How to Topline as a Traditional Singer Songwriter

If you’re a traditional songwriter, you will probably have more traditional habits of writing. Toplining can seem like an entirely new world that is intimidating, especially if you are writing in a new genre, but it’s a great form of songwriting that stretches writing muscles in an interesting way. It is also nice to not have to focus on every aspect of the song and the choices you need to make (if you write melody/lyrics/harmony all together, like many songwriters do). Here are some great steps to help you topline for the first time, as well as things to keep in mind.

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Get Out of Your Funk (No, Not the Genre of Music)

James Brown = good.

A funky riff on a bass guitar = good. 

Being in a musical funk? Not so good. 

No matter how passionate you are about your art, and no matter how talented of a musician you might be, no one is immune to falling into “funks” from time to time. Maybe you just don’t have the motivation to practice. Maybe nothing is inspiring you to write. 

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How and why to keep a listening journal (and a template to get you started)

Guest post by Sayana. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper

If you’ve dedicated yourself to learning music, you may be taking courses, watching tutorials, or working with a mentor to practice every day. Every one of those things can be an essential turning point for you, but another key component of learning music that both aspiring and practicing musicians often overlook is active listening.

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DRIVERS LICENSE: A case study on hit song narrative structure

In any hit, a strategically structured narrative is paramount to leading the listener through the song in a highly engaging, satisfying, and ultimately memorable manner. This video case study uses the Hit Songs Deconstructed methodology to take a deep dive into Drivers License’s the narrative flow.

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The secret grammar of music

Guest post by Dale McGowan. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper.

I was 13 when I saw my brother’s college music theory textbook sitting on a table — Walter Piston’s Harmony. I had played clarinet and sax for a while, even did some arranging for jazz band. So I knew a little theory, but I was barely out of the blocks.

When I picked up the book, it fell open to a section called “Table of Usual Root Progressions.” Clickbait! I traced the words with a trembling finger:

(That’s an actual scan of the actual line in the actual book.)

Whoa.

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The birth of unjazz

Guest post by Ben Morss of Soundfly’s Flypaper. This article originally appeared on his Rock Theory Blog

This winter, walking my dog in the snow, listening to Spotify’s Top 50 playlist, I heard something striking: a lovely jazzy instrumental touched with pretty jazz guitars, the sound of birds and faraway kids playing, topped by a beautiful, timelessly wandering vocal.

Melodic ideas repeated, but the song didn’t have a clear focus or drive toward a chorus. The vocals soared ridiculously far above the bass. I begged my dog to stay and checked my phone. What was this song, and what was it doing in the Top 50?

It was the latest from SZA, called “Good Days.” I resolved to learn more.

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The S.A.M. Principle

Hit Songs Deconstructed kicked off its “Decoding the Hits” masterclass series on Saturday and has made a one-hour segment from the first masterclass available for viewing.

The segment is called The S.A.M. Principle: Serving the Song, the Artist and the Marketplace and focuses on priming every aspect of your song – from melody and hooks, to lyrics and rhymes, to arrangement and production – to serve the song, the artist, and the marketplace to maximize a songs potential chart-topping success.

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Which songs do you recognize in the first five seconds?

Guest post by Carter Lee. This full article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper

Everyone on the planet has at least a handful of songs that they’d recognize almost instantly if the first few seconds come on. You know you do, can you think of a few songs that might perk your ears up right now?

Sometimes it’s because of that very particular, iconic lick in the intro. Then again, it could be the use of an incredibly unique sound or instrument that only that one song starts with. And, of course, there are some songs that quickly ring a bell because of our personal connections to them.

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Why you should write multiple songs at once

When I first started writing songs, I wrote one song at a time until it was finished. This process was so delicate for me that I convinced myself that I had to write the entire song in one sitting or it would be forgotten forever. As a result, my writing sessions were sporadic bursts, going on for hours and hours, then never picking up the pen again for weeks.

This worked well for me when I was in high school and bored on summer vacation. It even worked in college because I had to write songs for assignments. Unfortunately, after graduating, this songwriting process led me to many dry months and I ended up writing just two or three songs for an entire year. That continued for the first few years after starting to work full-time.

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All (human) music is repetition — Let’s talk about that.

There’s a great scene in the sci-fi comedy series Rick and Morty, whereby Morty’s hapless father Jerry is accidentally abducted by aliens and placed in an extremely low-fi simulation, à la The Matrix on a high-school production budget. Oblivious, Jerry utterly fails to notice he’s in a poorly constructed faux-Earth, despite the fact that, for example, the world is suddenly almost entirely populated by identical carbon copies of the same three people. Anyway, Jerry is fake driving himself to fake work and flicks on the fake radio. The aliens, unable to simulate actual terrestrial radio, make it up on the fly and announce that coming up next on “Earth Radio” is “human music.”

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Finding inspiration for songwriting: 7 techniques

As a musician, there are so many ways you can practice your craft and find the inspiration you’re looking for in songwriting. While it’s highly likely that at times in your creative journey the inspiration has come to you, there are plenty of other times when you may need to go out in search of it. 

Everybody has their own methods of getting inspired — and yours will likely be unique just like your music is. While some techniques work better for certain people than they do for others, you can try out a variety of options to see which ones work best for you.

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How to use past experiences to fuel musical creativity

Some of the greatest songs ever written only exist because of what the artists went through. From classic breakup songs (or every Taylor Swift album) to nights of crazy parties to the feeling of falling in love, past experiences make up so much of the music industry.

Using past experiences to fuel creativity isn’t limited to music. Some of the greatest paintings of our time were inspired by real-life experiences. The same goes for poetry, books, and even movies.

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Music Through Pandemic: 5 Ways Artists Can Adapt & Continue Performing

This article is written by Charles Vallena, Managing Editor at Guitar Junky.

The COVID19 pandemic is not showing any signs of slowing down. Despite massive vaccination efforts, more virulent new strains keep cropping up. 

While economies remain steadfast amidst the pandemic, performing artists must do what they can to adapt and keep doing the things they love. Here are five ways artists can adapt and continue creating music through the pandemic.

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The oldest song ever written

Guest post by Daniel Reifsnyder. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper

It’s often said that songwriters need to strive to be the first to say or do something, or otherwise be the best or most unique at saying it. Music, in some form, has been around for at least 35,000 years, so being the first to say pretty much anything would certainly be a feat.

Knowing that, how old human music is, has led many to wonder what exactly the first song ever written was. While the actual first song may be lost to time, researchers have discovered the oldest song to be preserved in its entirety — which includes its notation!

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