6 Steps to Songwriting Success
Mainstream and niche song styles. Information is well laid out and readable. Also includes chapters on pitching and publishing deals.
Author Posts
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OVqeFBUZgM httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2MrG8bxR_Y httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYxVX39NwOk
Books
Mainstream and niche song styles. Information is well laid out and readable. Also includes chapters on pitching and publishing deals.
Songwriter Tip: Use Contrast To Get Attention!
by Robin Frederick (c) 2008.Based on “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting: 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell” available at Amazon.com. Imagine you and I are standing in a room full of people. If I suddenly start yelling, I will get everyone’s attention. But if I keep on yelling at the same level for awhile, what happens? Pretty soon they all get bored and stop listening (and probably leave). It’s natural to think that being loud, is an attention-getter but if loudness becomes the norm then it ceases to be something we are interested in. We are ‘hardwired’ to notice...
What’s The Hardest Part Of Songwriting?
by Robin Frederick I share so many of my own songwriting gripes and difficulties in my articles and books, by now everyone pretty much knows what I wrestle with. But I often wonder what OTHER songwriters find difficult about songwriting. So, I decided to take a poll on my Facebook site. I’ve had over 180 responses so far. (In just a moment, I’ll give you a link to the poll so you see the results and weigh in, if you haven’t already.) The question was “What do you think is the hardest part of songwriting?” I started out with just...
Write A Universal Lyric That’s Exciting And Fresh
Have you ever noticed how some people can describe a simple everyday occurrence and make it sound hilarious or tragic or just plain interesting, while another person can tell the same story and have you snoring with boredom in an instant? If the language you use is vivid and fresh even a familiar event or idea can come to life but if it’s trite, overused, and predictable–in other words, if it’s filled with clichés–even the most exciting story can become dull. People often speak in clichés.It’s an easy form of shorthand that doesn’t require much thought and ensures that everyone knows...
Keep Your Listener By Your Side
by Robin Frederick, author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” When I’m coaching songwriters, they often give me a lyric to read while I listen. This is useful because I like to make notes as the song goes along but I have to be careful to remember that the average listener won’t have that lyric page in front of them. Sometimes I grasp the meaning of a song only because I’m reading the lyric or because the songwriter has told me something about the song before playing it. But when that song is played on the radio, the writer won’t be...
Give Your Song A Memorable Title
by Robin Frederick, author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” The title of a song is almost always a featured line in the song itself, often the first line or last line of the chorus, making it the line that listeners remember long after the song is over. A good title is intriguing, evocative, and memorable. The best titles sum up the heart and soul of a song, recalling the whole experience for listeners, making them want to go back and listen again. Keep it brief. Long titles can work but may be difficult for listeners to remember. These longer titles may...
Study Hit Songs To Learn Your Craft
by Robin Frederick, author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” Most hit songs demonstrate at least three or four techniques you can use to broaden the emotional impact and commercial appeal of your own songs. That’s why it’s a great idea for aspiring songwriters (and even successful pro’s) to study recent hits! It’s important to study songs you admire, not the ones you can’t stand! Look for those hit songs that move you, the ones that appeal most to you, and then ask yourself what that song is doing that draws you in. Of course there are times when I go...
Start Your Song With A Universal Theme
by Robin Frederick, author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” Some songwriters spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for inspiration. Waiting for an idea. Just waiting. Well, I don’t want you to wait. I want you to start doing, writing, creating. Now. One of the things songwriters most often seem to wait for is an idea that will launch them into the deep emotional waters of a song. Not only is it unnecessary to hang around hoping an idea will magically appear, it can lead to repetition and stagnation of your creative muscle. It’s funny how, once an idea has...
Songwriting And Inspiration
by Robin Frederick (author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”) Most songwriters sit down to write when they are going through an emotional time, when feelings are running high. Many great songs — many hit songs — have been written from a songwriter’s private life – the joy, love, grief, and anger of the writer’s own relationships. So, what happens when a songwriter who has been writing solely from personal experience begins to (or wants to) earn a living from their writing? Let’s say you’re a singer-songwriter with a record deal and you have to write ten new songs for an...
Songwriters On Songwriting
62 great interviews with hit songwriters. Learn from the pros!
Tunesmith
As much an autobiography of a great songwriter as it is a manual of craft and inspiration.
The Craft & Business Of Songwriting
Song craft – melody, lyrics, structure -plus pitching and publishing your songs, Braheny covers it all well.
Writing Songs For Yourself And Your Listeners
by Robin Frederick (author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”) What makes you write a song?– the desire to put your feelings into words?– wanting to reach out to others to express a thought or message?– the hope that eventually it will earn royalties? The truth is, a song can do all this if you keep all three goals in mind as you write. Write to express your own emotions. Stay connected with your initial reason for writing the song. What is it you want to say? What emotion do you want to convey? Even if your goal is to write...
Create A Development Path For Your Lyrics
by Robin Frederick (author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”) It can be tough to find the balance between giving listeners too much information too quickly and not giving them enough or repeating information they’ve already heard. As you write your verses and bridge, keep the path through your song clear. Make sure things are moving forward, not going in circles or repeating the same thing over and over. Here are some development paths your song might take. Notice that each path leads the listener into and through a situation, keeping the momentum rolling forward and giving new information as it...
Speaking Of Genres
Robin Frederick (author, “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”) I recently read an article about Gracenote, the company that delivers info to your iPod and computer music player that tells you what song you’re listening to by which artist. The article offers an insight into something I wrote in a recent post about the importance of music genres. Here’s an excerpt from the Gracenote article… “Gracenote’s genre classification system enables listeners to get the most out of their music collections by enabling them to automatically select the type of music they want to listen to, whether it’s “Jazz,” “Rock” or “Dance.” Created using an...