These three songwriting exercises are designed to get you into the flow of writing without thinking. Your best ideas come from the subconscious, and you can tap into this with regular practice. Remember to do these exercises quickly, spending three minutes on each in rapid fire succession. I set the...
The set-up line is the line just before the title or hook of your song. It is probably the most under-valued yet crucial lyrical line of most songs. Yet, I am constantly reminded in my mentoring sessions of how few writers are aware of this element of a song. Here's an example of a...
If I had to choose one thing as the most important thing in songwriting, it would be "making your song believable." Throughout the entire writing process I am asking myself, does this feel real? When someone hears your song for the first time, that's what hits them first. Nothing loses the listener faster than...
People often ask me if they have to do full-production demos to present songs to publishers or major artist? I do a fair amount of full demos, but I also have had about half of my major cuts from pitching home demos done on a very basic set-up on...
Songwriters... When you have those days of doubt and wonder why you are chasing your dream.... I wasn't exactly young that day I realized I wanted to be a full-time songwriter. I was mid 30's. I had no connections in the...
I have received several emails this week asking about the best approach to recording song demos. There are many things that have changed over the last year since I first blogged about this. Here are a few questions to consider when demoing your songs. 1. Who will be listening? If...
Songwriters, like any craftsmen, rely on skill. But skill is often limited by the quality of tools in our toolbox. Here are 4 steps to get you on the path to adding new tools to your toolbox. Practice Active Listening. When we're listening to...
Ever wonder where your favorite artists or songwriters consistently get those great song ideas from? I like to think of ideas as a creative river- constantly flowing by. It's simply a matter of learning to catch them. I always have my antenna up. Here are a 4 simple techniques that you can...
Today I got an email from a talented SongTownian who asked me if it was a good idea to sign a contract that allowed his co-writer to negotiate contracts on their song on his behalf. Say WHaaaaaa?????? I had to read that twice!! Did I really just read that someone wanted a...
Many of our SongTown members are trying to make money with their music. But, a significant portion of our peeps just want to learn to write better songs. They wouldn't necessarily turn it down if Beyonce' wanted to cut one, but that goal is not even on their radar....