Are Your Songs Believable? 3 Keys To Ensure You Won’t Miss The Mark
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 a line or song that’s…
Read MoreGreat Songwriters Don’t Wait For Inspiration
Clay and Marty respond to a popular social media comment about songwriting and share tips on how to become a more consistent songwriter! Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series: This video series will help you level-up your songs and finish them faster. CLICK HERE to begin! SongTown Press Books: Mastering Melody Writing : Check It Out The Songwriter’s…
Read MoreHow To Write Songs For Sync Licensing
In today’s ever changing music landscape, writing music for sync has become an important marketplace for songs and songwriters. Knowing how to write songs for sync will not only supplement a writer’s income but it also has the potential to launch a recording artist from obscurity to stardom. More music content is being consumed now…
Read MorePut Yourself In Position To Succeed In Songwriting
Many writers that I mentor struggle with the idea of getting themselves in position to succeed. In fact, I see two extremes play out. Sometimes writers adopt the idea that “all I have to do is write a great song”. Others go to the extreme of trying desperately to “meet the right people” while ignoring…
Read MoreHeart vs. Head: How To Write Your Best Songs
Songwriting is beautifully complex and yet simple… I am often reminded when teaching aspiring songwriters how simple, and yet complex, writing songs can be. It’s a beautiful mix of emotions, wit, determination, and being in the moment. A very common obstacle I see to great writing is what I call “Heart vs. Head Songwriting.” Too much emotional…
Read More5 Lyric Pitfalls For Songwriters
These are the 5 most common lyric mistakes I see songwriters making over and over… 1. Saying the same thing in the second verse that you said in the first verse. Don’t just re-word the first verse to make verse two. Give me something new. Take the idea to another place. 2. Letting pro-nouns get…
Read MoreA Day Of Practice Songwriting
One day, my friend Danny Wells and I wrote a song. We were really excited about it, so Danny wanted to play it for his publisher. We went in the man’s office and Danny played it live. I could tell as he was playing that the guy didn’t seem like he liked it. When Danny finished, his…
Read MoreSometimes All A Songwriter Needs Is Someone To Believe In Them: When All Else Fails
Yesterday during a mentoring session I was asked the question, “When did you decide to be a songwriter/musician?” I thought about it a couple of moments and realized it was never a conscious decision. It was more like music made me. Music made me a musician by always being there. When everything else failed, I…
Read MoreWhy Good Songs Fail: 4 Huge Reasons!
Clay and Marty share 4 reasons why a technically perfect song doesn’t mean you’ve written a song that will matter to the world…. And stick around till the end as they discuss what success really means for a songwriter. Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series: This video series will help you level-up your songs and…
Read MoreAn Open Letter To Young Songwriters
I write with a number of young songwriters on a regular bases. And I can’t count the times that I have referenced an older song (80’s, 90’s or 2000’s) and discovered that they had never heard the song or artist. This isn’t shocking to me – You could say I once was that guy myself.…
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