On many band buses etc there lives a "shoebox" (or other box to put CD's that they are pitched on the road). There is also a garbage bag where many of the pitched CD's end up in without a listen. The shoebox contains CD's that may get listened to when the band/artist is getting ready to head into the studio. The best result that you can hope for from a "pitch" is that the band/artist gives your song a "serious listen". At that point the song has to stand on it's own.
So...how can you increase the odds that your CD will get into the Shoebox and not into the Garbage bag??
Rule #1 for me is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS BE PROFESSIONAL!! Sometimes I feel sorry for artists that are open to a "pitch" out on the road as they are bombarded by all kinds of songwriters trying to ram a song down their throat. What are some of the things a songwriter can do to be professional. A few thoughts:
1. Always RESPECT the artist's time!!! The timing of the "pitch" is critical!! This means things like DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF PEOPLE WANTING TO BUY THE ARTIST'S PRODUCTS TO DO A PITCH!!! You can all but guarantee your demo CD will hit the garbage bag!
2. Don't ask to use the artist's guitar to play your latest great song if you don't know the artist WELL!!! And even then you should wait until the artist might offer the instrument for you to play the song. Steve Gulley was telling me of a time that a guy asked to use his guitar at the record table to play him a song. First, Steve didn't know the guy from Adam and he, like most artists, had a very valuable guitar. Was the guy even a decent guitar player or maybe he would put scratches on the front from a pick etc. Just a no-no!!!
3. INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY!!!! Just as in everyday life...as a songwriter you only have two things that you should guard with your life!!! I heard the analogy years ago that everyone has a bucket full of water where the water in the bucket represents your credibility and integrity. Every time you tell a lie, do someone wrong,break a promise or other you put a hole in that bucket and the water (credibility) starts draining out. The more holes you put in your bucket the faster it drains out until you may have zero credibility and integrity. Once you lose all your water it takes A LONG LONG TIME to repair the holes and fill the bucket back up. When you promise a song to someone...KEEP IT....If you promise to do something...DO IT!! If you lose your integrity and/or credibility you are sunk...and the songwriting/music community is a small circle and word will travel FAST!!! KEEP YOUR BUCKET FULL!!!!
4. BE A GOOD PERSON!! This may seem like a stupid thing to list but it is so many times forgotten. I would rather have artists say that I'm a good person or a "great guy" than ever get a "cut" (of course I LOVE cuts!!!) but it is more important to be a good person in my opinion. Be kind, be fun and upbeat, be positive, be someone that when an artist sees you coming they welcome you with open arms and not feel like running the other way..."oh let's get out of here...I see Brink heading our way!!! LOLOL.
Bottom line is I don't care HOW GOOD your song is...HOW GOOD the demo is...if you can't get the artist to listen you might as well have stayed home. I love the fact that many times I can talk to an artist in Bluegrass, Americana, Gospel and Folk and feel a great PRIVILEGE that an artist would allow me to pitch them a song. I try NOT to abuse the privilege!!! Now "country music"...well...we WON'T go there this morning!!! :)
So, these are a few thoughts this morning on getting songs into the "Shoebox" and avoiding the "Garbage Bag" :) Your mileage may vary.
Remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on!!!
Brink
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
A Cover For Every Pot
I was talking on the phone with my songwriting friend, Chuck Williams, and he was voicing his frustration about pitching songs and never hearing anything and how all of this can "get you down". It brought back memories of a phrase my Grandma use to say all the time. My wonderful Grandma Rislow use to tell all of us kids, when we were wondering if we'd every meet someone we could marry, "Don't worry...there's a cover for every pot!". I can't help but think of Grandma and this phrase when I get frustrated that a song I have written and pitched for sometimes years still has not been picked up and recorded.
Many times I have gone through my "vetting process" with a song. That is, play it for friends, played it at shows and jams, bounced it of other trusted musicians and songwriters and in my heart I know I have a "record worthy" song. I listen to the demo and see if it does the song justice and to see if another demo might help. Still, there are songs that I have finished that seem to be great songs and in my mind I say to myself "this song will go fast!!!", so I start pitching and maybe 2-3 years later no one has given the song much of a "sniff". I've scratched my head so much on this stuff that I've lost all my hair :) LOLOL.
Here is where I have to hear and listen to my Grandma's voice..."Don't worry...there's a cover for every pot!". I am convinced there is an artist for every great song and whether I like it or not it will happen "in its own time"!! As Hall of Fame songwriter Paul Craft once told me "A great song will find its way out"! I talked about "patience" as a songwriter in a previous blog and the fact that I don't have it in spades so I struggle with all of this.
An article I read one time said that a song takes on average 8 years to go from writing to recording. WOW...8 years!! That seems like an eternity...especially when you know in you own head that your song might make someone a "charted song"!!! :) It is easy to get frustrated, get caught in the waiting and just give up! But...every song in its own time...a great song will find its way out...the planets will align...the round peg will find the round hole...the pot will find it's cover!!!
So, the thought for today is a message to myself. Stay the course. Keep pitching that great song and it may take 10 years but songs will find their way out. Don't get discouraged. Believe in the song. Patience!!!!
I know my Grandma was right...she was a very wise lady and I miss her every day. There is a cover for every pot...you just have to be patient and persistent enough to find it :) Have a great day and remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on!
Brink
Many times I have gone through my "vetting process" with a song. That is, play it for friends, played it at shows and jams, bounced it of other trusted musicians and songwriters and in my heart I know I have a "record worthy" song. I listen to the demo and see if it does the song justice and to see if another demo might help. Still, there are songs that I have finished that seem to be great songs and in my mind I say to myself "this song will go fast!!!", so I start pitching and maybe 2-3 years later no one has given the song much of a "sniff". I've scratched my head so much on this stuff that I've lost all my hair :) LOLOL.
Here is where I have to hear and listen to my Grandma's voice..."Don't worry...there's a cover for every pot!". I am convinced there is an artist for every great song and whether I like it or not it will happen "in its own time"!! As Hall of Fame songwriter Paul Craft once told me "A great song will find its way out"! I talked about "patience" as a songwriter in a previous blog and the fact that I don't have it in spades so I struggle with all of this.
An article I read one time said that a song takes on average 8 years to go from writing to recording. WOW...8 years!! That seems like an eternity...especially when you know in you own head that your song might make someone a "charted song"!!! :) It is easy to get frustrated, get caught in the waiting and just give up! But...every song in its own time...a great song will find its way out...the planets will align...the round peg will find the round hole...the pot will find it's cover!!!
So, the thought for today is a message to myself. Stay the course. Keep pitching that great song and it may take 10 years but songs will find their way out. Don't get discouraged. Believe in the song. Patience!!!!
I know my Grandma was right...she was a very wise lady and I miss her every day. There is a cover for every pot...you just have to be patient and persistent enough to find it :) Have a great day and remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on!
Brink
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Accent the Positive: Key words in every line!
I have talked about prosody before in a blog, that is the perfect marriage between lyrics and melody. Wanted to talk that a little further and talk about locating key words in every line of the song and make sure that the melody and sound of that word helps the singer accent those important words. Let's look at a song that I've written to illustrate this point:
Several years ago my song "The Old Coal Mine" I was honored to have this song recorded by Larry Sparks on his "Last Suit You Wear" album as a duet with Del McCoury. Let me lay out the first verse and chorus and make tear it down.
"The Old Coal Mine"
Copyright Mark Brinkman Songs - BMI
I make my living...digging coal
I got black dust...down in my soul
The way they treat us...is a crime
Down in the old coal mine.
I'm down...in the old coal mine
Hammers ringin'...beatin' time
Long for the sun...just to see it shine
Down in the old coal mine.
I have co-written with the incredible songwriter Louisa Branscomb and she uses the underlining technique to show the singer where she puts the accent with the melody. Here is my recording of "The Old Coal Mine" from my CD "On the Brink of a Dream" so you can listen to the accents:
https://soundcloud.com/brinksongs/03-on-the-brink-of-a-dream-the-old-coal-mine
Once you highlight where the musical accent should be it can really help with your melody so it allows the singer to accent the correct words in the line. Another thing you want to be conscious of is to make sure you give the singer a word with a "long vowel" sound if you expect them to "hold" the note out for any length of time. This verse and chorus lets the singer use the "o" vowel with "coal" and "soul" and the "i" vowel with "mine" and "time". These are easy words to "hold the note". Ending a line with a hard consonant with a short vowel sound will force the singer to cut off the vocal.
So when you are fitting your lyric to the melody it is a good idea to highlight the important words in every line. The point is this: if the listener ONLY hears those highlighted words they will get the meaning of the line and their mind with almost fill in the other words naturally. So, make this step part of your "tweaking" process when you are working with your songs. Of course your mileage may vary as usual :)
Remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on!!!
Brink
Several years ago my song "The Old Coal Mine" I was honored to have this song recorded by Larry Sparks on his "Last Suit You Wear" album as a duet with Del McCoury. Let me lay out the first verse and chorus and make tear it down.
"The Old Coal Mine"
Copyright Mark Brinkman Songs - BMI
I make my living...digging coal
I got black dust...down in my soul
The way they treat us...is a crime
Down in the old coal mine.
I'm down...in the old coal mine
Hammers ringin'...beatin' time
Long for the sun...just to see it shine
Down in the old coal mine.
I have co-written with the incredible songwriter Louisa Branscomb and she uses the underlining technique to show the singer where she puts the accent with the melody. Here is my recording of "The Old Coal Mine" from my CD "On the Brink of a Dream" so you can listen to the accents:
https://soundcloud.com/brinksongs/03-on-the-brink-of-a-dream-the-old-coal-mine
Once you highlight where the musical accent should be it can really help with your melody so it allows the singer to accent the correct words in the line. Another thing you want to be conscious of is to make sure you give the singer a word with a "long vowel" sound if you expect them to "hold" the note out for any length of time. This verse and chorus lets the singer use the "o" vowel with "coal" and "soul" and the "i" vowel with "mine" and "time". These are easy words to "hold the note". Ending a line with a hard consonant with a short vowel sound will force the singer to cut off the vocal.
So when you are fitting your lyric to the melody it is a good idea to highlight the important words in every line. The point is this: if the listener ONLY hears those highlighted words they will get the meaning of the line and their mind with almost fill in the other words naturally. So, make this step part of your "tweaking" process when you are working with your songs. Of course your mileage may vary as usual :)
Remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on!!!
Brink
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
I'll Remember You Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow!
Last blog I put down some of my thoughts on "parties" or "point of view" and making sure that "point of view" is consistent throughout the song. The tweaking process includes reviewing many things and a couple important things to review are "point of view" and also "tense". It works in the movie "Back to the Future" but most times not so much in songs. However, some songs mix tenses but it can be both tricky and effective if done correctly. I wrote a song called "A Letter to Myself" which drove me crazy to write as it is a song about "If I could write a letter at my current old self and send it back to myself at 16 years old, what advice would give myself in the past. I love the song but it was a "struggle" to keep it making sense when talking about the my present, my past, and the 16 year old "me's" future. I think it turned out pretty good and love singing the song but it was a "pulling out my hair" tweak session. (Those who know me, know that I've pulled out way too much hair over the years LOLOL)!!
So, today let's talk a little about "tense". It is amazing how easy it is to mix "tenses" in a song and not catch it. Of course we are talking about "past", "present" and "future". Just as "point of view" when you start to write a new song you want to make a conscious decision in which tense the song will be written, or be aware of the combination of tenses during the song. It is then important to be consistent throughout the lyric. Let's talk about each:
1. Past: This is common to talk about things that happened in the past. Nostalgia, things that happened in the past within a relationship, memories, etc. Sometimes songs do talk about the present and then jump back to memories in the past BUT the song should still be focused at "present" even though the singer is "thinking back". Words like "did", "was" verses "will" are keys to the tense of the song.
2. Present: Today, right now, in the moment. This is songwriting in "real time" so to speak. In some ways this is the hardest as it is easy to jump back or jump ahead in tense when talking about today. Remember, you can talk about the past and future...but...still be in the present tense.
3. Future: Talking about what will happen in the future will be writing a song about something that will happen in the minutes, days, years to come. Again, you can write a song in the present tense and talk about the future but the song should still remain in the present tense.
Jumping tenses, just as jumping "point of views" can confuse a listener and you want to try and avoid either in your songs. So, you'll want to add "looking at the tense(s) throughout your song" to your "tweaking list". What is the tweaking list? Maybe I'll share my "tweaking list" in a future blog :) Your mileage may vary!
Remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on!!!
Brink
So, today let's talk a little about "tense". It is amazing how easy it is to mix "tenses" in a song and not catch it. Of course we are talking about "past", "present" and "future". Just as "point of view" when you start to write a new song you want to make a conscious decision in which tense the song will be written, or be aware of the combination of tenses during the song. It is then important to be consistent throughout the lyric. Let's talk about each:
1. Past: This is common to talk about things that happened in the past. Nostalgia, things that happened in the past within a relationship, memories, etc. Sometimes songs do talk about the present and then jump back to memories in the past BUT the song should still be focused at "present" even though the singer is "thinking back". Words like "did", "was" verses "will" are keys to the tense of the song.
2. Present: Today, right now, in the moment. This is songwriting in "real time" so to speak. In some ways this is the hardest as it is easy to jump back or jump ahead in tense when talking about today. Remember, you can talk about the past and future...but...still be in the present tense.
3. Future: Talking about what will happen in the future will be writing a song about something that will happen in the minutes, days, years to come. Again, you can write a song in the present tense and talk about the future but the song should still remain in the present tense.
Jumping tenses, just as jumping "point of views" can confuse a listener and you want to try and avoid either in your songs. So, you'll want to add "looking at the tense(s) throughout your song" to your "tweaking list". What is the tweaking list? Maybe I'll share my "tweaking list" in a future blog :) Your mileage may vary!
Remember: Write more...whine less!
Write on!!!
Brink
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Songwriting & "Parties" :)
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
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
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
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