So you’ve reached that point in the song; you’ve written two verses and a chorus, and that little voice in your head says “I need to write a bridge.” But do you really??? When do you know if a song truly needs a bridge? I’ve heard publishers say things to their...
This is one of the most common questions Marty and I get in the SongTown Mailbox. It seems a common myth exists that says in order to have a record company or artist pick up your songs, you have to produce something that sounds like a finished record. Fortunately for our...
I remember sitting in a Mexican restaurant a couple years ago with the late songwriter Tim Johnson. We were preparing to play a benefit that evening for a local high school. “What’s stopping you?” Tim asked. You see, I’d just told him that I’d always dreamed of playing the stage at...
I've played this song for several publishers and they all said it sounds like the radio, but not one took my song... Recently, while doing a mentoring session, a talented SongTownian prefaced her song she was about to play with these words, "I've played this song for several publishers...
Songwriting Is The Most Subtle Art On The Planet... I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard aspiring songwriters lament that their songs are just as good or better than the songs that major artists are recording. They can’t understand why their songs aren’t getting the attention they deserve...
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 timer...
Finding The Heart & Soul Of your Music Takes Courage... And A Few Tricks! Multi #1 songwriter Clay Mills will show you how to find the "true heart of your song" and create music that matters. This video is part of a weekly lesson series for members at SongTown. Clay Mills is a...
Perhaps the most common songwriting mistake that I've seen kill a song... If I had to choose one songwriting mistake I've seen over and over in mentoring sessions through the years, it would be "writing clever instead of writing real." Throughout the entire writing process I am asking myself, does this feel real?...
Co-writing: The art of sharing your heart felt ideas with another person and trusting the two of you will create songwriting magic. This can be tremendously rewarding and often frustrating. But there are some guidelines to make this experience more often than not a great one. If Moses came down from the mountain...
One of the awesome things I've learned about songwriting over the years is... No matter what your goal is, learning to improve your craft will get you closer to that goal. My SongTown co-founder, Marty Dodson, and I started our songwriting careers later in life than most folks. Heck, I didn't even...