1.305.407.3778

20 Hit Songwriting Tips from the 2015 ASCAP EXPO

I went to the 10th annual conference of songwriters in Los Angeles last week and was so inspired. Here are 20 Hit Songwriting Career Tips from the 2015 ASCAP EXPO! Even though I reference many current hits, the concepts, I believe, are ones that will last. They don’t have to do with formulas for what hits are but rather the strategies you’ll need to excel in a career writing music. As for hits, who knows if you will achieve those (or even if that’s what you want to achieve), but all this advice comes from a stellar lineup of songwriters: Claudia Brant, Aloe Blacc, Richard Marx, Bill Withers, Sevyn Streeter, No I.D., Judy Stakee, Savan Kotecha, Kevin Cronin, Avicii, Ashley Gorley, Quincy Jones, Ingrid Michaelson, Paul Williams, Anton Monsted, Darrell Brown…

Here is the report on copyright and the music business I mentioned: http://copyright.gov/docs/musiclicensingstudy/copyright-and-the-music-marketplace.pdf

Here’s the Natalia Jiménez video I mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2zOb0HGdxg

1. Everything takes a long time.
2. Cowrite, cowrite, cowrite! Put your ego aside and find the best vehicle for your melody or lyrics by collaborating.
3. Go where the music business is.
4. Stand up for songwriters. Support the songwriters equity act.
5. Understand the industry. Understand business or work with someone who can take care of that for you (like a publisher). Understand copyright.
6. Perform “self- A&R”.
7. Use your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC).
8. Find the ambitious, productive people and work with them.
9. Don’t go to clubs to hustle, write songs.
10. Do your homework and ask smarter questions.
11. Believe in yourself.
12. Bill Withers: “Don’t fake the orgasm.” Enjoy what you are doing!
13. The hardest thing to do is be profound and simple.
14. To get certain things done you will need a team and representation.
15. Don’t be good, be great.
16. Feed yourself. Respect your dry spells and mistakes.
17. Be humble.
18. Write at 10 and then back it off. Dont’ try to creep up from zero.
19. You are special.
20. The state of the music industry is that opportunity is at an all time high.
Video Rating: / 5

Strumming Ideas – Song Writing Tips – Making Music – Acoustic Guitar Lesson – EASY

Click the strum link below:
http://www.papastache.com/strum_pattern.html 

Website:

Welcome to Papastache.com


Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/brett.papa

Strumming Ideas – Song Writing Tips – Making Music – Acoustic Guitar Lesson – EASY Brett Papa papastachepop papastache102 papastache
Video Rating: / 5

For those of you love songwriting and need some tips, I made this video for you guys. Enjoy(:

1) Write what you feel.
– Don’t just write out random lyrics. Write about something that’s important to you, something you care about, or maybe even something funny you saw on the way to school or work.

2) Set a mood for the song.
– If it’s a sad song, set a melancholy mood for the song, but make sure to not go too sad. Try to have a common mood or tone throughout the song.

3) Take your time.
– It’s not the end of the world. Take your time to craft the work of art in which you imagine. Unless you’re on a big deadline or something like that, just slow down and take your time.

4) Keep the words simple.
– A song isn’t a college english essay. There is no need to use big words in songs and I wouldn’t recommend it in general because using too much of these can lose the listener if he or she doesn’t know what the words mean.

5) Don’t be discouraged if your first song isn’t well done.
– Many songwriters, including myself, struggle when it first comes to creating a song. If your song just doesn’t seem good on the first draft or in general, do not be discouraged. This is only your first song and you will get better. I promise this to you.

6) Practice, Practice, Practice!
– Like anything else, songwriting is a skill that requires practice. By practicing even once a day you can and will improve your songwriting skills. Just like singing everyday helps improve your singing and playing piano helps improve your piano playing skills, practicing your songwriting skills will improve your songwriting skills.

7) Relate to the listener.
– It may not seem like it, but there are definitely people out there who can relate to your break up story or the love you have for summer vacation. People love it when they can relate to something and songs are one of those things. So, be sure to try and relate to the listener.

8) Understand the structure of a song.
– Most songs have a structure of Intro, Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Bridge, and then the Chorus and Outro. As you know, the choruses have repeating lyrics so all you have to do is write one chorus and you have 3 parts of the song done. Most of the writing comes from the verses because most of the time the verses have different lyrics, but sometimes artists repeat the same lyrics in both verses. The bridge doesn’t always have lyrics because sometimes artists choose to put in an instrumental break there.

9) Explore the world for inspiration, even if your “world” is only your backyard.
– Most of the time, sitting at home and just staring at a wall won’t help with writing a song. So, take your notebook, sheet, phone, or whatever you use and go explore your world. This could be anything from your own backyard to Times Square. Go out and explore and you will get inspiration. The best exploration would be places that you love. If you love the beach, go to the beach and try to get inspiration from there.

10) Write because you love it, not because you want money.
– This may be the most obvious but it’s true. Some writers write because they care about making millions and having a luxurious life. Do NOT do that. Write because you love to. Write because it is the world you escape to when you’re feeling sad or lonely. Write because it makes you happy. I believe that the best art comes when you put your heart into it. If you’re just writing random stuff to get a number 1 hit and make millions, it takes the fun away from songwriting and it takes away your skilled gift. So, write because you love to, not because you want money.

Songwriting Tips & Techniques : How To Establish Song Structure

Learn tips on how to arrange a song in the best format in this free video clip on songwriting.

Expert: David Jackel
Bio: As a singer, David Jackel knows the dire effects that a cold can have on his ability to perform.
Filmmaker: David Jackel
Video Rating: / 5

Radio.com sat down with some of country music’s biggest songwriters and asked them for tips on writing country songs. Read more at http://radio.com

Country Songwriting 101 Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B0cLrKSntU&index=1&list=PLRbjoNhQ1PaGGRik-Jbkm18iAaagcKCY8

Radio.com Country Artist Interview Playlist:

SUBSCRIBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/user/radiodotcom
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/radiodotcom
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/radiodotcom

Radio.com features original shows, live and on-demand concerts, events, breaking news, and an all access pass to some of the biggest names and personalities in the music industry.
Video Rating: / 5