FOCUS!
It's one of the most important elements of writing a song that will communicate to the hearts of millions of listeners.
One of the greatest deficits I find in the work of aspiring songwriters is that they try to cover too much information in one song. They may start with a Great Idea -- and they may even come up with a Great Hook/Title. But then, they get caught up in the PROCESS of writing and begin to "wander" from the central point of the song.
Remember: The thing you want listeners to remember is that ONE line of melody and lyric that expresses the MAIN POINT of the song. It doesn't matter how many beautiful poetic words you use or how much music theory you incorporate into your song. IF LISTENERS GET LOST, THEY CHANGE THE CHANNEL AND YOUR SONG IS GONE! The listener HAS to "get it" if you want to write a song that connects with millions.
The Hook/Title is your ARRIVAL POINT. It is the "focal point" of the song. Everything else about the song...the verses, the bridge and even the rest of the chorus has to arrive at the Hook.
You only have 3-31/2 minutes to get the listener from absolutely NO knowledge of what your song is about, to the heart of its message. DON'T GET SIDETRACKED!
Remember: You have lots of songs in you! You don't have to put all your great ideas and rhymes into one song. Keep your song -- and your listeners -- FOCUSED!
Keep your "eyes on the PRIZE" which in the case of songwriting is that ONE GREAT HOOK!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Radio Requirements -- Part 2
In my last blog I began to identify some essentials for Hit Songs -- songs that may actually receive a hearing by 21st Century Radio program directors, and possibly a spin in their rotation. (See blog for March 4)
In addition to the all-important HOOK and the need for SIMPLICITY, here are a couple more things to consider as you aim your song toward radioplay.
3) Radio Songs Are Time-Conscious
Nowhere is the clock more a part of the action than in radio and television. Programs are timed to the second and within a certain segment, a specific number of time slots must be allotted for the advertisers. This simply means that you as the songwriter must also be very time-conscious if you hope to hear your song on the radio. While there is no hard and fast rule for song length, most radio-friendly songs run from 3 to 3½ minutes. If the song goes over 4½ minutes, it is usually too long.
Think about the clock as you write and record your songs and be a ruthless editor of your work. You may have to shorten or even eliminate that killer instrumental bridge that goes on for a solid minute. You will have to watch the intro length of your song as well – both because of the total time consideration as well as the fact that long intros often lose listener interest. Even jazz numbers that contain lots of improv sections and instrumental solos usually will need a “radio edition” if they are to be considered for airplay. Remember…..less is usually more when it comes to radio songs.
4) Radio Songs Are Genre-Specific
Most radio listeners realize that mainstream stations today are very genre-specific. That is, they play ONLY songs that are consistent with the musical style they represent. While it is true that “a good song is a good song” no matter the style, it is the wise songwriter who thinks before he/she writes (and records). Ask yourself: Which stations might play this particular style of song?
If your song is recorded with a jazz/pop arrangement, for example, it probably will not be considered for a country station. Sometimes it is possible to “straddle the fence” and arrange the music so that it is acceptable to two different formats, but this requires very savvy production skills by someone in-the-know about radio and about song production. It is always wise to consider these factors before you begin approaching radio stations with your next creation.
5) Radio Songs are Discreet
While we as American songwriters are protected by the First Amendment and have the right to say almost anything we want in our creative works, it is usually not that smart to send your most uncensored song to radio. If your song contains offensive lyrics or profanity...if the subject matter is too controversial or politically charged...if it is too far to the Right or to the Left, you will probably find it difficult to get airplay. It is wise to gain radio’s attention – not by being controversial, but by being absolutely excellent at what you do.
To summaraize, Songwriters and Radio live in a symbiotic relationship – in other words, we need each other! Songwriters need Radio to bring their songs to the world and Radio needs great songs to attract the all-important listeners. As in any relationship that is mutually beneficial, each partner must consider the other’s needs and interests. If we as songwriters are conscious of what is important to Radio, Radio will usually be open and interested in what we are writing.
Songwriters…….Start your engines!
In addition to the all-important HOOK and the need for SIMPLICITY, here are a couple more things to consider as you aim your song toward radioplay.
3) Radio Songs Are Time-Conscious
Nowhere is the clock more a part of the action than in radio and television. Programs are timed to the second and within a certain segment, a specific number of time slots must be allotted for the advertisers. This simply means that you as the songwriter must also be very time-conscious if you hope to hear your song on the radio. While there is no hard and fast rule for song length, most radio-friendly songs run from 3 to 3½ minutes. If the song goes over 4½ minutes, it is usually too long.
Think about the clock as you write and record your songs and be a ruthless editor of your work. You may have to shorten or even eliminate that killer instrumental bridge that goes on for a solid minute. You will have to watch the intro length of your song as well – both because of the total time consideration as well as the fact that long intros often lose listener interest. Even jazz numbers that contain lots of improv sections and instrumental solos usually will need a “radio edition” if they are to be considered for airplay. Remember…..less is usually more when it comes to radio songs.
4) Radio Songs Are Genre-Specific
Most radio listeners realize that mainstream stations today are very genre-specific. That is, they play ONLY songs that are consistent with the musical style they represent. While it is true that “a good song is a good song” no matter the style, it is the wise songwriter who thinks before he/she writes (and records). Ask yourself: Which stations might play this particular style of song?
If your song is recorded with a jazz/pop arrangement, for example, it probably will not be considered for a country station. Sometimes it is possible to “straddle the fence” and arrange the music so that it is acceptable to two different formats, but this requires very savvy production skills by someone in-the-know about radio and about song production. It is always wise to consider these factors before you begin approaching radio stations with your next creation.
5) Radio Songs are Discreet
While we as American songwriters are protected by the First Amendment and have the right to say almost anything we want in our creative works, it is usually not that smart to send your most uncensored song to radio. If your song contains offensive lyrics or profanity...if the subject matter is too controversial or politically charged...if it is too far to the Right or to the Left, you will probably find it difficult to get airplay. It is wise to gain radio’s attention – not by being controversial, but by being absolutely excellent at what you do.
To summaraize, Songwriters and Radio live in a symbiotic relationship – in other words, we need each other! Songwriters need Radio to bring their songs to the world and Radio needs great songs to attract the all-important listeners. As in any relationship that is mutually beneficial, each partner must consider the other’s needs and interests. If we as songwriters are conscious of what is important to Radio, Radio will usually be open and interested in what we are writing.
Songwriters…….Start your engines!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Radio Requirements
Hearing a song that you have written on the radio is definitely one of life’s great highs! In fact, in the rich fantasy life of most aspiring songwriters, hearing your song on the radio ranks right up there with visions of winning the lottery!
In the world of 21st Century Radio, however, the chances of hearing one of your songs on a major station anytime soon are extremely slim. It will require far more than "fantasy" to make your dreams reality. Your songs must be so irresistable to the coveted radio audience that program directors simply can't refuse you! You must learn to write from the listener’s point of view with a keen understanding of the listener's mind (see previous blogs). Below are a couple of essential ingredients of radio-friendly songs. If you are an avid student of what is being played on the radio these days, I think you will find these ingredients almost every time. Here they are:
1) Radio Songs are Hook-Driven
The word – hook -- is an important one in the vocabulary of either a songwriter or a radio executive because it summarizes the goal of each. Radio and the songs it plays are all about hooking and keeping listeners’ attention. To a songwriter the hook is the most memorable musical and lyrical element of a song. It is the thesis statement – that one-phrase summary of the whole creation – that line you want the listener to be singing long after the song is over. It is like the punchline of a joke – the payoff – the “Eureka Moment” when everything else in the song suddenly has meaning in the light of that one diamond-on-velvet line.
The hook is usually also the title. A well-written hook/title will be so clear and obvious that listeners will know it from the first hearing and will be able to request the song BY TITLE when they call the radio station to request it.
If a radio listener cannot accurately identify the title of a song after one hearing, it is clear that the songwriter has not mastered the effective use of the hook. It’s time to go back to the drawing board and polish that all-essential skill before you can hope that your song will be attractive to radio – or to the listeners that are the heart and soul of both radio and hit songs.
2) Radio Songs are Simple
We flaky right-brained songwriters love to hang out with other flaky right-brained songwriters. We love to compare chord progressions, and innovative melody lines. We pride ourselves on our creativity and poetic abstractions. But remember – we flaky right-brained songwriters are definitely a minority group. The vast numbers of radio listeners are NOT songwriters. They are ordinary people caught in rush-hour traffic who are trying to find something on the radio dial that will touch them emotionally and allow them to sing along.
Don’t believe me? Just take a few moments to look at the drivers in the lanes on both sides of you on your next commute. If they have found a song they like on the radio, they almost seem to be oblivious to the “audience” of other drivers on the highway. Watch them as they sing along with the radio….playing air-guitars or beating out a rhythm on the steering wheel in their mobile studio as they sit in bumper-to-bumper gridlock. These are not music theory majors. They are ordinary people who purchase records, request songs and create hits.
Next time you are channel surfing, analyze the most popular of the songs you hear. I can almost “gar-awn-tee” that the melodies and the lyrics will be SIMPLE! Why? Because ordinary people can GET simple songs – they remember them because they can sing them! That's why "Falling Slowly" won the Academy Award (see February 24 Blog). It is a simple song at its finest -- one that haunts the listeners' minds so that they simply can't forget it -- and then, they request that song from their local stations.
Now, let me hasten to say that simple does not been simplistic or predictable and it certainly cannot mean boring! Songs must be fresh and interesting to listen to. But remember – songs have four main elements: melody, lyrics, harmony and rhythm. If the melody and lyrics are simple, singable and memorable – added interest and freshness can be added in the harmonies and rhythm used to arrange the song.
Hooky and simple...two adjectives that define hit songs of every genre. Next time, I'll add a couple more.
Let me know your thoughts....
In the world of 21st Century Radio, however, the chances of hearing one of your songs on a major station anytime soon are extremely slim. It will require far more than "fantasy" to make your dreams reality. Your songs must be so irresistable to the coveted radio audience that program directors simply can't refuse you! You must learn to write from the listener’s point of view with a keen understanding of the listener's mind (see previous blogs). Below are a couple of essential ingredients of radio-friendly songs. If you are an avid student of what is being played on the radio these days, I think you will find these ingredients almost every time. Here they are:
1) Radio Songs are Hook-Driven
The word – hook -- is an important one in the vocabulary of either a songwriter or a radio executive because it summarizes the goal of each. Radio and the songs it plays are all about hooking and keeping listeners’ attention. To a songwriter the hook is the most memorable musical and lyrical element of a song. It is the thesis statement – that one-phrase summary of the whole creation – that line you want the listener to be singing long after the song is over. It is like the punchline of a joke – the payoff – the “Eureka Moment” when everything else in the song suddenly has meaning in the light of that one diamond-on-velvet line.
The hook is usually also the title. A well-written hook/title will be so clear and obvious that listeners will know it from the first hearing and will be able to request the song BY TITLE when they call the radio station to request it.
If a radio listener cannot accurately identify the title of a song after one hearing, it is clear that the songwriter has not mastered the effective use of the hook. It’s time to go back to the drawing board and polish that all-essential skill before you can hope that your song will be attractive to radio – or to the listeners that are the heart and soul of both radio and hit songs.
2) Radio Songs are Simple
We flaky right-brained songwriters love to hang out with other flaky right-brained songwriters. We love to compare chord progressions, and innovative melody lines. We pride ourselves on our creativity and poetic abstractions. But remember – we flaky right-brained songwriters are definitely a minority group. The vast numbers of radio listeners are NOT songwriters. They are ordinary people caught in rush-hour traffic who are trying to find something on the radio dial that will touch them emotionally and allow them to sing along.
Don’t believe me? Just take a few moments to look at the drivers in the lanes on both sides of you on your next commute. If they have found a song they like on the radio, they almost seem to be oblivious to the “audience” of other drivers on the highway. Watch them as they sing along with the radio….playing air-guitars or beating out a rhythm on the steering wheel in their mobile studio as they sit in bumper-to-bumper gridlock. These are not music theory majors. They are ordinary people who purchase records, request songs and create hits.
Next time you are channel surfing, analyze the most popular of the songs you hear. I can almost “gar-awn-tee” that the melodies and the lyrics will be SIMPLE! Why? Because ordinary people can GET simple songs – they remember them because they can sing them! That's why "Falling Slowly" won the Academy Award (see February 24 Blog). It is a simple song at its finest -- one that haunts the listeners' minds so that they simply can't forget it -- and then, they request that song from their local stations.
Now, let me hasten to say that simple does not been simplistic or predictable and it certainly cannot mean boring! Songs must be fresh and interesting to listen to. But remember – songs have four main elements: melody, lyrics, harmony and rhythm. If the melody and lyrics are simple, singable and memorable – added interest and freshness can be added in the harmonies and rhythm used to arrange the song.
Hooky and simple...two adjectives that define hit songs of every genre. Next time, I'll add a couple more.
Let me know your thoughts....
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