I tell people that I may only have one duck...but I always try to get it "in a row" :) Well, before you finish a song one thing you should do is to check on your songwriting ducks and get them in a row. What I mean is as you do your final "tweak", which thanks to Becky Buller I now call the "God-particle tweak" (the smallest tweak known to man!) two of the things on your checklist should be "party" and "tense"!! Today I'm going to concentrate on "party" :)
Your song will either be written in "first party", "second party" or "third party". Songwriter's are partyin' kind of people!!!
First party is where the song is sung from the singer's personal perspective. The song is from the singer's point of view. First person includes words like: I, we, my, mine, us, ours.
Second party is to address the listener "as I just did". This is directed at the listener. I includes words like: you, your, or if you are writing bluegrass or country probably "y'all" LOL.
Third party refers to other people or situations and the singer is mainly the story teller or narrator. Third party includes words like: him, her, it, his, hers, they, them.
OK...so why is this important? IF YOUR SONG JUMPS PARTIES IT WILL CONFUSE THE LISTENER!! You don't want to be confusing your listener in any way. If you are the singer and telling the story first person the entire song should be I, me, mine, my, ours, or us!! If you throw in a "you"...oops...you just jumped party. Now, this can be easy to do so you need a sharp eye/ear to hear this and make sure you correct it before declaring your song "finished"!! It is similar with second or third party...just make sure the "party" or point of view of the song does not change from line to line or verse to verse. Of course there may be exceptions to this but they tend to be very few and far between and would be done "intentionally" for effect. If you know the rule, you can break it at times for effect but you don't want to be breaking rules "by accident" :)
What are some of the advantages or disadvantages in setting a "point of view" for your song?
1. When you set a song in the first person...many times only "one" gender can sing the song. This isn't always the case if you keep the song "gender neutral". But if you have male or female perspectives in the song from first person it will limit the song to that specific gender and will need to be done by specifically man or woman singer. Not good or bad...just a limiting factor in where and to whom you pitch your song. A first party song however can be VERY POWERFUL sung from a personal perspective. A story sung in first person can really strum the heartstrings when done right!!
2. First person, being a personal perspective, may or may not appeal to a singer. If you write a song where the singer is singing from personal experience and is a drunk, a cheater, not a very positive character etc...you may have trouble getting the song "cut" in some genres. The singer has to go on stage to sing the song and portray himself/herself as THAT person in the song. If the person singing/performing the song doesn't want to be identified as THAT person night after night on stage your song has no chance to be cut by that singer. Many times it would be better to tell those kind of songs with the singer as the "story teller" or third person.
3. Second person can be effective but again it can be limiting talking about "you". If the singer is talking about his wife or her husband then it should be sung by the appropriate gender. i.e "you never loved me like you should". Again, this can be gender neutral within the song but takes a good ear in writing to make this happen. This is still from more of a personal perspective and #2 can apply here as well.
4. Third person is neutral as the singer is telling the story and really has no part in the actual events taking place. This makes it gender neutral and a third party song can usually be sung by a male or female vocal so it does expand the market for pitching your song. Singing about someone else cheating, drinking, killing someone in a murder ballad, or other is much easier to do than "being" the character in the song doing the cheating, drinking or killing!! :) The song can also tell a poignant story and be powerful as well.
So, it is VERY IMPORTANT to keep your "party" or "point of view" the same throughout the song and not jump back and forth or from one to another. The next blog will talk a little about "tense". Past, present or future". Back to the future and all that stuff LOLOL!!!
Had a GREAT time seeing friends, playing music and pitching songs at Joe Mullins Southern Ohio Music Festival this weekend!!! I got to hear The Spinney Brothers and also Mike Cleveland & Flamekeeper perform my songs "Grandpa's Way of Life" and "Fiddlin' Joe" respectively...both songs that I wrote and they took to the #1 slot in bluegrass music. WHAT A THRILL!!!! :) Got to hear the fine band of "Feller & Hill" sing my song "The Old Kentucky Man as well. I LOVE IT!! Fires me up to write more music!!!!
Just a few thoughts for today and remember: Write more...whine less!!!
Write on!!!
Brink
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
TUNE YOUR DANG GUITAR!!!
Here it is a very rainy morning in central Ohio and am trying to motivate myself to live my mission statement of "Drink coffee and make stuff up!!". I'm meeting 1/2 of the mission as I sit here with my coffee!! :)
Anyway, I was thinking about a demo a person sent me a while back and asked me to listen to, to "see if it is a good song" . I talked some about this in a previous blog about critiques and with a how with a small measure of success folks begin to seek you out and ask your opinion (relevant or not). Anyway, the bottom line of this demo was "the song actually was pretty dang good"!! BUT...the demo was so bad that I'm not sure anyone listening could get past the incredibly bad demo to actually focus on the main event....THE SONG!!!
This was the demo they had planned to submit to artists??? There were several GLARING errors which to me would be pretty basic and obvious but just for my own peace of mind I feel compelled to make this short for a basic demo. I'm not talking about "full production" or other...just basic common sense stuff here. I would think this list would be a "no brainer" but I've heard enough of these to suggest other wise!! LOLOL
OK...here we go:
#1. TUNE YOUR DANG GUITAR!!! As far as I know you can get a tuner from any music store, you can download a free app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, you can use a tuning fork, you can use a dial tone (well folks tell me the dial tone is an "A note" but personally have never used that :) LOLOL!!! My point is: GET A TUNER AND USE IT!!! If for some reason you can't hear your guitar is out of tune then get someone else to tune it for you!!! But there is zero, nada, zip, goose eggs, NO reason to have a guitar that is out of tune!
#2. GO TO A QUIET ROOM!!! I listened to a demo a while back where they had a baby screaming in the background AND a dog would bark after the baby would scream to a point it actually was hard to hear the lyrics!! REALLY???? This is what you want your "product" to sound like? Again, there are recording devices that are inexpensive, there are free apps for most electronic devices, some of the built in mics in say the iPhone or iPad are not bad and overall with a little trial and error can do a "not too bad" recording. Of course IMHO if you are doing your own demos it would behoove you to invest in a small recorder and at least one good quality microphone! Probably $200 would accomplish this...if you aren't willing to spend $200 to make your "product" (song/demo) good quality...then I question whether you are really committed to "songwriting"...but that's just "me" :)
#3. GET THE BALANCE RIGHT!!! Even with singing into an iPad you need to position the device so that the mix between the guitar and vocal are proper for a demo. Remember, you NEED TO HEAR THE MELODY AND LYRICS!!! Common sense but it happens all the time where someone is wailing away on the guitar and totally obscuring the vocals....CAN'T PEOPLE HEAR THIS??? Don't you listen to your demos after recording them??? Drives me nutso! Experiment and get the balance right...don't be a member of the GHS (Guitar Beater's Society). You want to showcase the lyrics and melody SO make sure you can hear both easily in your demos.
#4. BE OBJECTIVE ABOUT YOUR SINGING ABILITY!! You don't have to be Vince Gill, Celine Dion or Marty Raybon etc to sing a demo...BUT...you do need to be able to sing "on pitch" and present the song in a professional manner. I had a demo sent to me once where the writer had his wife sing the song. Between his guitar thrashing and her singing I though there were a herd of cats screaming and tipping over garbage cans in my house!!! Yes...it was that bad!!!. I had NO idea if the song was good or bad!! Just evaluate and be objective on your abilities and maybe you need to invest in a demo from a demo house or other.
#5. LISTEN TO YOUR DEMO!!! After you finish the demo, listen to it several times while keeping in mind #1-#4!! Digital recording is CHEAP...if it isn't right...fix it!! Remember, your demo is your way of SHOWCASING YOUR PRODUCT....(your song)!! It is the way you market!! Just think how long and hard companies work to create a marketing plan to showcase their product!! You need to do the same thing! :)
So, now I feel better getting that off my chest and I can move on to the second half of my mission and maybe "make some stuff up" this morning. So, I'm going to sit at my kitchen table and and what is the first thing I'm going to do????
That's right....TUNE MY DANG GUITAR!!!!! LOLOL
Remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on :)
Brink
Anyway, I was thinking about a demo a person sent me a while back and asked me to listen to, to "see if it is a good song" . I talked some about this in a previous blog about critiques and with a how with a small measure of success folks begin to seek you out and ask your opinion (relevant or not). Anyway, the bottom line of this demo was "the song actually was pretty dang good"!! BUT...the demo was so bad that I'm not sure anyone listening could get past the incredibly bad demo to actually focus on the main event....THE SONG!!!
This was the demo they had planned to submit to artists??? There were several GLARING errors which to me would be pretty basic and obvious but just for my own peace of mind I feel compelled to make this short for a basic demo. I'm not talking about "full production" or other...just basic common sense stuff here. I would think this list would be a "no brainer" but I've heard enough of these to suggest other wise!! LOLOL
OK...here we go:
#1. TUNE YOUR DANG GUITAR!!! As far as I know you can get a tuner from any music store, you can download a free app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, you can use a tuning fork, you can use a dial tone (well folks tell me the dial tone is an "A note" but personally have never used that :) LOLOL!!! My point is: GET A TUNER AND USE IT!!! If for some reason you can't hear your guitar is out of tune then get someone else to tune it for you!!! But there is zero, nada, zip, goose eggs, NO reason to have a guitar that is out of tune!
#2. GO TO A QUIET ROOM!!! I listened to a demo a while back where they had a baby screaming in the background AND a dog would bark after the baby would scream to a point it actually was hard to hear the lyrics!! REALLY???? This is what you want your "product" to sound like? Again, there are recording devices that are inexpensive, there are free apps for most electronic devices, some of the built in mics in say the iPhone or iPad are not bad and overall with a little trial and error can do a "not too bad" recording. Of course IMHO if you are doing your own demos it would behoove you to invest in a small recorder and at least one good quality microphone! Probably $200 would accomplish this...if you aren't willing to spend $200 to make your "product" (song/demo) good quality...then I question whether you are really committed to "songwriting"...but that's just "me" :)
#3. GET THE BALANCE RIGHT!!! Even with singing into an iPad you need to position the device so that the mix between the guitar and vocal are proper for a demo. Remember, you NEED TO HEAR THE MELODY AND LYRICS!!! Common sense but it happens all the time where someone is wailing away on the guitar and totally obscuring the vocals....CAN'T PEOPLE HEAR THIS??? Don't you listen to your demos after recording them??? Drives me nutso! Experiment and get the balance right...don't be a member of the GHS (Guitar Beater's Society). You want to showcase the lyrics and melody SO make sure you can hear both easily in your demos.
#4. BE OBJECTIVE ABOUT YOUR SINGING ABILITY!! You don't have to be Vince Gill, Celine Dion or Marty Raybon etc to sing a demo...BUT...you do need to be able to sing "on pitch" and present the song in a professional manner. I had a demo sent to me once where the writer had his wife sing the song. Between his guitar thrashing and her singing I though there were a herd of cats screaming and tipping over garbage cans in my house!!! Yes...it was that bad!!!. I had NO idea if the song was good or bad!! Just evaluate and be objective on your abilities and maybe you need to invest in a demo from a demo house or other.
#5. LISTEN TO YOUR DEMO!!! After you finish the demo, listen to it several times while keeping in mind #1-#4!! Digital recording is CHEAP...if it isn't right...fix it!! Remember, your demo is your way of SHOWCASING YOUR PRODUCT....(your song)!! It is the way you market!! Just think how long and hard companies work to create a marketing plan to showcase their product!! You need to do the same thing! :)
So, now I feel better getting that off my chest and I can move on to the second half of my mission and maybe "make some stuff up" this morning. So, I'm going to sit at my kitchen table and and what is the first thing I'm going to do????
That's right....TUNE MY DANG GUITAR!!!!! LOLOL
Remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on :)
Brink
Monday, March 23, 2015
Co-writing and Not Killing Each Other!
I was thinking about a webinar that Becky Buller and I did last July for IBMA on co-writing. Becky is such a great songwriter and musician and it was a lot of fun doing this session with her and even better we got to co-write together! There are several questions that come up at about every workshop that I do concerning co-writing. People want to know how to do it and the pros and cons of co-writing. Well...we would need to do a webinar or more likely an all day workshop to really delve into this topic...but...I thought I'd hit some high points for me and maybe they might help some others who have very little experience co-writing.
For the first several years as a songwriter I never thought about co-writing...heck, I could do it better myself...at least I thought LOLOL!!! Now, that being said, I still probably write solo on about 60-70% of my songs. However writing with other fine writers has done several things:
1. It has expanded my "style" of writing to incorporate other writer's styles and made my songs more diverse.
2. Writing with great female songwriters has really helped to expand my catalog for female artists. When writing with a female songwriter you really can dig into a female lyric or maybe write a song that can be a male or female lead...that can double the market you can pitch to!!!
3. It has helped me finish many songs that I thought had merit but had all but given up on finishing. A co-writer can breathe new life into a song you thought was dead.
4. It gives you instant feedback as you have someone to bounce ideas off and use as a sounding board for brainstorming.
The list goes on but again that is for the "all day" workshop :) I thought I would put my thoughts down on the first co-writing session as they tend to be awkward as both songwriters are unfamiliar with each other. There is a "breaking in" or "getting to know" period. So here are some of my thoughts about a first co-writing session:
1. CHECK YOUR EGOS AT THE DOOR!!! This is absolutely critical!! You have to be able to tell the other person that a line "sucks" and they not get bent all out of shape. That being said there needs to be an atmosphere of respect for each other at all times :)
2. Don't start writing right away. Spend some time just talking and getting to know each other. Talk about your family, interests, movies you like etc. Talk about your strengths and weaknesses. Are you strong on melody and not as strong on lyric? Are lyrics your strong point? Is coming up with ideas in your wheelhouse? YOU WANT TO MAXIMIZE EACH OTHERS STRENGTHS!!
3. Are you married to a line??? Is this the hill you want to "die on"!!!??? You need to learn to argue and debate the song. Through this discussion and debate many times you arrive at the strongest line. You need to be able to tell someone "I'm married to that line and it is off the table for discussion". Healthy debate and discussion that is honest and frank really can add to the final product!
4. CONSENSUS!!!! 100% agreement and "consensus" are two different things. You will never achieve 100% agreement on everything in songwriting when you are co-writing BUT my goal is to achieve "CONSENSUS". Here is how I define consensus in a co-writing session:
I MAY NOT TOTALLY AGREE...BUT...I CAN LIVE WITH IT!!!
If you don't remember anything else...remember the definition of consensus and keep it in the front of your mind during any co-writing session.
5, KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY! Sometimes it just isn't working. Even with someone you have written several songs with successfully, this is important to know to save your writing relationship. If you are just wallowing in the "songwriter muck" and nothing is happening maybe the best thing you can do is call it a day and go out for a beer, wine, dinner and just forget about writing for that day and relax. Come back another day fresh and start over :)
Finding the right co-writer can be tough!! It is like a marriage and you need to have a person that fuels your inspirational spirit, you have to like the person overall, you need to be comfortable around them and be able to share inner most thoughts and emotions, be able to debate and argue. But, in the end there is a SYNERGY to co-writing that can create a GREAT SONG. One that you could never have written "on your own"!!
Co-writing may not be for everyone but it can expand your songwriting tremendously when you find the "RIGHT" co-writers for you!! Give it a try :)
Just thoughts for today...remember: Write more...whine less!!
Write on!!
Brink
For the first several years as a songwriter I never thought about co-writing...heck, I could do it better myself...at least I thought LOLOL!!! Now, that being said, I still probably write solo on about 60-70% of my songs. However writing with other fine writers has done several things:
1. It has expanded my "style" of writing to incorporate other writer's styles and made my songs more diverse.
2. Writing with great female songwriters has really helped to expand my catalog for female artists. When writing with a female songwriter you really can dig into a female lyric or maybe write a song that can be a male or female lead...that can double the market you can pitch to!!!
3. It has helped me finish many songs that I thought had merit but had all but given up on finishing. A co-writer can breathe new life into a song you thought was dead.
4. It gives you instant feedback as you have someone to bounce ideas off and use as a sounding board for brainstorming.
The list goes on but again that is for the "all day" workshop :) I thought I would put my thoughts down on the first co-writing session as they tend to be awkward as both songwriters are unfamiliar with each other. There is a "breaking in" or "getting to know" period. So here are some of my thoughts about a first co-writing session:
1. CHECK YOUR EGOS AT THE DOOR!!! This is absolutely critical!! You have to be able to tell the other person that a line "sucks" and they not get bent all out of shape. That being said there needs to be an atmosphere of respect for each other at all times :)
2. Don't start writing right away. Spend some time just talking and getting to know each other. Talk about your family, interests, movies you like etc. Talk about your strengths and weaknesses. Are you strong on melody and not as strong on lyric? Are lyrics your strong point? Is coming up with ideas in your wheelhouse? YOU WANT TO MAXIMIZE EACH OTHERS STRENGTHS!!
3. Are you married to a line??? Is this the hill you want to "die on"!!!??? You need to learn to argue and debate the song. Through this discussion and debate many times you arrive at the strongest line. You need to be able to tell someone "I'm married to that line and it is off the table for discussion". Healthy debate and discussion that is honest and frank really can add to the final product!
4. CONSENSUS!!!! 100% agreement and "consensus" are two different things. You will never achieve 100% agreement on everything in songwriting when you are co-writing BUT my goal is to achieve "CONSENSUS". Here is how I define consensus in a co-writing session:
I MAY NOT TOTALLY AGREE...BUT...I CAN LIVE WITH IT!!!
If you don't remember anything else...remember the definition of consensus and keep it in the front of your mind during any co-writing session.
5, KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY! Sometimes it just isn't working. Even with someone you have written several songs with successfully, this is important to know to save your writing relationship. If you are just wallowing in the "songwriter muck" and nothing is happening maybe the best thing you can do is call it a day and go out for a beer, wine, dinner and just forget about writing for that day and relax. Come back another day fresh and start over :)
Finding the right co-writer can be tough!! It is like a marriage and you need to have a person that fuels your inspirational spirit, you have to like the person overall, you need to be comfortable around them and be able to share inner most thoughts and emotions, be able to debate and argue. But, in the end there is a SYNERGY to co-writing that can create a GREAT SONG. One that you could never have written "on your own"!!
Co-writing may not be for everyone but it can expand your songwriting tremendously when you find the "RIGHT" co-writers for you!! Give it a try :)
Just thoughts for today...remember: Write more...whine less!!
Write on!!
Brink
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Note to Songwriters: DON'T KILL THE FROG!!!
Someone asked me the other day if I would "critique" a song they had written and tell them if the song was any good or not. "Critiquing" is a double edged sword. In many so many ways it is extremely subjective as everyone has a different taste in music. A song that does absolutely nothing for me might be the "cat's pajamas" for someone else. So, when I do a a workshop and we do "critique" songs, I try to ask a lot of questions of the writer and moreover look at structure, prosody and things that are a little more objective. I look at the basic "rules" of songwriting to see if they hold true. You can break the rules but you should "break them on purpose" and not by accident. You have to KNOW the rules to BREAK the rules!! :) There is a place and time for critiques but there is also a place and time to STOP the critiquing madness! LOL!
One of the "quirks" or maybe downfalls of being a songwriter is that many times I listen to a song and rather than just LISTENING to the song and ENJOYING it...I'm picking it apart and critiquing it as I listen!!! I'm dissecting it in my mind and passing judgement and analyzing what I'm hearing. I don't just do this with other people's songs...I do it with MY OWN songs as well! You have to say at some point: "Put a fork in it...this song is DONE!!! Sometimes you just need to "sing your song and enjoy it". So my point today is:
CRITIQUING A SONG IS LIKE DISSECTING A FROG...YOU FIND OUT WHAT IT'S MADE OF...BUT...YOU KILL THE SUBJECT IN THE PROCESS!!!!
Sometimes listening with a "critiquing" ear just ruins the experience. I find myself fighting this feeling a lot these days. I just want to be able to listen, feel the emotion of the song and enjoy what the writer and artist are saying....yeah THAT'S THE TICKET!! That is what music is all about!! There are times to put on your "songwriter hat" but you also have to "take your songwriter hat off"!
So, today after my writing session I am going to consciously hang up my "songwriter hat" and put on a good album and JUST LISTEN!!! JUST ENJOY!!!
TODAY THE FROG LIVES!!!! :)
Remember: Write more...whine less!!
Write on!!
Brink
One of the "quirks" or maybe downfalls of being a songwriter is that many times I listen to a song and rather than just LISTENING to the song and ENJOYING it...I'm picking it apart and critiquing it as I listen!!! I'm dissecting it in my mind and passing judgement and analyzing what I'm hearing. I don't just do this with other people's songs...I do it with MY OWN songs as well! You have to say at some point: "Put a fork in it...this song is DONE!!! Sometimes you just need to "sing your song and enjoy it". So my point today is:
CRITIQUING A SONG IS LIKE DISSECTING A FROG...YOU FIND OUT WHAT IT'S MADE OF...BUT...YOU KILL THE SUBJECT IN THE PROCESS!!!!
Sometimes listening with a "critiquing" ear just ruins the experience. I find myself fighting this feeling a lot these days. I just want to be able to listen, feel the emotion of the song and enjoy what the writer and artist are saying....yeah THAT'S THE TICKET!! That is what music is all about!! There are times to put on your "songwriter hat" but you also have to "take your songwriter hat off"!
So, today after my writing session I am going to consciously hang up my "songwriter hat" and put on a good album and JUST LISTEN!!! JUST ENJOY!!!
TODAY THE FROG LIVES!!!! :)
Remember: Write more...whine less!!
Write on!!
Brink
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Fear of Failure or Fear of Success
It was kind of funny last night as I planned to put my thoughts about this in today's blog I came across a post from musician/producer/and all other things musical Stephen Mougin. He had the same thought posted on his facebook page...I figured "great minds think alike" LOLOL. Anyway, I was thinking back on my songwriting journey so far and I have always been motivated, passionate, willing to do what it takes to be successful. I've never been really afraid to fail, fall on my face, look stupid or make fun of my own shortcomings. That wasn't really the problem with me.
What scared me the most was: THE FEAR OF SUCCESS!!!
That may seem like, my grandpa use to say is, "stoopid with 2 "o's" hehe!! But for me it was, and many times still is one of my fears even today. You see, success brings on an entirely new set of challenges. Challenges that would possibly change my lifestyle, push me out of my comfort zone, and you know I feel pretty good in my comfort zone! Now some of this is real but much of the fear is "in my mind". Made up to create the "worst case scenario" and disguises itself in a bunch of lame excuses "why I can't do things" rather than focus on what I can do!
I've been very fortunate to have many of my musical heroes record my songs over the years and I can't tell you how GREAT that feels!! Along with that here are a few things in my life that have changed by achieving some success at songwriting:
1. I have had to learn to accept compliments. This may sound goofy, but I'm just not good at having people heap praise on my songwriting. It makes me feel good but very uncomfortable. But over time I have learned to just say "thank you...I appreciate it very much" and leave it at that. And I now realize that is all I should say :)
2. People email me, call me etc asking for advice, help in writing songs, asked to critique songs, help them to get songs "cut", they want me to give them a magic bullet to get their songs recorded. This has always made me squeamish, as I don't really care to tell other people how to write their songs. I now do quite a few workshops and feel it's important to "give back" and "help" but there is a limit as some folks really want to "learn" and strive to improve their writing while others just want me to "do the heavy lifting for them" so they can achieve some success. While I appreciate what many of the songwriters are trying to do, I'm uncomfortable listening to a lot of other writer's material and critiquing outside a workshop setting. I have done it but I ask..."do you want the mom and pop version or the constructive version??" I've been burned a few times by giving constructive suggestions for a song only to be "blasted" by the writer telling me I don't know what I'm talking about and the song he/she sent was destined to be a #1!!!! Now, One person even posted on facebook that I didn't have a clue what I was doing LOLOL! I'm very selective about my activity in this area and sometimes people get upset with me when I "graciously" turn down their request. I never thought some success would include this :) But, it comes with the territory.
3. Success in songwriting brings on an entirely new set of "business" challenges. Mechanical licenses, Sync licenses, Publishing contracts, Copyrights, Pitching, Dealing with egos, Collecting money, Public relations, and on and on. Hey "I JUST WANTED TO WRITE GREAT SONGS!!! LOLOL. But, with success...here comes an entirely new set up business challenges to deal with. But...it is all part of this game. The good with the bad, so to speak.
4. Judgement Day!!! With some success comes the reviews of songs in magazines, talk in the industry about my songwriting, complimentary articles and some not so complimentary. The positive comments and the negative comments. Your songs are now "out there" for public scrutiny!! I've had people tell me that a song I wrote was "the worst song they'd ever heard!!" (the song was a #1 BTW). On the other hand I have heard from so many people with positive comments and encouragement!!! This is what gets me over the fear!! :)
Anyway, just a few thoughts on this Saturday morning. Fear of success for me is "real" and I'm still trying to conquer it, but I'm doing better I think. It's not that I don't want to succeed...quite the opposite...it is just uncharted territory and I guess fear of the unknown. It is a black box that unopened is a little scary. But, I've found that once you open the "box" while there are many new challenges it is NOT as scary as it was in my imagination along the way.
So...for sure don't let the fear of failure stop you!!! You will fail at 100% of everything that you don't try. But, more importantly, don't let the fear of success stop you either!!! Hopefully, you will be able to open that "box" and realize that while it is full of new challenges...it is full of great rewards too!!! :)
Remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on!
Brink
What scared me the most was: THE FEAR OF SUCCESS!!!
That may seem like, my grandpa use to say is, "stoopid with 2 "o's" hehe!! But for me it was, and many times still is one of my fears even today. You see, success brings on an entirely new set of challenges. Challenges that would possibly change my lifestyle, push me out of my comfort zone, and you know I feel pretty good in my comfort zone! Now some of this is real but much of the fear is "in my mind". Made up to create the "worst case scenario" and disguises itself in a bunch of lame excuses "why I can't do things" rather than focus on what I can do!
I've been very fortunate to have many of my musical heroes record my songs over the years and I can't tell you how GREAT that feels!! Along with that here are a few things in my life that have changed by achieving some success at songwriting:
1. I have had to learn to accept compliments. This may sound goofy, but I'm just not good at having people heap praise on my songwriting. It makes me feel good but very uncomfortable. But over time I have learned to just say "thank you...I appreciate it very much" and leave it at that. And I now realize that is all I should say :)
2. People email me, call me etc asking for advice, help in writing songs, asked to critique songs, help them to get songs "cut", they want me to give them a magic bullet to get their songs recorded. This has always made me squeamish, as I don't really care to tell other people how to write their songs. I now do quite a few workshops and feel it's important to "give back" and "help" but there is a limit as some folks really want to "learn" and strive to improve their writing while others just want me to "do the heavy lifting for them" so they can achieve some success. While I appreciate what many of the songwriters are trying to do, I'm uncomfortable listening to a lot of other writer's material and critiquing outside a workshop setting. I have done it but I ask..."do you want the mom and pop version or the constructive version??" I've been burned a few times by giving constructive suggestions for a song only to be "blasted" by the writer telling me I don't know what I'm talking about and the song he/she sent was destined to be a #1!!!! Now, One person even posted on facebook that I didn't have a clue what I was doing LOLOL! I'm very selective about my activity in this area and sometimes people get upset with me when I "graciously" turn down their request. I never thought some success would include this :) But, it comes with the territory.
3. Success in songwriting brings on an entirely new set of "business" challenges. Mechanical licenses, Sync licenses, Publishing contracts, Copyrights, Pitching, Dealing with egos, Collecting money, Public relations, and on and on. Hey "I JUST WANTED TO WRITE GREAT SONGS!!! LOLOL. But, with success...here comes an entirely new set up business challenges to deal with. But...it is all part of this game. The good with the bad, so to speak.
4. Judgement Day!!! With some success comes the reviews of songs in magazines, talk in the industry about my songwriting, complimentary articles and some not so complimentary. The positive comments and the negative comments. Your songs are now "out there" for public scrutiny!! I've had people tell me that a song I wrote was "the worst song they'd ever heard!!" (the song was a #1 BTW). On the other hand I have heard from so many people with positive comments and encouragement!!! This is what gets me over the fear!! :)
Anyway, just a few thoughts on this Saturday morning. Fear of success for me is "real" and I'm still trying to conquer it, but I'm doing better I think. It's not that I don't want to succeed...quite the opposite...it is just uncharted territory and I guess fear of the unknown. It is a black box that unopened is a little scary. But, I've found that once you open the "box" while there are many new challenges it is NOT as scary as it was in my imagination along the way.
So...for sure don't let the fear of failure stop you!!! You will fail at 100% of everything that you don't try. But, more importantly, don't let the fear of success stop you either!!! Hopefully, you will be able to open that "box" and realize that while it is full of new challenges...it is full of great rewards too!!! :)
Remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on!
Brink
Thursday, March 19, 2015
The Itty Bitty Pity Committee
Have a few minutes to relax on this Thursday...some call it "throwback Thursday" on Facebook. With that in mind I thought I'd do a "throwback Thursday" blog and reflect on a time years ago when I use to walk the street of "Music Row" in Nashville (I hate to say how many years ago) along with some other songwriting friends. We would spend the day knocking on publishing houses trying to get anyone willing to listen...to listen. Then we'd drown our sorrows at a Nashville drinking establishment and compare notes and mostly complain about how we had all these good songs and no one would give them a sniff. I use to call our meetings "An Itty Bitty Pity Committee". We would commiserate and pretty much blame anyone and everyone else for our lack of success. We talked about how our songs are so much better than what we are hearing on the radio and how the "suits" listened to the music and if we could just get our songs right to the artist they for sure would cut them.
That was over 30 years ago and eventually there came a time I had basically given up on songwriting totally (and picking music for that matter). The level of frustration had beaten me down!! Then about 1992 I moved to Indianapolis and met some really fine pickers and started to rekindle the musical fire. I'll always be grateful for those Indy friends for doing that!!! :) I started to rethink, retool, and rededicate myself to songwriting and the music. I sat down and started to set goals, make a plan, evaluate my songs more objectively, dove into educating myself on the business of songwriting and excused myself from the "itty bitty pity committee" meeting. It was time to roll up my sleeves and be "ALL IN" to this songwriting thing! It was time to invest in my own success...not rely on others!! I'm always wary of someone that wants others to invest and take all the risk for their success. If you are NOT WILLING TO LAY EVERYTHING ON THE LINE to invest in your success...then maybe you aren't cut out for it. This can apply to life in general :) More than money, fame or anything else other than God and Family...is to have a PASSION in life!!!
You know, one of the hardest things to admit is that the songs that you have written are just NOT all that good. This was my case...oh sure, I thought they were great...BUT...in reality they were maybe "good" but far from "great". I go back and listen to some of the songs I was pitching in Nashville those days and pretty much "cringe"!!! I decided to study some of my songwriting heroes and their songs to try to close the large canyon/gap between my songs and the GREAT songs of my musical heroes. I decided to set goals and make a plan. Here are some of the things I wrote down and laid out:
1. I did a "Mission Statement"...What were my core values of music and songwriting?
2. I did a 5-year plan...Where did I want to be in 5 years on my songwriting journey?
3. I set "milestones"...little goals along the way...each that would move me toward my goal. These included things like "I will write everyday even if it is only for 15 minutes", "I will read one chapter in a songwriting book every week", "I will try to pitch one song every week" and on and on. Each of them gave me small "victories" along the way while pushing toward my major goals.
4. I vowed to STOP blaming others for my lack of songwriting success!!! The buck stops with me!! I got out of the itty bitty pity committee for good!
5. I committed to being "professional" at all times and "treat others with respect" whether they like my songs or not.
.
6. Surround myself with great songwriters to both learn from and to lift each other up!!! Celebrate all our successes and offer encouragement in a business that is full of negativity. Be truly HAPPY for someone else's success!!! NO ONE EVER GOT AHEAD BY TEARING OTHERS DOWN!!!
7. Vow to "DO THE RIGHT THINGS RIGHT"!! Like in any business if you concentrate on doing the right things right...success usually follows. The results will come. It changes your focus from complaining about NOT GETTING CUTS...to doing the right things right to achieve "cuts" and by doing that...the "cuts" will come if you have great songs :)
Anyway, I talk about this today because I've heard from several aspiring songwriters over the last few months who seem to be focusing on blaming the rest of the world for their lack of success rather than focusing internally on what they can do to improve. Their focus was on everyone else and how it was their fault for the lack of success. I can identify with that feeling and I saw myself 30+ years ago.
Now that being said...I know there are rare times now...but they do happen...where I'll slip into an "itty bitty pity committee" meeting, but I try not to spent much time there :) You shouldn't either!! Roll up your sleeves, get a plan, goals and milestones...work the plan...focus on doing the right things right and hopefully success will come...even if it doesn't it will be fun along the way because you are following your "passion"!!! :)
Have a GREAT Throwback Thursday and remember: Write more...whine less!!!!
Write on!!
Brink
That was over 30 years ago and eventually there came a time I had basically given up on songwriting totally (and picking music for that matter). The level of frustration had beaten me down!! Then about 1992 I moved to Indianapolis and met some really fine pickers and started to rekindle the musical fire. I'll always be grateful for those Indy friends for doing that!!! :) I started to rethink, retool, and rededicate myself to songwriting and the music. I sat down and started to set goals, make a plan, evaluate my songs more objectively, dove into educating myself on the business of songwriting and excused myself from the "itty bitty pity committee" meeting. It was time to roll up my sleeves and be "ALL IN" to this songwriting thing! It was time to invest in my own success...not rely on others!! I'm always wary of someone that wants others to invest and take all the risk for their success. If you are NOT WILLING TO LAY EVERYTHING ON THE LINE to invest in your success...then maybe you aren't cut out for it. This can apply to life in general :) More than money, fame or anything else other than God and Family...is to have a PASSION in life!!!
You know, one of the hardest things to admit is that the songs that you have written are just NOT all that good. This was my case...oh sure, I thought they were great...BUT...in reality they were maybe "good" but far from "great". I go back and listen to some of the songs I was pitching in Nashville those days and pretty much "cringe"!!! I decided to study some of my songwriting heroes and their songs to try to close the large canyon/gap between my songs and the GREAT songs of my musical heroes. I decided to set goals and make a plan. Here are some of the things I wrote down and laid out:
1. I did a "Mission Statement"...What were my core values of music and songwriting?
2. I did a 5-year plan...Where did I want to be in 5 years on my songwriting journey?
3. I set "milestones"...little goals along the way...each that would move me toward my goal. These included things like "I will write everyday even if it is only for 15 minutes", "I will read one chapter in a songwriting book every week", "I will try to pitch one song every week" and on and on. Each of them gave me small "victories" along the way while pushing toward my major goals.
4. I vowed to STOP blaming others for my lack of songwriting success!!! The buck stops with me!! I got out of the itty bitty pity committee for good!
5. I committed to being "professional" at all times and "treat others with respect" whether they like my songs or not.
.
6. Surround myself with great songwriters to both learn from and to lift each other up!!! Celebrate all our successes and offer encouragement in a business that is full of negativity. Be truly HAPPY for someone else's success!!! NO ONE EVER GOT AHEAD BY TEARING OTHERS DOWN!!!
7. Vow to "DO THE RIGHT THINGS RIGHT"!! Like in any business if you concentrate on doing the right things right...success usually follows. The results will come. It changes your focus from complaining about NOT GETTING CUTS...to doing the right things right to achieve "cuts" and by doing that...the "cuts" will come if you have great songs :)
Anyway, I talk about this today because I've heard from several aspiring songwriters over the last few months who seem to be focusing on blaming the rest of the world for their lack of success rather than focusing internally on what they can do to improve. Their focus was on everyone else and how it was their fault for the lack of success. I can identify with that feeling and I saw myself 30+ years ago.
Now that being said...I know there are rare times now...but they do happen...where I'll slip into an "itty bitty pity committee" meeting, but I try not to spent much time there :) You shouldn't either!! Roll up your sleeves, get a plan, goals and milestones...work the plan...focus on doing the right things right and hopefully success will come...even if it doesn't it will be fun along the way because you are following your "passion"!!! :)
Have a GREAT Throwback Thursday and remember: Write more...whine less!!!!
Write on!!
Brink
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Songwriters and the Patience of Job
Patience...patience...patience!!! That is what I keep telling myself I need as a songwriter but I unfortunately was born with the patience of a 3 year old waiting to open presents on Christmas morning!!
One thing I've come to learn about the music business: The wheels turn slower than the Congress trying to pass a bipartisan bill!!!
Ok...that's enough of that :) But, my thoughts for today turn to how much patience a songwriter has to have:
The first thing is that there is no time frame to finish writing a song. I've written songs that have taken me 15 minutes and others taken me 15 years to finalize everything. It is hard to have patience as "a song will tend to finish itself...in it's own time". If you rush a song "just to finish it", it will be compromised in some way, shape or form. It still may be a good song, but probably could have been better. Sometimes the best thing you can do is give the song a "rest". Put it away for a while and come back to it fresh at another time...Patience!!
The second time you need patience is when you are "vetting" your new song to gauge how strong of a song you might have. The urge is to pitch a song IMMEDIATELY after you put the pen down...crank out a demo and send away. The better way is to play the song for a while and get the kinks out...get it comfortable...many times phrasing will change somewhat and be more natural, sometimes you can drop a few "ands", "ifs" "buts" etc after singing for a while. Then after you play it for many of your trusted friends, you then can make a determination how strong the song really is. This period of "vetting" is valuable to make sure your "product" is as high quality as you can get it and you aren't sending out songs that are just "good" and not "great"
The third time a songwriter needs patience is after they have contacted the artist/band and they are ok to send a few songs and load up 2-3 mp3's and send them on their journey to be considered for recording. This is hard, as you never know exactly when an artist or band will be going through and listening to new material, they may not know exactly when they will be in the studio next, will they even listen to your songs??? Either way artists/musicians are not known for their communication skills in getting back to songwriters overall. There are some artists that are VERY good at communicating with songwriters and believe me...THAT IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!! :) But I've come to know that the norm is unless the artist is actually considering your song you won't hear a word back about the fate of the songs you've pitched. I'm not complaining or throwing darts...it is just a reality in this business and if you can't live with that maybe another vocation is in order LOLOL! :)
OK...on to number four. The fourth time you need patience is when an artist/band puts a song "on hold". "HOLDS" are funny things and are up for grabs as to how to handle them. How long do you hold a song for an artist?? How solid is the "hold"?? Anyway...a "hold" can tie up a song for a period from a few days to a few months to a year or more depending on what you agree to with that artist. Again, you may or may not hear a word about your song. I've had songs "on hold" for months only to contact the band and find out their new album was recorded two months ago and my "hold" didn't make it. In the meantime...you guessed it...you must have PATIENCE to wait it out per your agreement.
Number five is when the artist finally says..."YES...we want to cut your song!!!!" Woohoo...all is right with the world and the planets have aligned!!! Or have they??? I've had too many songs get recorded and then after the recording the song just didn't turn out as great as planned and ends up on the "cutting room floor"...recorded BUT not on the album. It happens and is just one of the hazards of songwriting. If you write songs long enough it will happen to you. No one to blame...some songs just don't work out and I always appreciate the band/artist giving it a shot!! One thing to remember: VINYL IS FINAL!!! Until I can hold that CD in my hand or download it off iTunes etc it is NOT...I repeat NOT final!!
The last "patience" required is a fun one and full of anticipation...that is the time between when you find out the song will make the album and the time you actually hear the final version of your song that will be on the project!!! This is a nervous time as you have an idea of how the song will sound in your head...but...very seldom does the final recording mirror that song in your head. Sometimes it is close...other times you aren't sure but the final version can grow on your over time. You may not care for the treatment of your song, especially if the artist has changed your lyrics, melody, chord structure, timing....all or some of these!!! Sometimes the changes are actually great...but...others make you cringe. And of course the best case scenario...the artist has HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK and you are blown away by how great your song sounds. This is what we write songs for!!!! :) The planets have aligned and all is right with the musical world!!! :)
Anyway, for someone like me, I understand that patience is a virtue...but it is a virtue I have very little of...but that being said, I'm getting better :) But have a long way to go!!! Just be patient with me!! LOLOL
Just some thoughts for today. Remember: Write more...whine less!!!
Write on!!!!
Brink
One thing I've come to learn about the music business: The wheels turn slower than the Congress trying to pass a bipartisan bill!!!
Ok...that's enough of that :) But, my thoughts for today turn to how much patience a songwriter has to have:
The first thing is that there is no time frame to finish writing a song. I've written songs that have taken me 15 minutes and others taken me 15 years to finalize everything. It is hard to have patience as "a song will tend to finish itself...in it's own time". If you rush a song "just to finish it", it will be compromised in some way, shape or form. It still may be a good song, but probably could have been better. Sometimes the best thing you can do is give the song a "rest". Put it away for a while and come back to it fresh at another time...Patience!!
The second time you need patience is when you are "vetting" your new song to gauge how strong of a song you might have. The urge is to pitch a song IMMEDIATELY after you put the pen down...crank out a demo and send away. The better way is to play the song for a while and get the kinks out...get it comfortable...many times phrasing will change somewhat and be more natural, sometimes you can drop a few "ands", "ifs" "buts" etc after singing for a while. Then after you play it for many of your trusted friends, you then can make a determination how strong the song really is. This period of "vetting" is valuable to make sure your "product" is as high quality as you can get it and you aren't sending out songs that are just "good" and not "great"
The third time a songwriter needs patience is after they have contacted the artist/band and they are ok to send a few songs and load up 2-3 mp3's and send them on their journey to be considered for recording. This is hard, as you never know exactly when an artist or band will be going through and listening to new material, they may not know exactly when they will be in the studio next, will they even listen to your songs??? Either way artists/musicians are not known for their communication skills in getting back to songwriters overall. There are some artists that are VERY good at communicating with songwriters and believe me...THAT IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!! :) But I've come to know that the norm is unless the artist is actually considering your song you won't hear a word back about the fate of the songs you've pitched. I'm not complaining or throwing darts...it is just a reality in this business and if you can't live with that maybe another vocation is in order LOLOL! :)
OK...on to number four. The fourth time you need patience is when an artist/band puts a song "on hold". "HOLDS" are funny things and are up for grabs as to how to handle them. How long do you hold a song for an artist?? How solid is the "hold"?? Anyway...a "hold" can tie up a song for a period from a few days to a few months to a year or more depending on what you agree to with that artist. Again, you may or may not hear a word about your song. I've had songs "on hold" for months only to contact the band and find out their new album was recorded two months ago and my "hold" didn't make it. In the meantime...you guessed it...you must have PATIENCE to wait it out per your agreement.
Number five is when the artist finally says..."YES...we want to cut your song!!!!" Woohoo...all is right with the world and the planets have aligned!!! Or have they??? I've had too many songs get recorded and then after the recording the song just didn't turn out as great as planned and ends up on the "cutting room floor"...recorded BUT not on the album. It happens and is just one of the hazards of songwriting. If you write songs long enough it will happen to you. No one to blame...some songs just don't work out and I always appreciate the band/artist giving it a shot!! One thing to remember: VINYL IS FINAL!!! Until I can hold that CD in my hand or download it off iTunes etc it is NOT...I repeat NOT final!!
The last "patience" required is a fun one and full of anticipation...that is the time between when you find out the song will make the album and the time you actually hear the final version of your song that will be on the project!!! This is a nervous time as you have an idea of how the song will sound in your head...but...very seldom does the final recording mirror that song in your head. Sometimes it is close...other times you aren't sure but the final version can grow on your over time. You may not care for the treatment of your song, especially if the artist has changed your lyrics, melody, chord structure, timing....all or some of these!!! Sometimes the changes are actually great...but...others make you cringe. And of course the best case scenario...the artist has HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK and you are blown away by how great your song sounds. This is what we write songs for!!!! :) The planets have aligned and all is right with the musical world!!! :)
Anyway, for someone like me, I understand that patience is a virtue...but it is a virtue I have very little of...but that being said, I'm getting better :) But have a long way to go!!! Just be patient with me!! LOLOL
Just some thoughts for today. Remember: Write more...whine less!!!
Write on!!!!
Brink
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Songwriting is Not Curing Cancer - Or Is It??
I made a whirlwind trip to Wisconsin to see my youngest sister Sara who just got out of the hospital as her cancer has returned. I know she will "beat it" again this time!!! I was met there by my sister Sue who is also battling cancer....the Big C!! Like so many I've come to HATE this word!!! Hate is a strong word but not strong enough for my feeling about cancer! Spending time together was great but way too short While there I got to play a little music and talk about old times and the future.
How does this relate to songwriting???....well...while songwriting can be a lot of work, pull your hair out frustrating, and down right hard...I many times make this comment about songwriting in my workshops:
"Songwriting HAS to be fun...we aren't curing cancer!!!"
Over the years I have seen music and songs that we write do wonders for people. Music is therapy, it makes people laugh and cry, it lifts the spirit...in other words it just might have "healing powers"!!! I may have a rethink my statement!! Just maybe we ARE curing cancer with the songs we create that touch people's hearts...the ones that lift their spirits. In fact, I KNOW that music and the songs we create can have a "healing effect" on the body and the spirit...I'm convinced of this!!!
Over the years I've been blessed to have been able to write a few songs that have truly touched people's lives...what an incredible feeling. I remember an email from a man from St. Louis who had fallen off a ladder and sustained life threatening injuries. He wrote me an email telling me he listened to my song "Beyond the Rain" every hour for eight straight days and it "got him through" the hard part of healing...kept his focus on hope and getting better! I got a note from a family in Arizona about this song telling me "Beyond the Rain" was their dad's favorite song...at his funeral they enlarged the lyrics on a poster going into the church and the last thing they did was put the words to "Beyond the Rain" in his casket before they closed it!! It helped the family cope with their father's death. Well, I can tell you that I about drenched my computer keyboard in tears reading these notes!!!
I know where much of my inspiration comes from and these times I am just the "messenger" and not the writer!! Because of this I AM POSITIVE that music and the songs we write have "healing power". My song "She's A Stranger In His Mind", about the cruel disease Alzheimer's, is a song that can rip your heart out but so many have come up to me to tell me that the song is "therapy" for them...it says the things that are just to painful to say out loud...the song says it for them and it gets them through some tough times! WOW!!! THIS IS POWERFUL STUFF!!!
So, I have decided to revise my comment that we are not curing cancer...because in some ways I KNOW we are. We still need to have fun songwriting...but...know that the music we create may touch hearts, souls and lives and yes......maybe just help cure cancer!!
Just some thoughts on this Sunday morning...I would ask if you are a praying person that you would send a prayer up for my sisters Sara and Sue...and while your at it maybe for all the other people out there dealing with illness!! Also maybe send up a prayer that the music we create as songwriter's would continue to make people laugh and cry...lift spirits and yes even add a healing power to the world!!
And remember when you are writing songs: SONGWRITING HAS TO BE FUN...WE JUST MIGHT BE CURING CANCER! :)
Write more...whine less!!!
Write on!!
Brink
How does this relate to songwriting???....well...while songwriting can be a lot of work, pull your hair out frustrating, and down right hard...I many times make this comment about songwriting in my workshops:
"Songwriting HAS to be fun...we aren't curing cancer!!!"
Over the years I have seen music and songs that we write do wonders for people. Music is therapy, it makes people laugh and cry, it lifts the spirit...in other words it just might have "healing powers"!!! I may have a rethink my statement!! Just maybe we ARE curing cancer with the songs we create that touch people's hearts...the ones that lift their spirits. In fact, I KNOW that music and the songs we create can have a "healing effect" on the body and the spirit...I'm convinced of this!!!
Over the years I've been blessed to have been able to write a few songs that have truly touched people's lives...what an incredible feeling. I remember an email from a man from St. Louis who had fallen off a ladder and sustained life threatening injuries. He wrote me an email telling me he listened to my song "Beyond the Rain" every hour for eight straight days and it "got him through" the hard part of healing...kept his focus on hope and getting better! I got a note from a family in Arizona about this song telling me "Beyond the Rain" was their dad's favorite song...at his funeral they enlarged the lyrics on a poster going into the church and the last thing they did was put the words to "Beyond the Rain" in his casket before they closed it!! It helped the family cope with their father's death. Well, I can tell you that I about drenched my computer keyboard in tears reading these notes!!!
I know where much of my inspiration comes from and these times I am just the "messenger" and not the writer!! Because of this I AM POSITIVE that music and the songs we write have "healing power". My song "She's A Stranger In His Mind", about the cruel disease Alzheimer's, is a song that can rip your heart out but so many have come up to me to tell me that the song is "therapy" for them...it says the things that are just to painful to say out loud...the song says it for them and it gets them through some tough times! WOW!!! THIS IS POWERFUL STUFF!!!
So, I have decided to revise my comment that we are not curing cancer...because in some ways I KNOW we are. We still need to have fun songwriting...but...know that the music we create may touch hearts, souls and lives and yes......maybe just help cure cancer!!
Just some thoughts on this Sunday morning...I would ask if you are a praying person that you would send a prayer up for my sisters Sara and Sue...and while your at it maybe for all the other people out there dealing with illness!! Also maybe send up a prayer that the music we create as songwriter's would continue to make people laugh and cry...lift spirits and yes even add a healing power to the world!!
And remember when you are writing songs: SONGWRITING HAS TO BE FUN...WE JUST MIGHT BE CURING CANCER! :)
Write more...whine less!!!
Write on!!
Brink
Thursday, March 12, 2015
A Great Song Will Find It's Way Out
Yesterday I mentioned a quote from the incredible songwriter Paul Craft. Sadly, the music world lost a great songwriter this past year. I had the privilege to hear him and talk to him a few times and it was always enlightening and funny. I loved his sense of humor.
It was quite a few years ago I was at Nashcamp at the beautiful Droulliard Mansion in Cumberland Furnace, TN. Paul and I had breakfast together on the huge porch overlooking the rolling hills and live oaks. What a beautiful setting! Anyway, I was struggling with knowing who to pitch songs to and wanted his opinion. At that time in my songwriting journey, if I had what I thought was a "great" song I would be VERY stingy with it and not play it for any artist whom I didn't think "worthy" of such a "great" song. What he told me that morning changed the way I look at pitching songs from that day forward! Paul looked at me and said, "Look...a great song will find its way out!!! Just get it "cut" by a decent band that will do a good job with it...after that people will start to hear it and A GREAT SONG WILL ALWAYS FIND ITS WAY OUT!!!"
I can remember sitting there going "Really???". I took his advice to heart and changed my pitching philosophy that day!! He did go on to say that you don't want the first representation of your song to be recorded by the local band "Joe Blow & the Booger Boys" who can't even play a decent G chord...but...his point was "just get your song heard"!! And one of the best ways to begin having your song 'heard' is to get it cut by a decent band.
All this being said...if I think I have finished a GREAT song (as least in my mind) and I've "vetted" it among friends, fans, audiences, jams etc then I still will try to pitch to a "top tier" of artists first. But, that being said, I have come to this conclusion:
I TRULY APPRECIATE ANY BAND THAT RECORDS ONE OF MY SONGS!!!!
Every band whether and "A" level band or "C" level band or whatever...the fact that they would think enough of one of my songs to include it on a recording gets me excited!!! Sure, I'd love to get that Garth Brooks cut!! LOLOL But, in my old age (or my maturity as a songwriter LOL) I've come to appreciate EVERY cut of my songs no matter who records them. Every time I sit down to write I try to write the "best song I know how". Some turn out to be stinkers and some thankfully turn out pretty good :) I've come to the conclusion that while I write songs for myself...
I WRITE SONGS FOR PEOPLE TO SING THEM AND ENJOY THEM!!!
So, a big THANK YOU to Paul Craft for that advice over breakfast!! It changed my songwriting life forever. So get out there and "get your songs heard", "get someone to cut the song" and in the end...hopefully...A GREAT SONG WILL FIND ITS WAY OUT!!!
Thoughts for today...your mileage may vary and remember: Write more...whine less!!!
Write on!!!
Brink
It was quite a few years ago I was at Nashcamp at the beautiful Droulliard Mansion in Cumberland Furnace, TN. Paul and I had breakfast together on the huge porch overlooking the rolling hills and live oaks. What a beautiful setting! Anyway, I was struggling with knowing who to pitch songs to and wanted his opinion. At that time in my songwriting journey, if I had what I thought was a "great" song I would be VERY stingy with it and not play it for any artist whom I didn't think "worthy" of such a "great" song. What he told me that morning changed the way I look at pitching songs from that day forward! Paul looked at me and said, "Look...a great song will find its way out!!! Just get it "cut" by a decent band that will do a good job with it...after that people will start to hear it and A GREAT SONG WILL ALWAYS FIND ITS WAY OUT!!!"
I can remember sitting there going "Really???". I took his advice to heart and changed my pitching philosophy that day!! He did go on to say that you don't want the first representation of your song to be recorded by the local band "Joe Blow & the Booger Boys" who can't even play a decent G chord...but...his point was "just get your song heard"!! And one of the best ways to begin having your song 'heard' is to get it cut by a decent band.
All this being said...if I think I have finished a GREAT song (as least in my mind) and I've "vetted" it among friends, fans, audiences, jams etc then I still will try to pitch to a "top tier" of artists first. But, that being said, I have come to this conclusion:
I TRULY APPRECIATE ANY BAND THAT RECORDS ONE OF MY SONGS!!!!
Every band whether and "A" level band or "C" level band or whatever...the fact that they would think enough of one of my songs to include it on a recording gets me excited!!! Sure, I'd love to get that Garth Brooks cut!! LOLOL But, in my old age (or my maturity as a songwriter LOL) I've come to appreciate EVERY cut of my songs no matter who records them. Every time I sit down to write I try to write the "best song I know how". Some turn out to be stinkers and some thankfully turn out pretty good :) I've come to the conclusion that while I write songs for myself...
I WRITE SONGS FOR PEOPLE TO SING THEM AND ENJOY THEM!!!
So, a big THANK YOU to Paul Craft for that advice over breakfast!! It changed my songwriting life forever. So get out there and "get your songs heard", "get someone to cut the song" and in the end...hopefully...A GREAT SONG WILL FIND ITS WAY OUT!!!
Thoughts for today...your mileage may vary and remember: Write more...whine less!!!
Write on!!!
Brink
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
The Magic Bullet - Elbow Grease!
The other day I was watching the documentary "The History of the Eagles" (very good watch BTW), and one of my favorite clips is when Glen Frey talks about moving to California and living in a cheap "flat". He tells how Jackson Browne lived below him in pretty much a one room apartment that was kind of like his basement. Glen at that time didn't really write many songs and tells how he learned to write songs by listening to Jackson through his floor. You see, every morning about 9am Jackson's teapot would whistle and a couple minutes later he'd start to hear the piano. He would play the same verse riff over and over 20 times till he got it right...then he'd play the chorus over and over 20 times...then it would stop for a while and the teapot would whistle again....then he'd hear a second verse start to develop and he'd play that 20 times and then go back and play the whole thing 20 times. Glen goes on to say "So that's how it's done!!!! ELBOW GREASE....HARD WORK!!!".
I love the advice my dad gave me years ago when I was a kid. He told me that in life it seems that there are folks that seem to get lucky all the time. And then he would tell me his definition of "luck":
LUCK = When hard work and preparation meet opportunity!!
I've never forgotten that. Folks want to win the lottery and bypass the "work" and you know there are people that beat the 1:5,000,000,000 odds but there are the other 4,999,999,999 that pretty much just throw away their money. It is kind of like that with some songwriters. They want to write a couple songs and win the lottery...have a BIG name record it and make them a millionaire. I guess it has happened out there but the odds are like the lottery! To paraphrase from a Carl Jackson song "On the highway of life there ain't no exit to "easy street".
Whether people will believe it or not....SONGWRITING IS HARD WORK!...ELBOW GREASE!
Many times folks come to me and ask my opinion/help as to why they haven't had much success as a songwriter. Here is most times the conversation goes:
Me: Do you have a great song?
Answer: Oh yeah...it's better than most of what I hear out there.
Me: How do you know it's great?
Answer: My friends all tell me it is amazing!
Me: OK..let's assume it is a great song. What have you done to get the song heard?
Answer: I've sent it out a few times but I never hear from anyone.
Me: Have you gone to any seminars or trade shows? Have you shook hands with people in the industry and made connections, built relationships, "network"??
Answer: No, those are expensive and I don't really have the time to do any of those things.
Me: So, you don't want to invest in your songwriting...but...you want success to just fall out of the sky and hit you on the head?
You see commitment and hard work are just that...it is the "behind the scenes" stuff that no one sees. The hours of studying songwriting, honing your craft, the failures that help you learn, the goal setting, the follow through!! The elbow grease!! No one sees the hours, days, weeks and even years of hard work that finally paid off with a "cut" on someones album. Just like no one saw the thousands of times Michael Jordan practiced a game winning shot with no one watching...they just remember how he always made that game winning shot look so easy...he's a natural...but in reality it is "elbow grease". Why do some people think it is any different for a songwriter?
Years ago I was privileged to sit next to Tom T. Hall at IBMA in Louisville, KY. He asked me why was I there? Do I play in a band? I said, "I'm a songwriter". He then asked me "That's great...did you write anything today?"...I said "no". He then asked, "Did you write anything yesterday?" I said, "no". Then he said a few words that hit me like a brick...Tom T. said, "THEN YOU AIN'T A SONGWRITER!!!" It literally through me back in the chair!! It hit me pretty hard and on first blush sounded a little "rude"...BUT...I then realized that one of the best songwriters on the planet had just giving me some INVALUABLE advice!!! It that one sentence he was telling me that "Songwriting is hard work...you've got to write every day!! You've got to perfect your craft over years working behind the scenes with commitment!!
Sure...you need talent...but talent alone is just that..."potential". Focus, commitment, goal setting, hard work, studying, honing your craft....ELBOW GREASE!!! Yeah that's the key!!
Sometimes I get asked...do you ever write a bad song? My standard answer is that I have a closet full of "stinkers" in my bedroom that never see the light of day!! You see, you have to keep writing...keep working...keep doing the hard work so you are prepared when opportunity opens up = "luck" as my dad told me. I sat in a workshop with the late great Paul Craft and one of the students asked..."I've written a few songs...now what do I do???" Paul never batted an eye and said "Write another one!!!". He got a laugh from the audience but it was dead serious advice. Write another one...and another one...and learn along the way. Put in the hours, have a goal, learn from anyone you can, attend workshops...yup...ELBOW GREASE...that's the ticket!! :)
Just a few thoughts this morning :) Your mileage may vary. Remember: Write more...whine less!!!!
Write on!!
Brink
I love the advice my dad gave me years ago when I was a kid. He told me that in life it seems that there are folks that seem to get lucky all the time. And then he would tell me his definition of "luck":
LUCK = When hard work and preparation meet opportunity!!
I've never forgotten that. Folks want to win the lottery and bypass the "work" and you know there are people that beat the 1:5,000,000,000 odds but there are the other 4,999,999,999 that pretty much just throw away their money. It is kind of like that with some songwriters. They want to write a couple songs and win the lottery...have a BIG name record it and make them a millionaire. I guess it has happened out there but the odds are like the lottery! To paraphrase from a Carl Jackson song "On the highway of life there ain't no exit to "easy street".
Whether people will believe it or not....SONGWRITING IS HARD WORK!...ELBOW GREASE!
Many times folks come to me and ask my opinion/help as to why they haven't had much success as a songwriter. Here is most times the conversation goes:
Me: Do you have a great song?
Answer: Oh yeah...it's better than most of what I hear out there.
Me: How do you know it's great?
Answer: My friends all tell me it is amazing!
Me: OK..let's assume it is a great song. What have you done to get the song heard?
Answer: I've sent it out a few times but I never hear from anyone.
Me: Have you gone to any seminars or trade shows? Have you shook hands with people in the industry and made connections, built relationships, "network"??
Answer: No, those are expensive and I don't really have the time to do any of those things.
Me: So, you don't want to invest in your songwriting...but...you want success to just fall out of the sky and hit you on the head?
You see commitment and hard work are just that...it is the "behind the scenes" stuff that no one sees. The hours of studying songwriting, honing your craft, the failures that help you learn, the goal setting, the follow through!! The elbow grease!! No one sees the hours, days, weeks and even years of hard work that finally paid off with a "cut" on someones album. Just like no one saw the thousands of times Michael Jordan practiced a game winning shot with no one watching...they just remember how he always made that game winning shot look so easy...he's a natural...but in reality it is "elbow grease". Why do some people think it is any different for a songwriter?
Years ago I was privileged to sit next to Tom T. Hall at IBMA in Louisville, KY. He asked me why was I there? Do I play in a band? I said, "I'm a songwriter". He then asked me "That's great...did you write anything today?"...I said "no". He then asked, "Did you write anything yesterday?" I said, "no". Then he said a few words that hit me like a brick...Tom T. said, "THEN YOU AIN'T A SONGWRITER!!!" It literally through me back in the chair!! It hit me pretty hard and on first blush sounded a little "rude"...BUT...I then realized that one of the best songwriters on the planet had just giving me some INVALUABLE advice!!! It that one sentence he was telling me that "Songwriting is hard work...you've got to write every day!! You've got to perfect your craft over years working behind the scenes with commitment!!
Sure...you need talent...but talent alone is just that..."potential". Focus, commitment, goal setting, hard work, studying, honing your craft....ELBOW GREASE!!! Yeah that's the key!!
Sometimes I get asked...do you ever write a bad song? My standard answer is that I have a closet full of "stinkers" in my bedroom that never see the light of day!! You see, you have to keep writing...keep working...keep doing the hard work so you are prepared when opportunity opens up = "luck" as my dad told me. I sat in a workshop with the late great Paul Craft and one of the students asked..."I've written a few songs...now what do I do???" Paul never batted an eye and said "Write another one!!!". He got a laugh from the audience but it was dead serious advice. Write another one...and another one...and learn along the way. Put in the hours, have a goal, learn from anyone you can, attend workshops...yup...ELBOW GREASE...that's the ticket!! :)
Just a few thoughts this morning :) Your mileage may vary. Remember: Write more...whine less!!!!
Write on!!
Brink
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Writing to a Rhyme: The Kiss of Death
I was listening to a song that someone wrote on youtube the other day and all I could do is shake my head. It was one of those "gag me" reactions of the songwriter basically writing a song around a "rhyme" and not considering the what they "REALLY" wanted to say. Of course this is the "hard part" of writing a song. In my opinion, the CONTENT of a song and WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY trumps the rhyme EVERY time (hmmmm...that rhymes LOL).
The song was like:
We fell in love...fit like a glove...like two turtle doves....OMG!!!!! Of course you have "perfect rhymes" and I'm not against using perfect rhymes when they say EXACTLY what you want to say and bring out the EXACT emotion that you want to convey to the listener. OK...so my good buddy Wyatt McCubbin and I wrote a song recently called "Diggin' Up Roots". I'm going to share the first verse to maybe illustrate my point here:
"Diggin' Up Roots" copyright 2015 Mark "Brink" Brinkman & Wyatt McCubbin
"Grandpa had two hands of steel
A heart of gold and an iron will
A silver star from a battlefield in Vietnam
He had more backbone than twenty men
When wrong was wrong he'd take a stand
When right was right he wouldn't bend for anyone."
OK...now that you've read the first verse did the lack of "rhyme" bother you????
Or do you LOVE IT???
The pattern is rhyming the last word of the first 2 lines, the third to last word in the 3rd and 6th lines and the last word in the 3rd and 6th lines. I love this type of pattern but it many times is a major STRUGGLE to make is work...but...if you can make it work it is VERY KEWL!!!! :)
Anyway, look at the rhymes:
Steel - Will - Battlefield
Vietnam - Anyone
Men - Stand - Bend
None of them really "rhyme" BUT then say EXACTLY what we wanted to say in the line. Also, perfect rhymes can be extremely predictable and many times "cliche". There are many forms of rhymes that I teach in my workshops and just too big of a topic to discuss in a "blog" so I'll leave that for the workshops :)
So to sum up: Perfect rhymes are great BUT ONLY IF THEY DON'T WATER DOWN THE MEANING OF THE LINE!!! Using "near rhymes" are most times more interesting to the listener as they are unpredictable, less "cliche", hopefully more ON POINT with the meaning and emotion that you are trying to convey and also the world of "near rhymes" opens up a entire new world of possibilities for finding that PERFECT WORD that says EXACTLY what you want to say!!!
Hope this makes some sense :)
Have a great weekend and remember: Write more - Whine less!!!
Write on!!!
Brink
The song was like:
We fell in love...fit like a glove...like two turtle doves....OMG!!!!! Of course you have "perfect rhymes" and I'm not against using perfect rhymes when they say EXACTLY what you want to say and bring out the EXACT emotion that you want to convey to the listener. OK...so my good buddy Wyatt McCubbin and I wrote a song recently called "Diggin' Up Roots". I'm going to share the first verse to maybe illustrate my point here:
"Diggin' Up Roots" copyright 2015 Mark "Brink" Brinkman & Wyatt McCubbin
"Grandpa had two hands of steel
A heart of gold and an iron will
A silver star from a battlefield in Vietnam
He had more backbone than twenty men
When wrong was wrong he'd take a stand
When right was right he wouldn't bend for anyone."
OK...now that you've read the first verse did the lack of "rhyme" bother you????
Or do you LOVE IT???
The pattern is rhyming the last word of the first 2 lines, the third to last word in the 3rd and 6th lines and the last word in the 3rd and 6th lines. I love this type of pattern but it many times is a major STRUGGLE to make is work...but...if you can make it work it is VERY KEWL!!!! :)
Anyway, look at the rhymes:
Steel - Will - Battlefield
Vietnam - Anyone
Men - Stand - Bend
None of them really "rhyme" BUT then say EXACTLY what we wanted to say in the line. Also, perfect rhymes can be extremely predictable and many times "cliche". There are many forms of rhymes that I teach in my workshops and just too big of a topic to discuss in a "blog" so I'll leave that for the workshops :)
So to sum up: Perfect rhymes are great BUT ONLY IF THEY DON'T WATER DOWN THE MEANING OF THE LINE!!! Using "near rhymes" are most times more interesting to the listener as they are unpredictable, less "cliche", hopefully more ON POINT with the meaning and emotion that you are trying to convey and also the world of "near rhymes" opens up a entire new world of possibilities for finding that PERFECT WORD that says EXACTLY what you want to say!!!
Hope this makes some sense :)
Have a great weekend and remember: Write more - Whine less!!!
Write on!!!
Brink
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Getting Your Songwriter's "Groove On"
I was writing a new song via "Skype" with my buddy Tony Rackley from South Carolina yesterday. Tony co-wrote the song "Old New Straitsville Moonshine Run" with me that Greg Cahill and the boys from Special Consensus recorded (GREAT RECORDING by the way!!).
Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5g0WlaLLHw
Tony had an idea and we ended up with another "shine" song LOL...hey, never enough of those...right???
Anyway, we had the lyric and the melody fairly well nailed down. Now....TO FIND THE GROOVE!!! This particular song actually sounds good either really fast ("burner") or in the what I would call "medium drive" category. But, how do we go about finding the exact "groove" for this one??
First a couple things:
1. Speed DOES NOT equal GROOVE or DRIVE!!!
You can have a song that is slow but has that "groove" that you can't help but sway to or just "feel"!! In addition...playing a song too fast many times destroys the "groove". "Drive" is talked about a lot in bluegrass music and so many times playing a song TOO FAST actually destroys the "drive" or "groove" of the song.
2. Small changes in tempo and make BIG changes in the "groove"!!!
A couple of clicks in BPM (beats per minute) can completely change the feel of a song and can ruin or enhance the "groove". Don't underestimate the effect of moving the tempo a couple BPM either way!!
So...how do I find the "groove"????
You need a metronome!!! This should be a MUST HAVE for every songwriting to have in their songwriter tool box. Click tracks have been used for years in recording but with the availability of the smart phone, iPad, computer etc there is NO excuse for not having a metronome any more!! There are so many free apps out there it is crazy...so do you have a metronome app on your device??? Why not...go and get one NOW!! :)
So now that I have my metronome...fire that baby up and set an approximate BPM for your new song. Play along and sing...does it feel a little "draggy"? Does it feel "rushed"? At first I usually make some larger jumps just to test the limits and eliminate the wide swings and begin to "hone in" on that perfect "groove". Some writers say they try to match the listeners "heart rate". So if you are writing a slow ballad people probably are sitting listening to the song quietly and may start around 70 BPM. But if the song could be used during a workout on a treadmill to run to...well...I wouldn't know much about the running part LOL...but maybe you'd start out at 120 or even 140 BPM and adjust from there.
Either way keep making up and down adjustments while experimenting and honing in on that perfect BPM. I have a song that I wrote with my buddy Wyatt McCubbin where we even went back and forth between 116 and 117...funny but it sure seemed like ONE click made a difference :) Or maybe it was just us LOLOL!!!
Now getting to using a click track during the recording of the demo. I HATE playing to a click track as while it keeps you rock solid on the tempo...it hinders the song from "breathing". So it is a double edged sword!! My co-writer Mike Evans is a MONSTER rhythm guitar player!! One of the best...he can find that BPM...that "groove" without the click track and stay on it like walking on the top of a fence!!! Amazing and I love the demos we do with Mike playing rhythm guitar. the "GROOVE" never wavers!! Me...I'm not that great at it so sometimes I need the click and sometimes I can hang it without it...your mileage may vary.
Anyway...will be writing again today with Wyatt McCubbin and hopefully we'll finish one that we started a while back and start on another idea that I have :) We are planning on doing a couple/three guitar-vocal demos, so him and I will be doing this exercise today for sure and trying to find that perfect "groove"!! So, after you finish your song...fire up that metronome and get your "groove" on!!! It makes a BIG difference in the FEEL of your song to the listener!! :)
Have a GREAT day and remember: Write more...whine less!!!
Write on!!!
Brink
Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5g0WlaLLHw
Tony had an idea and we ended up with another "shine" song LOL...hey, never enough of those...right???
Anyway, we had the lyric and the melody fairly well nailed down. Now....TO FIND THE GROOVE!!! This particular song actually sounds good either really fast ("burner") or in the what I would call "medium drive" category. But, how do we go about finding the exact "groove" for this one??
First a couple things:
1. Speed DOES NOT equal GROOVE or DRIVE!!!
You can have a song that is slow but has that "groove" that you can't help but sway to or just "feel"!! In addition...playing a song too fast many times destroys the "groove". "Drive" is talked about a lot in bluegrass music and so many times playing a song TOO FAST actually destroys the "drive" or "groove" of the song.
2. Small changes in tempo and make BIG changes in the "groove"!!!
A couple of clicks in BPM (beats per minute) can completely change the feel of a song and can ruin or enhance the "groove". Don't underestimate the effect of moving the tempo a couple BPM either way!!
So...how do I find the "groove"????
You need a metronome!!! This should be a MUST HAVE for every songwriting to have in their songwriter tool box. Click tracks have been used for years in recording but with the availability of the smart phone, iPad, computer etc there is NO excuse for not having a metronome any more!! There are so many free apps out there it is crazy...so do you have a metronome app on your device??? Why not...go and get one NOW!! :)
So now that I have my metronome...fire that baby up and set an approximate BPM for your new song. Play along and sing...does it feel a little "draggy"? Does it feel "rushed"? At first I usually make some larger jumps just to test the limits and eliminate the wide swings and begin to "hone in" on that perfect "groove". Some writers say they try to match the listeners "heart rate". So if you are writing a slow ballad people probably are sitting listening to the song quietly and may start around 70 BPM. But if the song could be used during a workout on a treadmill to run to...well...I wouldn't know much about the running part LOL...but maybe you'd start out at 120 or even 140 BPM and adjust from there.
Either way keep making up and down adjustments while experimenting and honing in on that perfect BPM. I have a song that I wrote with my buddy Wyatt McCubbin where we even went back and forth between 116 and 117...funny but it sure seemed like ONE click made a difference :) Or maybe it was just us LOLOL!!!
Now getting to using a click track during the recording of the demo. I HATE playing to a click track as while it keeps you rock solid on the tempo...it hinders the song from "breathing". So it is a double edged sword!! My co-writer Mike Evans is a MONSTER rhythm guitar player!! One of the best...he can find that BPM...that "groove" without the click track and stay on it like walking on the top of a fence!!! Amazing and I love the demos we do with Mike playing rhythm guitar. the "GROOVE" never wavers!! Me...I'm not that great at it so sometimes I need the click and sometimes I can hang it without it...your mileage may vary.
Anyway...will be writing again today with Wyatt McCubbin and hopefully we'll finish one that we started a while back and start on another idea that I have :) We are planning on doing a couple/three guitar-vocal demos, so him and I will be doing this exercise today for sure and trying to find that perfect "groove"!! So, after you finish your song...fire up that metronome and get your "groove" on!!! It makes a BIG difference in the FEEL of your song to the listener!! :)
Have a GREAT day and remember: Write more...whine less!!!
Write on!!!
Brink
Monday, March 2, 2015
Prosody: Do You Have It???
Well a strange bright yellow object appeared in the sky this morning and about scared the heck out of me!!! :) Working on a new song and thinking about "prosody".
What the heck is "prosody"??? And why is it important to me in my songwriting. Lack of prosody in songs is one of my major pet peeves when I listen to a song!!
Here is my definition of "prosody": The perfect marriage between lyric and melody!
That means not putting a three syllable word over one note, putting an accent in musically that causes you to put the accent on the wrong syllable of a word, etc. When you have "prosody" the song should just roll off the singers tongue easily. It can help to make a song "conversational" which is VERY important to me in my songwriting. One trick that I try to use to make a song "conversational" is SPEAK the line!! When you speak a sentence it has a natural "melody" to the words...you don't speak in monotone (well my old biology teacher did in Jr. High but that's another story..kind of like "Bueller!!" LOLOL) but I digress...Every sentence will go up and down when spoken naturally. I try to create a melody that somewhat mirrors the natural speaking tones and notes of that sentence. Combining that with a melody that mirrors the meter you can create songs that not only sing easily but are easy to listen to, sound natural and genuine and NOT FORCED! :)
Anyway...back to my song that I'm working on for the day. As always...you mileage may vary :)
Remember: Write more...whine less!!
Write on!!
Brink
What the heck is "prosody"??? And why is it important to me in my songwriting. Lack of prosody in songs is one of my major pet peeves when I listen to a song!!
Here is my definition of "prosody": The perfect marriage between lyric and melody!
That means not putting a three syllable word over one note, putting an accent in musically that causes you to put the accent on the wrong syllable of a word, etc. When you have "prosody" the song should just roll off the singers tongue easily. It can help to make a song "conversational" which is VERY important to me in my songwriting. One trick that I try to use to make a song "conversational" is SPEAK the line!! When you speak a sentence it has a natural "melody" to the words...you don't speak in monotone (well my old biology teacher did in Jr. High but that's another story..kind of like "Bueller!!" LOLOL) but I digress...Every sentence will go up and down when spoken naturally. I try to create a melody that somewhat mirrors the natural speaking tones and notes of that sentence. Combining that with a melody that mirrors the meter you can create songs that not only sing easily but are easy to listen to, sound natural and genuine and NOT FORCED! :)
Anyway...back to my song that I'm working on for the day. As always...you mileage may vary :)
Remember: Write more...whine less!!
Write on!!
Brink
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