Songwriters: Where Is The Bar?
How High Is The Bar For Songwriters? When you mention the word “bar” to songwriters, most of them start craving a beer. But that’s not the bar I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the “How good does my song have to be to get it recorded by an artist?” bar. Not every songwriter wants…
Read MoreSongwriters: Find Your Song Circle
When I was 19 and moved to New York to pursue my dream of being a songwriter. I was fortunate enough to meet someone who invited me into a song circle. I had no clue what a song circle was or what it would one day mean to me, but I convinced myself to get…
Read More5 Things Music Publishers Look For In A Songwriter
Music Publishers seem to be the “holy grail” for songwriters trying to get that first cut. Somehow, many people have the idea that if they could just “get a publisher,” all of their problems would be solved and the cuts would start rolling in. While having a great publisher can be very beneficial, “getting a…
Read MoreJob #1 As A Songwriter… Do Your Job!
Last week in a mentoring session I was offering tips to help a young writer understand a songwriter’s #1 job. One of the demos had an extremely long guitar solo after the first chorus. I suggested that: #1- Guitar solos typically are after the 2nd chorus and not the first. #2- The solo was so…
Read MoreHow K.I.S.S. Will Transform Your Songwriting Process
Ten-time #1 songwriter Marty Dodson reveals a technique he uses with his students to instantly level-up their songwriting. Keep It Simple Songwriters! Learn to write lyrics that hit your audience hard in their feels. Adding More Heart To Your Songs : Online CrashCourse Change the way the world hears your songs! 🔥 In this 3-week…
Read MoreNo Songwriter Excuses!
If there is one thing that I have learned in my journey through the music business it’s that songwriter excuses never made anyone a success in the music business. We’ve all heard them… “It’s harder than ever to get a cut” “You have to write with the artist to get a cut” “I write songs…
Read MoreVerses Need Hooks Too! #Songwriting Hacks
Video Summary: Today more than ever, it’s not enough that your song has a great catchy chorus. In the modern world you must pull the listener into your song and keep them listening. To do that you need to remember verses need hooks too! We’ve put together a video lesson that covers these and much…
Read MoreSongwriting: The Art Of Choosing
Where should I take the second verse? Should I switch to first person? What is the chorus missing? Is my set-up line better using the opposite technique? Songwriting choices. Many are conscious, and many are made so fast we don’t realize we’ve made them. But, no song can be written without making choices. Many writers…
Read MoreWhat REALLY Makes A Song A Hit
What really makes a song a hit? People often ask me if I KNOW that I’ve written a hit song when I finish it. The answer to that is a resounding “NO”. I generally know when I finish a song whether it is great or just good. Beyond that, so much goes into what makes…
Read MoreYour Ticket Into The Music Business: Writing Better Songs
Marty Dodson and I spend a lot of time preaching the gospel of “writing better songs.” Each time we blog about the power of a great song, we inevitably get several emphatic comments stating something like this: “I have lots of great songs, but I don’t have the connections you guys have!” While this is…
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