 sites and Free domains do not give you a professional image. You MUST have your own site, or at least something that offers you a unique look and features of your own. If you want people to find your music unique & special, then you also need an image that is unique and special. That goes for your email address too. Genuine business people don't use their Hotmail, AOL, or Yahoo addresses for formal communications.
<b>Make sure all your paperwork is in order.</b>
If you are planning on making an eventual living from your art, you will need to be registered as a business or as a self-employed sole trader. You need to make sure your tax and income are all accounted for, so you may have to buy yourself an accounting package, or learn to use Excel Spreadsheets, or employ an accountant. There is also a lot to learn about how copyright systems work and whether you feel you need to form your own publishing company, record company, or register your copyrights with an agency. Much of this will depend on the laws of your home country. Alternatively, you can sign a non-exclusive deal with a small independent label or publisher to handle all the music-related paperwork for you.
<b>You need to either take the time to develop some basic web design skills, buy ready-made templates, or employ someone to design a site for you.</b>
Make sure your logo and colour scheme is fluent throughout your site, your stationery, your CD artwork, and any other communications device, such as email. Make sure your site includes some way of gathering a mailing list, such as a response form or a "double opt-in" form of registration.
<b>Plan a marketing strategy.</b>
Marketing is all about finding the right market for your product. This may involve a certain amount of consumer research. This can be expensive, so use the Internet as much as possible to find groups of people who like similar music to yours. Try to find out other things about these people so that you can get a clearer picture of who would be interested in your music.
<b>Plan a promotional strategy.</b>
Gather contact lists of magazines, local newspapers, TV and radio stations. Plan an 8-week promotional strategy leading up to the release of your CD. Use any press, or airplay you get as a news item on your website. If you have some money to invest, plan a set of concert dates in local venues for dates close to any publication dates. Plan a poster or postcard campaign. Contact local charities, hospitals, schools and shops, in fact anyone who might be prepared to play your CD in a public place. If you want local record stores to stock your CD, you will also need barcodes and counter display boxes. Use the mailing list you have been gathering from your site to promote any news to your fans with a regular newsletter. Offer free tickets to gigs, or run competitions for free CDs. Use your fans as extra leverage to increase the momentum of your promotional campaigns.
<b>Don't under-sell yourself.</b>
Make sure that any music you decide to give away as a promotional MP3 is different in some way to the music you are selling. E.G. It will either be an early un-mastered mix (demo), or a different mix, or a song you are never going to release for sale. Otherwise, make sure all samples you make of your records, are either short clips, or low-fi mono samples. The price you set for your releases should never be too far below that of major record company releases. Your price tells your customer what "stage" you are at in the business. Price yourself too cheap and you are more likely to lose customers because they will automatically assume you are an "amateur".
<b>Make yourself and your CD easily accessible to your fans.</b>
Always answer any emails promptly. Check your emails at least once a day and reply to any new enquiries immediately. The average time expected by most people for a response by email is 12-24 hours. Do not SPAM. Make sure you only send bulk emails to people who have opted into your mailing list, and if anyone wants to opt out, make sure you delete them straight away (not several weeks and 10 disgruntled emails later!). To contact businesses, you will need to write individually and personally to each of them. Always use a business "signature" with your artistic or business name, slogan, web site address, and possibly your telephone number, on every email you send. If you have released a CD, make sure you add the link to that too! If you have had your CDs duplicated professionally and are barcoded, you can also expand from selling them in internet stores such as iTunes, Amazon, and CDbaby, to high street stores. You must also sell them from your own site or at least provide links to the stores where they are available.
<b>Never stop "Networking"</b>
Carry your business cards with you at all times. At every conversational opportunity, if someone happens to mention music, or gigs, make sure you advertise yourself as an independent artist. If you have a modern mobile phone or MP3 player, make sure your latest CD is on it! You never know who you'll bump into in the supermarket. The first thing someone will ask when you mention you are a recording artist is "What kind of music do you play?" If you have your MP3 player with you, you won't even have to answer! (This is always a difficult question for an artist). You can just play it to them! Also make sure you frequent all the music-related newsgroups, forums, bulletin boards, MP3 sites, chat rooms etc. at every opportunity.
<b>Finally, my "Promotional Tip of the Week"</b>
Familiarise yourself with all the P2P filesharing systems that the music business hates so much. You can use them to your advantage. Make ads or lo-fi samples of your music or CD and label them like this...<br>
<i>John_Mckeon_Friends_SoundsLike_Simon_&_Garfunkel.mp3</i><br>
Make copies labelled with every well-known artist you think you sound like, and keep all the files in your shared folder. Then, whenever you are logged onto the service and someone searches for music by these well-known artists, your music will be on their list of results!
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Saturday, April 21, 2012
Copyright and music, the right way to protect your rights.
If you enjoy writing and recording your own music then you probably just want to concentrate on that, but it is worth taking a few steps today that can save a mountain of trouble later on.
<h2>Register your work:</h2>
If you want to get published, or even if you self publish your work, you will be sending copies to your agents, record companies, or other individuals.
Can you trust those who get hold of your work to respect your rights, or will you discover one day that your music is being passed off as someone else's work, while you miss out on the royalties.
Having seen my own work turn up in the hands of plagiarists who have claimed it as their own, I am an advocate of copyright registration, as a means of protection, and would recommend Copyright Witness as being a very fast, efficient and secure registration service.
By registering, you place on record verifiable proof of your copyright, and this means that you can prove your copyright should the person copying your songs claims they wrote them first.
I find the cheapest and most convenient way to register is to send a whole album as a single 'work' (i.e. a CD containing all your songs). Registering on-line can be a little cheaper, but be sure to convert your songs to mp3s, otherwise uploading will take an age!
<h2>Mark all your work with copyright notices: </h2>
A copyright notice is simply a piece of text that states that the work is subject to copyright and the authors name, it is often followed by the phrase 'all rights reserved' which simply means that you withhold all rights to that work as is your right under copyright law.
A copyright notice is not required under law – the work will still be subject to copyright without one, and the 'all rights reserved' statement adds nothing, (this is assumed unless you explicitly state that you relinquish some rights). So why use them? Simple: It's a deterrent. It makes it clear to everyone that your work is subject to copyright, and that you take your rights seriously.
The standard format for copyright notices is 5 elements:
1.The word 'copyright'.
2.The internationally recognised copyright symbol '©'.
3.The year of publication.
4.The name of the copyright owner.
5.An optional statement of intent, (not required).
For example: ' Copyright © 2006 J. Bloggs. All rights reserved.'
The © ‘C in a circle’ is the normal copyright symbol and can be applied to most types of work. It can be found in most word processor programs under the 'insert' menu.
<h2>Band member agreements:</h2>
If you write songs within a band, you need to plan for the day when you will be earning royalties from your songs, and be clear what will happen if a member of the band leaves or if the band splits up.
The best way to deal with this is to all agree what is fair, and then put this in writing as a formal agreement which you all sign. This way there is little chance of any comeback if the band splits for less than amicable reasons.
Here are a few specific points you should consider:
1. If a member of the band leaves, do they forfeit all rights to the songs, and the songs remain the sole property of the band?
2. Are the songs written by one person, or a few principal writers, who wish to retain all rights?
3. If a band member leaves would both he and the band both retain a claim to the song, (this is probably the most likely option).
4. How do you determine each persons share? Do you base it on a song by song basis ranking each members input, or use the same formula for every song.
5. Do you simply divide everything up equally, (i.e. 5 members each own 20% of all the songs and therefore receives 20% of the proceeds/royalties), or do you rank each individuals input?
6. If a member leaves, can he/she perform or profit from the music outside of the band. As a example of this in 'real' life, Ozzy Osbourne still performs songs he co-wrote during his time with Black Sabbath.
Friday, April 8, 2011
"Hooks To Hits: The Key to Writing Songs That Sell"
Copyright 2006 Alex Forbes
The main ingredient that distinguishes a perfectly respectable "album cut" from a hit song is the presence of a killer hook. But if hooks like that were so easy to create, we'd all be millionaires! How can you enhance the impact of your songs' hooks to appeal to both audiences and the People Behind Desks? Read on!
To make this article more useful, gather up your 3 strongest or most recent titles, hooks or choruses, so that you can apply what we're discussing to the "real world" of your material.
Tap Into Your Personal Experiences For "Nuggets of Truth"
It's my firm belief that the old adage, "write what you know" is applicable to songwriting as well as prose. Although some of us prefer to believe we can write about anyone and anything, our most meaningful and successful songs usually spring from "real life" experiences, and our responses to, and interpretations of, those experiences. Each day we spend on the planet, observed through the prism of songwriting, offers innumerable creative possibilities. The seeds of brilliant songs often lie just beneath the surface, but the writer must be willing to nurture their growth.
Let's say you're starting with a blank slate: germ of an idea brewing, recording device turned on, and instrument, voice or blank page ready and waiting. How do you go about extracting the proverbial Killer Hook from your precious "nuggets of truth":
• First, ask: what is true, real, intensely felt RIGHT NOW in your life? Be attentive to those flickers of realization, your "aha! moments."
• What experiences do you have a burning yearning to share?
• What contribution do you want to make to the world?
• What makes your angle on life unique, compelling, interesting?
• In the movie "Walk The Line," Sam Phillips asks Johnny Cash what song he'd sing if he was dying in a ditch on the side of the road and only had 3 minutes left. What hook would you sing in that situation?
• How can you arrange words and/or musical notes to get your "soul" down in song?
• Get crazy, be bold, bare your deepest truth or your silliest notion.
• Your job as a songwriter is to express what others can't express. Go overboard!
Now take a few minutes and blurt out what comes up for you. Really dig in there and fearlessly sing, write or play something, anything, as long as it rings true. This is a great exercise to try any time you have 10 minutes to spare.
Next, start to put that spark of inspiration into song form. Stay connected with the essence of your personal experience as you begin to experiment with lyrics and music.
Ways to Enhance the Impact of Your Song's Hook(s)
In the Verse/Chorus song form — the most common form these days — the chorus, and especially the hook, is where you "deliver the goods." It's the equivalent to the summation to the jury, the punch line of the joke, the revelation on the mountaintop. Every verse, every pre-chorus, every bridge, every line and every note leads up to this ultimate payoff. A great hook (and chorus) is packed full of meaning, fun, passionate intensity... or all three! It can't be overemphasized that your hook has to really Rock Their World. But first, it has to rock YOURS. It has to ring true to you.
• Boil your Big Idea down into the smallest possible expression of its essence: your hook.
• Stay simple-yet-elegant. Less is usually more.
• Don't pussyfoot around. Be bold and risky. Always take a strong point of view!
• A great line bears repetition. If it's worth saying, it's usually worth saying again.
• Make your song move rhythmically. People want to be SWAYED in more than one way by your song.
• Think of it this way: your hook is the hub of the wheel, and the other song elements are the spokes.
• Marry your melody to your lyric so that each intensifies and deepens the other.
• If you are thrilled by your hook, "they" probably will be too. And if you're holding back, they probably will too!
• Show off your "money" note, your slammin'-est groove, your cleverest line, your most unusual concept in your hook. Aim for the bleachers, emotionally and creatively.
Give Your Hooks Mass Appeal
Singles are distinguished from album cuts by their catchiness, accessibility and freshness. And the hook is the key to that mass appeal. Most listeners and People Behind Desks couldn't sing all of a song's verses back to you if they tried. But most CAN remember a killer hook or chorus. For those of you who are driven by thoughts of financial gain, singles are also where the money is. (But remember: selling doesn't mean selling out!) When you get to your main hook, hit us with fresh language, chords and melodic movement to wake us up physically, emotionally and spiritually. The might mean:
• An impassioned title or lyrical line: a twist of phrase, an unforgettable image, or an emotional outpouring that rings true
• A peak moment for the vocalist. This could be a high note, a long note, a rhythmically cool pulse or movement, a fresh interval, a repeated pattern or melodic sequence, etc.
• A catchy-as-hell instrumental riff or chordal pattern
• An underlying rhythm or groove that sweeps up all in its path
• Enough repetition to be catchy without becoming boring
• A striking contrast to whatever comes before and after (verses, pre-choruses, bridge), so that your hook stands out in an obvious way
Remember, more Hooks-Per-Square-Inch is better! In this day and age of sensory overload, listeners thrive on intense songs that cut through the clutter. We WANT to be moved on all levels. We're hungry for depth, for truth, for emotion, for humor. Strive to discover the universal within the personal, the specifics of real life. Make your song paint a picture or create an environment people can live in.
By following these guidelines, and learning from songs that are hits in your chosen genres, you can make your songs more accessible, satisfying and commercially viable.
Happy songwriting!
The main ingredient that distinguishes a perfectly respectable "album cut" from a hit song is the presence of a killer hook. But if hooks like that were so easy to create, we'd all be millionaires! How can you enhance the impact of your songs' hooks to appeal to both audiences and the People Behind Desks? Read on!
To make this article more useful, gather up your 3 strongest or most recent titles, hooks or choruses, so that you can apply what we're discussing to the "real world" of your material.
Tap Into Your Personal Experiences For "Nuggets of Truth"
It's my firm belief that the old adage, "write what you know" is applicable to songwriting as well as prose. Although some of us prefer to believe we can write about anyone and anything, our most meaningful and successful songs usually spring from "real life" experiences, and our responses to, and interpretations of, those experiences. Each day we spend on the planet, observed through the prism of songwriting, offers innumerable creative possibilities. The seeds of brilliant songs often lie just beneath the surface, but the writer must be willing to nurture their growth.
Let's say you're starting with a blank slate: germ of an idea brewing, recording device turned on, and instrument, voice or blank page ready and waiting. How do you go about extracting the proverbial Killer Hook from your precious "nuggets of truth":
• First, ask: what is true, real, intensely felt RIGHT NOW in your life? Be attentive to those flickers of realization, your "aha! moments."
• What experiences do you have a burning yearning to share?
• What contribution do you want to make to the world?
• What makes your angle on life unique, compelling, interesting?
• In the movie "Walk The Line," Sam Phillips asks Johnny Cash what song he'd sing if he was dying in a ditch on the side of the road and only had 3 minutes left. What hook would you sing in that situation?
• How can you arrange words and/or musical notes to get your "soul" down in song?
• Get crazy, be bold, bare your deepest truth or your silliest notion.
• Your job as a songwriter is to express what others can't express. Go overboard!
Now take a few minutes and blurt out what comes up for you. Really dig in there and fearlessly sing, write or play something, anything, as long as it rings true. This is a great exercise to try any time you have 10 minutes to spare.
Next, start to put that spark of inspiration into song form. Stay connected with the essence of your personal experience as you begin to experiment with lyrics and music.
Ways to Enhance the Impact of Your Song's Hook(s)
In the Verse/Chorus song form — the most common form these days — the chorus, and especially the hook, is where you "deliver the goods." It's the equivalent to the summation to the jury, the punch line of the joke, the revelation on the mountaintop. Every verse, every pre-chorus, every bridge, every line and every note leads up to this ultimate payoff. A great hook (and chorus) is packed full of meaning, fun, passionate intensity... or all three! It can't be overemphasized that your hook has to really Rock Their World. But first, it has to rock YOURS. It has to ring true to you.
• Boil your Big Idea down into the smallest possible expression of its essence: your hook.
• Stay simple-yet-elegant. Less is usually more.
• Don't pussyfoot around. Be bold and risky. Always take a strong point of view!
• A great line bears repetition. If it's worth saying, it's usually worth saying again.
• Make your song move rhythmically. People want to be SWAYED in more than one way by your song.
• Think of it this way: your hook is the hub of the wheel, and the other song elements are the spokes.
• Marry your melody to your lyric so that each intensifies and deepens the other.
• If you are thrilled by your hook, "they" probably will be too. And if you're holding back, they probably will too!
• Show off your "money" note, your slammin'-est groove, your cleverest line, your most unusual concept in your hook. Aim for the bleachers, emotionally and creatively.
Give Your Hooks Mass Appeal
Singles are distinguished from album cuts by their catchiness, accessibility and freshness. And the hook is the key to that mass appeal. Most listeners and People Behind Desks couldn't sing all of a song's verses back to you if they tried. But most CAN remember a killer hook or chorus. For those of you who are driven by thoughts of financial gain, singles are also where the money is. (But remember: selling doesn't mean selling out!) When you get to your main hook, hit us with fresh language, chords and melodic movement to wake us up physically, emotionally and spiritually. The might mean:
• An impassioned title or lyrical line: a twist of phrase, an unforgettable image, or an emotional outpouring that rings true
• A peak moment for the vocalist. This could be a high note, a long note, a rhythmically cool pulse or movement, a fresh interval, a repeated pattern or melodic sequence, etc.
• A catchy-as-hell instrumental riff or chordal pattern
• An underlying rhythm or groove that sweeps up all in its path
• Enough repetition to be catchy without becoming boring
• A striking contrast to whatever comes before and after (verses, pre-choruses, bridge), so that your hook stands out in an obvious way
Remember, more Hooks-Per-Square-Inch is better! In this day and age of sensory overload, listeners thrive on intense songs that cut through the clutter. We WANT to be moved on all levels. We're hungry for depth, for truth, for emotion, for humor. Strive to discover the universal within the personal, the specifics of real life. Make your song paint a picture or create an environment people can live in.
By following these guidelines, and learning from songs that are hits in your chosen genres, you can make your songs more accessible, satisfying and commercially viable.
Happy songwriting!
Friday, September 3, 2010
"Hooks To Hits: The Key to Writing Songs That Sell"
Copyright 2006 Alex Forbes
The main ingredient that distinguishes a perfectly respectable "album cut" from a hit song is the presence of a killer hook. But if hooks like that were so easy to create, we'd all be millionaires! How can you enhance the impact of your songs' hooks to appeal to both audiences and the People Behind Desks? Read on!
To make this article more useful, gather up your 3 strongest or most recent titles, hooks or choruses, so that you can apply what we're discussing to the "real world" of your material.
Tap Into Your Personal Experiences For "Nuggets of Truth"
It's my firm belief that the old adage, "write what you know" is applicable to songwriting as well as prose. Although some of us prefer to believe we can write about anyone and anything, our most meaningful and successful songs usually spring from "real life" experiences, and our responses to, and interpretations of, those experiences. Each day we spend on the planet, observed through the prism of songwriting, offers innumerable creative possibilities. The seeds of brilliant songs often lie just beneath the surface, but the writer must be willing to nurture their growth.
Let's say you're starting with a blank slate: germ of an idea brewing, recording device turned on, and instrument, voice or blank page ready and waiting. How do you go about extracting the proverbial Killer Hook from your precious "nuggets of truth":
• First, ask: what is true, real, intensely felt RIGHT NOW in your life? Be attentive to those flickers of realization, your "aha! moments."
• What experiences do you have a burning yearning to share?
• What contribution do you want to make to the world?
• What makes your angle on life unique, compelling, interesting?
• In the movie "Walk The Line," Sam Phillips asks Johnny Cash what song he'd sing if he was dying in a ditch on the side of the road and only had 3 minutes left. What hook would you sing in that situation?
• How can you arrange words and/or musical notes to get your "soul" down in song?
• Get crazy, be bold, bare your deepest truth or your silliest notion.
• Your job as a songwriter is to express what others can't express. Go overboard!
Now take a few minutes and blurt out what comes up for you. Really dig in there and fearlessly sing, write or play something, anything, as long as it rings true. This is a great exercise to try any time you have 10 minutes to spare.
Next, start to put that spark of inspiration into song form. Stay connected with the essence of your personal experience as you begin to experiment with lyrics and music.
Ways to Enhance the Impact of Your Song's Hook(s)
In the Verse/Chorus song form — the most common form these days — the chorus, and especially the hook, is where you "deliver the goods." It's the equivalent to the summation to the jury, the punch line of the joke, the revelation on the mountaintop. Every verse, every pre-chorus, every bridge, every line and every note leads up to this ultimate payoff. A great hook (and chorus) is packed full of meaning, fun, passionate intensity... or all three! It can't be overemphasized that your hook has to really Rock Their World. But first, it has to rock YOURS. It has to ring true to you.
• Boil your Big Idea down into the smallest possible expression of its essence: your hook.
• Stay simple-yet-elegant. Less is usually more.
• Don't pussyfoot around. Be bold and risky. Always take a strong point of view!
• A great line bears repetition. If it's worth saying, it's usually worth saying again.
• Make your song move rhythmically. People want to be SWAYED in more than one way by your song.
• Think of it this way: your hook is the hub of the wheel, and the other song elements are the spokes.
• Marry your melody to your lyric so that each intensifies and deepens the other.
• If you are thrilled by your hook, "they" probably will be too. And if you're holding back, they probably will too!
• Show off your "money" note, your slammin'-est groove, your cleverest line, your most unusual concept in your hook. Aim for the bleachers, emotionally and creatively.
Give Your Hooks Mass Appeal
Singles are distinguished from album cuts by their catchiness, accessibility and freshness. And the hook is the key to that mass appeal. Most listeners and People Behind Desks couldn't sing all of a song's verses back to you if they tried. But most CAN remember a killer hook or chorus. For those of you who are driven by thoughts of financial gain, singles are also where the money is. (But remember: selling doesn't mean selling out!) When you get to your main hook, hit us with fresh language, chords and melodic movement to wake us up physically, emotionally and spiritually. The might mean:
• An impassioned title or lyrical line: a twist of phrase, an unforgettable image, or an emotional outpouring that rings true
• A peak moment for the vocalist. This could be a high note, a long note, a rhythmically cool pulse or movement, a fresh interval, a repeated pattern or melodic sequence, etc.
• A catchy-as-hell instrumental riff or chordal pattern
• An underlying rhythm or groove that sweeps up all in its path
• Enough repetition to be catchy without becoming boring
• A striking contrast to whatever comes before and after (verses, pre-choruses, bridge), so that your hook stands out in an obvious way
Remember, more Hooks-Per-Square-Inch is better! In this day and age of sensory overload, listeners thrive on intense songs that cut through the clutter. We WANT to be moved on all levels. We're hungry for depth, for truth, for emotion, for humor. Strive to discover the universal within the personal, the specifics of real life. Make your song paint a picture or create an environment people can live in.
By following these guidelines, and learning from songs that are hits in your chosen genres, you can make your songs more accessible, satisfying and commercially viable.
Happy songwriting!
The main ingredient that distinguishes a perfectly respectable "album cut" from a hit song is the presence of a killer hook. But if hooks like that were so easy to create, we'd all be millionaires! How can you enhance the impact of your songs' hooks to appeal to both audiences and the People Behind Desks? Read on!
To make this article more useful, gather up your 3 strongest or most recent titles, hooks or choruses, so that you can apply what we're discussing to the "real world" of your material.
Tap Into Your Personal Experiences For "Nuggets of Truth"
It's my firm belief that the old adage, "write what you know" is applicable to songwriting as well as prose. Although some of us prefer to believe we can write about anyone and anything, our most meaningful and successful songs usually spring from "real life" experiences, and our responses to, and interpretations of, those experiences. Each day we spend on the planet, observed through the prism of songwriting, offers innumerable creative possibilities. The seeds of brilliant songs often lie just beneath the surface, but the writer must be willing to nurture their growth.
Let's say you're starting with a blank slate: germ of an idea brewing, recording device turned on, and instrument, voice or blank page ready and waiting. How do you go about extracting the proverbial Killer Hook from your precious "nuggets of truth":
• First, ask: what is true, real, intensely felt RIGHT NOW in your life? Be attentive to those flickers of realization, your "aha! moments."
• What experiences do you have a burning yearning to share?
• What contribution do you want to make to the world?
• What makes your angle on life unique, compelling, interesting?
• In the movie "Walk The Line," Sam Phillips asks Johnny Cash what song he'd sing if he was dying in a ditch on the side of the road and only had 3 minutes left. What hook would you sing in that situation?
• How can you arrange words and/or musical notes to get your "soul" down in song?
• Get crazy, be bold, bare your deepest truth or your silliest notion.
• Your job as a songwriter is to express what others can't express. Go overboard!
Now take a few minutes and blurt out what comes up for you. Really dig in there and fearlessly sing, write or play something, anything, as long as it rings true. This is a great exercise to try any time you have 10 minutes to spare.
Next, start to put that spark of inspiration into song form. Stay connected with the essence of your personal experience as you begin to experiment with lyrics and music.
Ways to Enhance the Impact of Your Song's Hook(s)
In the Verse/Chorus song form — the most common form these days — the chorus, and especially the hook, is where you "deliver the goods." It's the equivalent to the summation to the jury, the punch line of the joke, the revelation on the mountaintop. Every verse, every pre-chorus, every bridge, every line and every note leads up to this ultimate payoff. A great hook (and chorus) is packed full of meaning, fun, passionate intensity... or all three! It can't be overemphasized that your hook has to really Rock Their World. But first, it has to rock YOURS. It has to ring true to you.
• Boil your Big Idea down into the smallest possible expression of its essence: your hook.
• Stay simple-yet-elegant. Less is usually more.
• Don't pussyfoot around. Be bold and risky. Always take a strong point of view!
• A great line bears repetition. If it's worth saying, it's usually worth saying again.
• Make your song move rhythmically. People want to be SWAYED in more than one way by your song.
• Think of it this way: your hook is the hub of the wheel, and the other song elements are the spokes.
• Marry your melody to your lyric so that each intensifies and deepens the other.
• If you are thrilled by your hook, "they" probably will be too. And if you're holding back, they probably will too!
• Show off your "money" note, your slammin'-est groove, your cleverest line, your most unusual concept in your hook. Aim for the bleachers, emotionally and creatively.
Give Your Hooks Mass Appeal
Singles are distinguished from album cuts by their catchiness, accessibility and freshness. And the hook is the key to that mass appeal. Most listeners and People Behind Desks couldn't sing all of a song's verses back to you if they tried. But most CAN remember a killer hook or chorus. For those of you who are driven by thoughts of financial gain, singles are also where the money is. (But remember: selling doesn't mean selling out!) When you get to your main hook, hit us with fresh language, chords and melodic movement to wake us up physically, emotionally and spiritually. The might mean:
• An impassioned title or lyrical line: a twist of phrase, an unforgettable image, or an emotional outpouring that rings true
• A peak moment for the vocalist. This could be a high note, a long note, a rhythmically cool pulse or movement, a fresh interval, a repeated pattern or melodic sequence, etc.
• A catchy-as-hell instrumental riff or chordal pattern
• An underlying rhythm or groove that sweeps up all in its path
• Enough repetition to be catchy without becoming boring
• A striking contrast to whatever comes before and after (verses, pre-choruses, bridge), so that your hook stands out in an obvious way
Remember, more Hooks-Per-Square-Inch is better! In this day and age of sensory overload, listeners thrive on intense songs that cut through the clutter. We WANT to be moved on all levels. We're hungry for depth, for truth, for emotion, for humor. Strive to discover the universal within the personal, the specifics of real life. Make your song paint a picture or create an environment people can live in.
By following these guidelines, and learning from songs that are hits in your chosen genres, you can make your songs more accessible, satisfying and commercially viable.
Happy songwriting!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Songwriter Confessions #2
Any real Beatle fan knows that Stu Sutcliffe was the original bass player,who died of a brain embolism before the Beatles became famous. But what if it hadn’t been Stu with the deadly weakness, but rather…?
There is very little time left now. The meeting will take place in a matter of hours: an event so significant for future generations that nothing can be allowed to change it in any way. I have found the boy: a cheerful soul with wide eyes that question the world with amusement. He does not yet know the path that is set for him, or the tiny thing inside his brain that brings me here through the oceans of time. We agreed that it is a task that must be done for the peace of souls everywhere.
From my place of concealment across the square I wait for him to appear on this cloudy day. In the skies I see a vortex that promises more storms but the people around me, simple people with low reception levels they do not understand, pass by in their life patterns. Once the boy is in sight, my timing will allow me to meet him at the shop window where he pauses without exception every day to stand and admire. I am programed with every trace of memory from the projection undertaken by the finest minds in our universe. There are no randoms not accounted for: no variations not calculated to the infinite degree.
I see him now. The boy comes around the corner whistling a tune of his own making, with eyebrows high in delight as the activity in the square greets his vision. For a moment he slows as he passes the shop they call the baker, but then resumes his journey across the square directly towards me where I stand close to the shop that intrigues him so. Every step he takes is more important than he can ever know, but his cheerful smile shows none of this as he reaches the window of the store that sells instruments of music and stops with hands in pockets to stare in familiar routine.
If he were to look at me, he would see only another boy his own age, but his attention is unwavering and complete on one of the items in the window. He leans forward until nose touches glass. Hofner…he says out loud to nobody. Loovely, he says and his focus is so complete that I take three swift steps towards him, swirl the cloak of transformation over him and the deed is done.
I turn away from the shop window and resume my journey. In my mind are random thoughts of how to get enough money for the music instrument, with bursts of spontaneous melodies in the background. A part of my mind sees images of playing a guitar sitting on a bed in a small but friendly room. I walk on.
It is 30 minutes later and I have come to an open field which a small festival has filled with music, banners and the chatter and laughter of two hundred people. I have only just reached the first stall when someone calls my name and I turn to see my friend Ivan smiling at me while the activity of the fair flows around him.
Come over here, he says, I’ve got someone you should meet. I follow him deeper into the fairground to stop in front of a small and rickety stage barely three feet off the ground.
Sitting at the corner with legs dangling over the edge is a skinny youth in a black shirt and jeans with hair combed back in extravagant sculpture and a cigarette dangling from the corner of his thin-lipped mouth. His left hand is adjusting the tone of the strings of the guitar he cradles on his legs while his eyes measure me with care.
Hey, Johnny…Ivan says with a measure of casual excitement to the skinny figure…got someone you should meet… he’s a guitar player too…
Johnny squints through the smoke of the cigarette at me.
Oh yeah?…he says.
Yeah…says Ivan and throws his arm around my shoulders.
Johnny…says Ivan…meet Paul McCartney…
Copyright – Bill Dollar 2005
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