From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:
For your song to be successful, it needs to capture the listeners’ attention right away, and really make an impact. If it doesn’t, it won’t sell, and it’s as simple as that.
There are three aspects of a song that rise above the others in importance: the melody, chord progression and lyrics. So once you’ve written your song, give it the once-over with this checklist:
1- Is the melody memorable? (Melodies that leap high and low somewhat randomly and seem to have no noticeable contour will be hard for the listener to remember. A melodic hook can really make a melody stand out.)
2- Are the chords predictable enough without being boring or repetitious? (Songs with too many of the same chords, or too many chords, both cause the listener to become bored.)
3) Do the lyrics relate to experiences and emotions that the average person encounters in their life? (If it’s just a song about how you feel, with no accompanying story line, don’t expect the listener to relate to it. A song will appeal to people because they can imagine themselves singing it.)
Remember, when you write a song, you’re setting life to music. And you’re doing it as a representative of everyone who will listen to it. If it isn’t grabbing the audience on its first listen, go back and fix it. The world of songwriting is very much a “first impressions” world.
-Gary Ewer
Well, some people express themselves just fine, but if no one’s listening to it…
Average music isn’t OK, and to say that it’s devastating for creativity to wonder if your song is going to sell is not really true either, IMO. The trick is to be creative in a way that expresses yourself, and in a way that brings people back to your music over and over again.
If you’re compromising creativity simply to sell music, it’s not going to sell. Music needs innovation, or it’s just the same old noise that’s been going on forever. The challenge is, can you be creative in a way that draws listeners in, rather than leaving them cold.
(I went to your site, BTW – http://www.theknife.net. Really great music, nicely done. Others should check it out.)
-Gary
Hello!
Just wondering; why does music have to be average to be ok, and isn´t it devastating for creativity to wonder if the songs you write will sell or not.
In my oppinion it´s just plain and mainstream.
Most music today look and sound the same and that is not “setting life to music”.
Why not encourage people to express themselves in their own uniqe way instead.
That can create wonders!
Little My
P.S. Visit homepage http://www.theknife.net, and listen to some interesting music. D.S.