Posts by Marty Dodson
I Own This Town: The Overconfident Songwriter
I read a post on social media recently about a guy who said that he walked into a certain PRO (BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC) “like he owned the place” because he knew that his songs were better than anything they had. When he demanded a meeting on the spot, they escorted him out of the…
Read MoreSongwriter Karma: The Truth About Giving and Receiving
Karma and song critiques… I occasionally have people come to me and say “I don’t put my songs up in the SongTown forum for critiques by my peers because it seems like so many people there are so ‘green’ and the advice I get is not usually helpful.” What they are actually saying, in a…
Read MoreGreat Songwriting Works In All Genres
As co-founders of SongTown, Clay Mills and I have had a lot of success as writers in the country genre. But we pride ourselves on using techniques that work in songwriting in all styles. Many people assume that we are “country songwriters” and that what we teach only applies to country music. This is a false assumption.…
Read MoreNavigating the Rollercoaster: Life as a Songwriter
Clay and Marty discuss how songwriters can survive through the tough times and stay creative. Help is available for the down times through: Better Help: Website MusiCares: Website Porter’s Call: Website Adding More Heart To Your Songs : Online CrashCourse Change the way the world hears your songs! 🔥 In this 3-week immersive songwriting course you will learn…
Read More6 Crucial Pieces of Co-writer Information You Need To Get When Collaborating
Most of us songwriters are happy-go-lucky types… We waltz into a co-write with lofty dreams and aspirations and then we boogie our way home with smiles on our faces because we just wrote another “hit” that could change our lives. That’s a fun way to approach life for sure. But, we often forget some CRUCIAL…
Read MoreWhy Is The First Verse So Important To Songwriting?
Writers often overlook the importance of a great first verse. A first verse can make or break your song. Here’s why: 1) Industry people don’t have a lot of time to spend on each song. If your first verse doesn’t grab them, they will turn off your song and not even listen to the rest,…
Read MoreWhy Good Songs Fail: The “Preachy Lyric” Songwriting Trap
In pro songwriting circles, writers know about the “preachy lyric” trap and avoid it at all costs. No, we’re not talking religion in this episode of SongTown On Songwriting, but we are talking about a common pitfall that will trip up your potentially great song. Adding More Heart To Your Songs : Online CrashCourse Change…
Read MoreSongwriters: 5 Ways You Can Inspire Your Co-Writers
I’m a firm believer that inspiration can fall down upon us like a gift from heaven. But I’m also a big believer in the ideas that hard work and preparation can create inspiration. The best songs I’ve ever written were born from some combination of those 3 factors. I can’t control inspiration that comes down…
Read MoreBlueprinting Your Songs: How To Write Better Songs Faster
Something that has changed my songwriting in a radical way is a technique I call blueprinting your song. When you’re building a house, you hope that the builder is working from a good blueprint. That’s really the only way to make sure that the house you wind up with is the house you intended to…
Read MoreDid I Wait Too Long To Start Writing Songs?
Many of our SongTown members put songwriting aside for years while they raised a family. The dreams from their 20’s only really started to get a chance in their 40’s or 50’s or beyond because life got in the way. So, they come to us and ask “Did I wait too long to start writing…
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