Songwriting & Beyond…

I actually KNOW for a fact that many songwriters don’t bother to incorporate a ‘bridge’ or a ‘middle-eight’ into their songs. Let’s talk about what exactly they are and if you should even bother with it.

In modern day popular music, a middle-eight would typically sit after the second chorus …and in theory it would consist of 8 bars. Many great pop ballads would illustrate a good use of a middle-eight, such as Mariah Carey’s Hero…

…or Elton Johns I Want Love

Sometimes, the song will have an additional bar at the end of the middle-eight, just to maximise the climax. A great example of this would be Aerosmith’s I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing.

The job of a middle eight would be to take the listener to new grounds …away from the verse and chorus. It can be to somehow escalate the track while retaining the original feel for the song. A middle-eight also takes away the monotony of the song. This is great if your song has en extremely repetitive chord progression or lyrical/melody line. Which let’s face it, can be quite often!

Now, the middle-eight doesn’t always have to be eight-bars. Like all rules in life, some were just bound to be broken. Music is no exception. Many (if not MOST) songs of today don’t follow the ‘eight-bar’ pattern and often just have just 4 bars - or sometimes odd numbers, such as 5 or 7. This is totally fine.

So what about a bridge? Well, according to Wikipedia, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section. So, a middle-eight CAN be perceived as a bridge too. This is why there can be some confusion over the definitions.

But I’ll add to that. A bridge can also be a ‘link’ between a verse and chorus. Some of us know this as a ‘pre-chorus’.

So here’s the point. If you aren’t including a middle-eight or a bridge into your songwriting, than you may be doing an injustice to your song. I’m not saying ALL songs must have this …what I’m saying is that many songs come alive because of it.

Are you making the use of these components?

You should start incorporating a middle-eight into your songs, don’t you think?

Shamir

Hey everybody. I notice that many folks out there are a little frustrated with creating original chord progressions. Emails come into my inbox daily about this subject. I’m about to hit the facts in this post HARD.

Here’s the truth of the matter: Nearly EVERYTHING you hear on the radio today is re-cycled chord structures in ONE way or ANOTHER. To find a chord progression that’s 100% original is like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s not even worth going there.

And nor should you try and point one out OR more importantly, try to create one . I promise you if you sit down all day and all night, and try to create a completely original chord sequence, you will drive yourself crazy.

Let me tell you something …do you know where the real authenticity comes from? It’s not from chord progressions. It’s from not melodies. It’s not from lyrics. It’s not from song production or vocal arrangement…

…It’s actually comes from an amalgamation of ALL the above.

If you sit down and focus on ‘being totally original’, you’ve lost the real perspective. I’m a great believer in the philosophy “whatever you focus on expands”, and I believe it’s a mistake to isolate a ‘variable’ (ie. melody, lyrics, chords) in a song and focus on it solely to make it sound as original as possible. Why? Because you’re energy is expanding on the WRONG area.

What you should do, is Instead of trying to create something with total originality, focus on the whole experience you’re tying to give your listener. Remember this: The chords you create are merely a blanket to your lyrics and melodies. They act as an ‘accompaniment’ to your words and tunes - not the other way around.

Now sometimes I have an internal debate in my own mind my as to whether or not I should at least TRY to be totally original. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that when I do TRY to be 100% original with my chords, the songs don’t turn out as good as I’d hoped. Strange? Not really. Remember, whatever you focus on expands. So If I focus on being totally original, I may get something completely original …but it will probably be at the mercy of a average sounding song … see what I mean?

To illustrate my point further, how many songs have you heard that have intricate chord progressions - of which have been massive worldwide hits? In comparison to those with relatively ’simple’ chord progressions, the answer is “not many at all”.

I understand, that some songwriters find it difficult because they feel they don’t KNOW enough chords to do anything remotely different to the songs they’ve already written.

The answer to this is simple: You need to build up a song library and then store it in your brain.

Here’s direct quote from one of my earlier blog posts:

Here’s the thing. Have you built up a song library in your head? If not, build one from today onwards.

Why? Because searching for tunes and chord sequences will be an absolute cinch when you already have a few hundred floating around in your head from songs you have already learnt and played.

And yes, I’m talking about OTHER people’s songs. Whatever style you’re into, you should learn a new song from that genre EVERY WEEK. I’ll say it again, learn one NEW song from the style that you love every week.

Example:

You prefer Rock? >> Learn how to play and sing songs from Aerosmith, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Green Day, Linkin Park, etc.

You like folk? >> Learn how to play and sing songs from Bob Dylan, Fairport Convention, Neil Young, etc

You prefer pop? >> Learn how to play and sing songs from Prince, Elton John, Phil Collins, Beatles, etc

You prefer R&B? >> Learn how to play and sing song by Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, Erykah Badu, etc.

Please don’t scold me over the definitions for these artists above… lol. For me , it’s not even about style and genre. It’s more about what you like, and then learning it (on the piano in my case) and then trying to sing it.

This does two things. One, the chord progressions of other artist and groups get burnt in my memory. Secondly, the melodies are subconsciously recorded in my brain too. So it serves a dual purpose.

Actually, I’ll add a third to that list. You generally become a more competent musician!

This will be crucial to your songwriting success.

Shamir

The title may sound a little harsh… but it hits home on many levels.

After reading an email from a subscriber (BTW her name is Nicole - hello Nicole of you’re reading) I had to address something. This post is important for several things in life - not just songwriting. I hope you stay with me on this one - and I’d love to know your thoughts after you’ve read it.

Sometimes, in life we hold back because ‘lack of confidence’. We hold back because we’re afraid of embarrassment. Quite often, we get nervous and anxious. We dread to avoid disappointment. The bottom line is, we are SCARED. We have an innate reaction in our nano-second culture for the feeling of ‘fear’. This usually takes over ‘love and joy’ for the most part.

Have you ever been afraid to put down your DEEPEST emotions on paper and then presenting them to the world? I know I have. Have you ever you been afraid to write a song about something SO personal? So personal that you feel you’d feel embarrassed if you played it to your friends, family and the genera public?

Of course we all feel this way. But I’m going to say something now that may shock a lot of people…

You are HOLDING BACK your BEST work by doing this! Seriously. Take a good look at most of the mega successful artists/bands in the world (those who write their own stuff). They all have one thing in common… they’ve written songs with complete conviction. How? Because it’s personal. VERY personal sometimes. They weren’t afraid, so why should you be?

These artists have gone on to dominate the world with their music and their message. All because they put ASIDE their fear and just WENT for it. Do you recognize any of these faces?

v

Listen, I’m no exception. I too, have fears. All sorts, in fact. But I’m trying my very best day by day, to step OUT of this dreaded ‘comfort zone’ and GROW as an writer and as a person. And I do this by thinking about the fruitful results it will bring. Not the fear and the embarrassment.

If you’re going to play the role of a person who thinks from an ‘abundance, love and joy’ perspective then you’re going to create magic with your material. I can almost guarantee it. You’ll be fearless with your music and lyrics - you’ll write stuff that you LOVE.

And guess what? When you do this, OTHERS resonate with it. They relate to it. Because they believe that you’ve been there. The audience believe that your songs are the truth - and they resonate *with that truth*.

No ‘buts’ or ‘what ifs’. Listen, every single successful songwriter faces the battle of being belittled and is nearly AWAYS taken a shot at. The difference is they focus on the joy they bring to people with their music. NOT the frustrations or embarrassment. They focus on the joy and the connection - NOT the fear of failure.

And now you can do the same…

Shamir

Sooooo many songwriters out there are stuck with the ole ‘pen and paper’ system. You know the one, where you grab a pen and your songwriting pad and start writing down your thoughts.

Now before you attack me - I’ve NOTHING against pen and paper. God knows I use it extensively in my own musical life. But, there is a certain tool that you should be incorporating in your songwriting arsenal. That is, a DICTAPHONE!

For those of you who already have recording devices, this is probably not a biggie. But for the rest of you… I think you’re crazy not to have one

Any portable recoding device will make creating melodies and putting down your thoughts an absolute joy. You can grab a digital Dictaphone for as cheap as $40 from amazon. And the beauty of these babies is that for some of them, you can plug it directly into your computer via USB and just grab the file and place it on to your desktop.

Very cool.

If you want to go old school, then you can always get a portable tape recorder:

In fact, I use one even today and I ain’t shamed to say it You can grab one of these for around $20.

Are you getting your idea’s down? No? You should be!

Shamir

PS. If you already DO use some kind of recording device, do us a fave a let me know (post below).

A couple of weeks ago I asked you to help me name my blog. Here’s the original post I made:
http://songwritingtipsonline.com/blog/04/your-opinion

Well, I’ve chosen a title! As you can see, I’ve titled the blog ‘Songwriting & Beyond…’

This is PERFECT for me as it encapsulates what I’m about. I like it alot.

It’s simple, I know… but it’s RIGHT for I’m about.

I also want to say thanks for everybody who helped me with this. I’ve had over 300 comments on my previous post, and boy I’ve never had that much since I’ve had this blog online. So wow!

I had no idea that so many of you cared What a great feeling.

There are a couple of people who hammered this title in my brain, and these people are:

Waleed Muhammad
Dominick

Thanks guys!

I’ve also taken mental notes of what everyone else had to say.

Douglas Bamlett said…

“Songwriting and beyond” is ok but lacks punch. There is not much of a hook there if any.

…Douglas, I know exactly what you mean. Thing is, I had to choose something that inspired ME to post as well as others to know what my blog is all about. It was a fine balance I had to strike. But your words (and your lengthy comment post) was well noted. I sincerely thank you for that

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

I’ll be posting soon..

Shamir

As you can see, I’ve just ‘revamped’ my blog. You like?

I’ve never really put much thought into what name I should give to this blog. At first, I called it “Songwriting, Music & Inspiration”. I called it this because I’m about much more than just songwriting. (ie. vocal coaching and music production too).

For me, songwriting includes all of these area’s and so I just lumped the word “inspiration” into the mix.

However, I feel a change is in order. Tell me something, is it me or does “Songwriting, Musicianship & Inspiration” sound a little boring? Maybe it’s me. I may eat my words, I don’t’ know.

But right now, I need your input. I really do. I’ve had a bit of a ‘mind block’ when trying to ‘re-title’ this blog.

So what do you think this blog should be called? All of your suggestions are welcome.

You see the nice picture above this post? Well, there’s a blue blank spot there left intentionally. This spot will be filled with the new blog title that I’m gonna choose.

So, all suggestions are welcome. Just one thing, I don’t like the word ‘muse’ so stay away from that one.

Post ALL your idea’s and suggestions in the comments section below.

Massive thanks…

Shamir

PS. Any thing you want to ask me to help you come up with a better blog name, go ahead. I’m all ears and I’ll be posting below too.

Hey people. First off, thanks for all the questions coming in. I’m trying to answer as many as I humanly can, but there does come a point where I just gotta leave my computer screen and grab some sleep!

Anyway. Moving on… here’s an email I received recently:

Shamir,

I am an aspiring singer/songwriter/guitarist. Your emails have been extremely helpful as far as lyrics go, unfortunately, lyrics are not something I really have trouble with.

It’s the music i have trouble with. In particular writing music for lyrics that are finished. Scales and keys are simple solutions, however i was wondering if you had any other advice. Also, i have a maddening trouble creating musical harmonies.

I can write a riff with the best of them, but writing something to play along with that riff, or improvising to someone else playing is almost impossible for me.

I know your probably a busy person who receives many emails, but i would very much appreciate your help with this.

Hey man, I really appreciate the compliment. Listen, you’re not alone in this one. LOTS of people suffer the same thing.

Here’s the thing. Have you built up a song library in your head? If not, build one from today onwards.

Why? Because searching for tunes and chord sequences will be an absolute cinch when you already have a few hundred floating around in your head from songs you have already learnt and played.

And yes, I’m talking about OTHER people’s songs. Whatever style you’re into, you should learn a new song from that genre EVERY WEEK. I’ll say it again, learn one NEW song from the style that you love every week.

Example:

You prefer Rock? >> Learn how to play and sing songs from Aerosmith, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Green Day, Linkin Park, etc.

You like folk? >> Learn how to play and sing songs from Bob Dylan, Fairport Convention, Neil Young, etc

You prefer pop? >> Learn how to play and sing songs from Prince, Elton John, Phil Collins, Beatles, etc

You prefer R&B? >> Learn how to play and sing song by Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, Erykah Badu, etc.

Please don’t scold me over the definitions for these artists above… lol. For me , it’s not even about style and genre. It’s more about what you like, and then learning it (on the piano in my case) and then trying to sing it.

This does two things. One, the chord progressions of other artist and groups get burnt in my memory. Secondly, the melodies are subconciensly recorded in my brain too. So it serves a dual purpose.

Actually, I’ll add a third to that list. You generally become a more competent musician!

This all might sound like something you’ve heard before. Maybe you’re reading this thinking “erm, yeah whatever”. But *I* can tell you from first hand experience that it WORKS.

When you are already familiar with chords and melodies of other songs, then you have more chance of ACCESSING that information when you in a creative mode. Make sense?

So if you haven’t built up a song library, start today. Learn a new song a week. You’ll be surprised at the results.

For those who don’t play instruments, you can STILL do this by learning other people’s lyrics and melodies.

I know this wasn’t the step-by-step answer that some of you are looking for… but songwriting isn’t like maths. It’s MUCH more intuitive. It’s a creative process.

I’ll finish off by saying this… and I hope you’ve made it this far because what I’m about to say is one of the MOST important things I’ve ever said about songwriting….

When you write something, you should NEVER dismiss it. Even if you think it’s a crappy idea. You can edit it, change it, play with it. But never dismiss it. This is the number one problem with songwriters today (and I’m no different either).

Whenever you say “I can’t write lyrics” or “I can’t write chords”… what you’re really saying is “it sounds to crap to even consider”. Think about that for a minute.

If we took the time and improved on what we have, then maybe we won’t be starting from scratch every 5 seconds?

Shamir

Here’s a question from Matt: (this is a condensed versions of the question).

I make melodies on my guitar, and then I try to add lyrics, but for some reason, it is hard to match the tune with what I want to talk about, if you understand. Any tips?

Thanks for the question Matt.

What most people in this predicament fail to realise (and I too am a victim) is that writing melodies first and then writing lyrics second is probably the more difficult route. Even though in my songwriting tips I do state that you should at least get down SOMETHING to start off with, I’m also going to say that starting off with writing melodies first means you may suffer with matching your lyrics to your tune.

Try to write the words first…

This isn’t the case for everybody, but for those who are in this boat, I’d advise you to at least try to write the lyrics first - and then writing the melody after those lyrics. I think you may be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

Now in the beginning, when you try and write lyrics first, you’ll probably find it quite difficult. This isn’t because you’re a bad lyricist… but more because by default your brain is probably thinking up a melody simultaneously. This is especially common for those of us who are musicians first. We tend to think in terms of melodies, chords and even rhythm and orchestration. Lyrics tend to flow later. This is totally natural.

For this very reason it’s important for us to at least TRY write the lyrics first. You may even find that when you try this approach that the songwriting process may double in speed.

When you’ve gotten used to this process, you can try to mix and match. Things should flow a lot easier after that.

Find a lyrical co-writer…

Another (popular) approach is to find a co-writer. Somebody who writes the lyrics. Think of Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. They are one of the most successful songwriting duo’s the history of popular music …and their methods are very simple. Bernie writes the lyrics - then he send the words to Elton, who then writes the melodies and chords to them. It’s simple and it works like a charm. They don’t even write in the same room!

Don’t let ego get the best of you…

I know that there are some songwriters out there who have a massive ego problem. They won’t collaborate with anyone because they think they will ’steal their ideas’ or maybe they don’t want to ’share the credit’ with anyone. Let me tell you first hand that with this kind of attitude it will be hard to totally maximise you’re potential as a writer.

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather write a great song with a co-writer than a crappy one by myself. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t improve yourself as a songwriter and that finding someone with solve all your songwriting troubles. What I AM saying, is that finding a co-writer who compliments you’re talents (ie. fills in the missing pieces) can do wonders for your songs.

Don’t let ego stop you in your tracks. It’s not worth it.

Shamir

Hi all. Here’s an email sent to me by Andrew Roland from Australia. I thought I’d response to it here (in case you’re wondering, I do have his permission

“I recently bought and listened to the Song Writing Secrets recordings. Great stuff. I thought I was an experienced song writer but I picked up lots of good new stuff. Particularly your tips about getting ideas from DVDs and library books for songs “

Why thanks Andrew. I really appreciate the feedback. It’s a method overlooked by many

“I’m mainly a guitarist and not much of a singer. In order to make decent demo recordings I was considering hiring session singers to record the singing parts for my songs. What do you think of this idea? The only other alternatives are 1. I learn to sing which could take 1+ years 2. I meet other singers (a good friend of mine can sing) but I find that they often are not good enough or don’t have the right range or sound. For example two songs I’ve written would be great for a female rock singer but the only singer I know is male.”

This is a tough call, and I’ve been there. I myself can sing (funny enough, I’m a vocal coach) but I still have times where I want another lead voice for the track - and not my own.

Here’s what I would do. Firstly, I would learn to sing in any case. (when I say ‘i’ I mean whoever faces this dilemma). This will give you more flexibility in the future when facing these hurdles. You may want to lay down your vocals regardless of whether or not you sound ‘fit’ for it or not, and this is a good thing.

I recently bought Brett Manning’s Singing Success course a couple of weeks ago, and wow. I don’t see how anyone can’t improve their voice and vocal range with that one.

Ok, so let’s move on to hiring out a session singer to do the job for you. I don’t see anyting wrong with this, provided you’re sure that the vocal tone you’re after is similar to the tone your chosen singer has. There’s nothing worse than paying a singer that sounds awful and just doesn’t deliever. Believe me, I’ve been there. Not cool.

Here in the UK, you can probably hire out a session singer for around £50-£150 a day . Some even charge £200 or even £250.

In US dollars, this equates to around $100 - $500. But don’t let these numbers scare you. You will often find that vocalists who charge the earth can often get away with that because of their status and credibility. I’m not saying that the more expensive one’s aren’t any good — I’m sure that many are brilliant.

But what I AM saying, is that you can often find diamonds in the rough by just fishin around. Going to a couple of open-mic nights, shows or even university gigs can often be an easy way to find a hungry singer who will lay some vocals down for you for a cheap or reasonable price. It can be done… and infact, it happens all the time.

I’ve also had luck hanging out at rehearsal studio’s. Quite often, when you approach a singer after a rehearsal, they will often take you up on the offer since they’ve just come out of a 2 hour rehearsal which they’ve spent money on!

“Do you review songs? If so I would like to send you 1 or 2 of mine and ask you what you think.”

If I said yes, at this point I would be in-fluxed with emails asking me to review their songs. Don’t get me wrong, the answer is yes, I DO review songs in detail. All the time, actually. BUT, the thing is, it does eat up all my time. If you want your song reviewed, then I’d put a price of $150 per song review.

I know, I know - you’re thinking, how could you charge such a ludicrous amount? The truth is I’m hoping that people will see the price and get put off. Seriously! If there is interest, then I will make a separate blog post (and email everyone) about the specifics.

On that note, of anyone is interested in having their song review, then contact me here:

songwriter.review@gmail.com

Andrew, thanks for the email.

Oh, and before I forget, Andrew is based in Bondi, Sydney Australia (hope I’m getting this right) and if you’re a female singer in Sydney looking for a songwriter, then give Andrew Roland a shout here:

andrew.roland@resonatesolutions.com.au

Cool

Talk soon…

Shamir

I had to take a moment to compose myself when I found out that tomorrow is Christmas eve. I mean, how fast has this year gone? I don’t know about you, but this year …especially the second half - has gone incredibly fast for me.

So what does this holiday season mean to you? Well, technically, Christmas is a religious festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. But let’s look at things practically and logically. Christmas is now celebrated by millions people across the board …it has become recognized as an international celebration of ‘connection’ and ‘love’. This (in my opinion) is a beautiful thing. Christmas is an excuse for doing what we should all be doing all year around - and that is making that connection, loving your friends, you family … and caring for strangers. Why not?

I want all of us to think about the things that really matter in out lives. The things that we are eternally grateful for… our families, our friends, the roofs over our heads, the heart to love and care, etc. Just thinking about it for a minute. Take a moment to really reflect on the good things that life has brought you this year. And then look forward to the good times that lay ahead of you.

Now let’s talk about the new year. Do you have anything you want to achieve? Are you looking to study hard for passing those exams? Are you looking to excel at work and get that position you’re after? Are you looking to improve your health/fitness and finally go to the gym and not eat crap all day? Tell me… are you looking kick-start your songwriting career? Do you need to ‘get out there’ and stat performing on stage to show the world what you really have? Is it time you took some kind of action for your passion?

What about relationships… are you looking to restore that magic you had with you wife, your family or your children? Or even your girlfriend or maybe your general friends?

Have you been putting something off?

What do YOU want to work on in the new year?

Do yourself a favour. In fact, let’s all do ourselves a favor and make this happen. The time is now. Whatever you want in life, you can have it. Make those decisions today and make it possible.

I wish you all a brilliant Christmas and a very prosperous new year.

Much love,

Shamir