What
Songwriters Want To Know
Q&A
with the Pro's
With
more than 150 questions answered by professional songwriters,
this is one of the "meatiest" sections on Lyrical
Line! Each page highlights ten questions that link to the
answers below.
Mary
Dawson has joined our Q&A sessions. She is the host of I
Write The Songs, the radio show found exclusively online
on Lyrical Line. She is also the President of CQK
Records & Music.
In
the past, Paul Zollo answered your questions, but there are only
so many questions one person can handle!
Ask
a question of your own. Please be sure it hasn't been
answered below already before submitting.
Page
1:
YES! You still have a future in the songwriting business
if you ONLY write lyrics. Read the answer below if you've
been wondering.
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19
If
I write strictly lyrics, do I have a future in the songwriting
business?
Yes. As a lyricist. This is something I have addressed already
here -- you will have no success trying to market your lyrics
just as lyrics -- you need to find a collaborator who can
set your words to music. Once you have completed a full
song -- words and music -- you can then make demos of your
songs, and attempt to market them as songs. The fact that
you wrote only lyrics and not music is not a problem --many
great lyricists have had stellar careers writing words only,
not music --but this success is directly related to the
fact that they teamed up with a great composer or composers.
Sammy Cahn is one of the most famous songwriters of all
time, yet he wrote only words, not music. Teaming up with
Jimmy Van Heusen and Jule Stein and other great composers
allowed him to transform his lyrics into great songs. Or
he would use his genius with words to write lyrics to existing
melodies. Similarly, Bernie Taupin has written countless
classics with Elton John but also has written fine songs
with other composers, such as Martin Page. As a lyricist
you are in the fortunate position of being able to come
up with something composers desperately need: words. I am
someone who writes both words and music, but have found
that there are more composers in need of lyrics than vice
versa, and I have collaborated with many other songwriters
in this regard, generally writing lyrics to their melodies,
or lyrics that they set to melodies. So you certainly can
have a very full career as a lyricist --but it all depends
on your ability to find a good collaborator.
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1
Writing notes down on paper
QUESTION:
>How
can I find someone to write my music down on paper? Unfortunately,
I can read music, sing, and write lyrics but I can't write
the notes.....can you please help me..
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
There are people in most big cities -- and many smaller
ones -- who work as music transcribers, and will transcribe
your songs-- from a tape - for an hourly rate. There are
a couple of people here in L.A. I know of and can recommend
if you find no one in your area. However -- I must ask why
you are doing this. It is nice to have a song transcribed,
but not that important. You don't need a transcription to
copyright the song anymore -- you can now do that by simply
taping the song. Nor do you need one to make a good demo
of the song -- a singer can learn it from a tape, and musicians
can play from lead sheets -- charts of the song's chords.
If it's an instrumental song, and you want someone to play
it -- say a sax player -- then a transcription would be
needed. But otherwise I might suggest you spend your money
on recording and other activities which would be more directly
effective.
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2
Keeping the story going
QUESTION:
>How
do you keep the story in a song going? I have no trouble
starting songs. I have trouble from the middle to the end.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
This is a tough question, because the solutions songwriters
would apply to this differ so much. Oftentimes if one "plots
out" the narrative of a song too much, the resulting song
can be predictable and trite. I find it's better -- if possible
-- to follow the song -- to see where IT leads YOU. As opposed
to imposing a story upon a song. By this I mean you should
immerse yourself in the writing of the lyric (and music
if you are doing both) and then try to sense where it should
lead, and stay open to ideas that come to you.
The more conventional approach would be to outline the plot
of the song, and clearly delineate what happens where in
the song, and then try to tackle it from that angle.
But I have found it's more effective to listen to what the
song is telling you -- and from there write way more than
you need -- write many verses, write many lines, ideas,
thoughts. Do not judge it while doing it -- you can do that
later in the editing process but let it flow, and write
it down. Even if a line or phrase or image comes to you
and seems at first erroneous, don't discard it -- it might
be giving you a fresh angle or perspective on the song.
Many songwriters have spoken about the subconscious or unconscious
levels of songwriting -- that sometimes, as in dreams, imagery
or symbols might come to you that don't appear logical.
But songs -- like dreams -- have their own logic. So follow
your instincts as well as your intellect. Even Sammy Cahn
told me "I don't write lyrics -- lyrics write me." By this
he meant that he followed the inner direction of the song
itself while writing it, instead of imposing a lyric onto
a melody. Sometimes the story is in the melody itself --
what does this tune say? What does it mean? Sometimes story
directions spring out of words that just arrive. Paul Simon
told me that he started his famous song "The Boxer" with
lines that didn't at first seem to make any sense: "I am
just a poor boy though my story's seldom told, I have squandered
my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises..."
From that somewhat abstract but open-ended opening, he constructed
an entire song about a boxer. But he certainly didn't start
with the idea of writing a boxing song. So one must be open
to the ideas and inspirations which come through, and then
take those and follow them up, explore them, and see where
they might lead.
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3
Fair use for education
QUESTION:
>I
teach workshops on songcrafting. Many times I would like
to use song lyrics as examples. Does the fair use restriction
for educational purposes cover: (1) Making a profit for
these instructional seminars? (2) Displaying the printed
lyric on an overhead screen or in handouts for exercises
on song mapping? I have obtained permission for the few
that I use right now, but I am slightly restricted from
displaying a larger variety of lyric examples until I get
this question answered, and it is just not as effective
to simply read the lyric or play the song.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
As long as you don't print these song lyrics and then sell
them, you're okay. You can go right ahead and quote lyrics
in your workshops all you want -- even if you charge for
the workshops. It's when you sell the lyrics to make a profit
that you get into trouble. If you are printing them out
and giving them to workshop students, that is okay -- but
if you sell them separately. Which is why I had to cut short
many of the lyric examples from my books.
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4
Rewriting
QUESTION:
>Rewriting.
Once I get a great theme or idea, with a promising hook,
and I sketch out a form or structure, actually completing
a rough draft of the song isn't that tough for me. Rewriting
is the killer, since I try to do my best the first time
around, it is brutal to examine the song with a critical
eye and fix it, firm it up, you know, FINISH IT! I would
rather start five new songs than have to go back and > finish
one. I guess that is why it is nice to work with a collaborator...
I just haven't found the right one yet.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Again, as Paul Simon said, "Nobody said songwriting was
supposed to be easy." And rewriting can be a drag. It is
more FUN to start new songs. But all great songwriters at
some point learn the value and importance of rewriting.
Because none of us are such geniuses that songs always come
out perfect the first time we connect with them. Some people
have done this -- but it is VERY rare. More common is that
a songwriter will get much of a song, but there will remain
certain lines which are just not right. And the songwriter
can usually sense this. I have felt that in some ways, the
perfect version of the song is there -- and the songwriter
has to find it. In some ways this activity is more akin
to uncovering the right lines, that having to randomly rewrite
everything. But as time goes on, your standards will inevitably
rise -- and simply writing a song is no longer enough. You
will want to write great songs -- songs just as good or
better than your greatest ones. And you will only get there
by rewriting. So as unpleasant as it can be, I advise you
to push yourself and make you keep working on those songs
until you get them to a place where you feel that they are
just about perfect. This doesn't mean you have to sit at
your desk and do this work -- I find I am thinking of my
current song all the time, while driving, walking, taking
a bike ride, doing the dishes... Allow your mind to go over
those lines that need more work, and often the mind will
deliver the best version to you. The trick is to get out
of your own way -- drop all concerns about how long a song
might be taking to complete, and try to embrace the joy
of songwriting. Because when you do rewrite one and make
it much better, it's exhilarating.
Michaelangelo spoke famously of finding the form within
a block of marble, and then just cutting away the excess
so that the pure form emerged. In many ways this is what
rewriting is -- sensing the pure, true form of the song
and cutting away the excess.
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5
Demo quality
QUESTION:
>If
you have been in contact with a manager who is looking for
material and you think you might have the material he is
looking for, does it have an impact how good a quality your
demo's are, or are demos just that?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
A demo must be of very good quality. In the past, publishers
could hear very simple demos -- just piano-voice or guitar-voice,
and see the potential of a song there. And there are still
some who can do so. But most publishers are not musicians,
they are businessmen, and they are accustomed to hearing
full-blown demos -- demos on the same level, almost, as
finished records. And now with the advent of such sophisticated
home recording studios, many songwriters are able to produce
fully realized demos at home. So as a songwriter you are
competing in a sense against these people -- as publishers
are used to hearing finished records and fully realized
demos, anything less than this will sound unprofessional
to them. EVEN IF THE SONG IS GREAT! So you need a demo that
has high recording quality (little hiss, no distortion,
etc.) with a good singer doing the lead vocal, a solid bass
line, some kind of drum pattern for rhythm, etc. The most
important thing to remember in making demos is not to leave
something undone. Don't assume someone will hear what is
not there. As great as your song is, it will seem like an
unframed painting without a good demo. So it's up to you
to frame it well, so that your song can be properly appreciated.
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6
Recommended books
QUESTION:
>Man!
are you kidding?!? My recommended book list has got over
50 titles on it! I guess if I could recommend a couple of
"starter" books they would be Paul Zollo's "Beginning Songwriter's
Answer Book", which is an excellent resource for writers
who are just starting to understand that they need to learn
A LOT! to write and work great songs (I also like Paul's
book, "Songwriters on Songwriting" for more experienced
writers)
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
GREAT advice. Joy Becker is a smart woman and I imagine
her song workshops are very valuable . Though I would say
that my second book, "Songwriters On Songwriting", is not
just for experienced songwriters -- I think all songwriters
could gain a lot from reading the collective wisdom of 52
of the greatest songwriters of our time. In here are the
answers to almost all of these creative questions -- about
story, rewriting, composing melodies, where to start, how
to finish, etc. It's all there, and in the words of those
who have had true success in this field -- people like Paul
Simon, Carole King, Bob Dylan, Sammy Cahn and the rest --
these are the people who know the most about songwriting.
Of course, I love John Braheny too. He's a good guy and
a fine writer.
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7 Marketing yourself as an independent
QUESTION:
>I
am a solo musician. I've been in a few bands working with
other people, but I've found out either they don't see a
song the same way or just don't have the talent to play
it. How do I market myself independently with no band, when
eventually I'll need one. What record company will pick
up someone who can't tour right away.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
If you are a folk musician, you can play solo. There's many
solo singer-songwriters performing at coffee house-like
places without a band. And there are folk labels recording
acoustic and solo music.
But if you want more, it takes money. You can hire studio
musicians and make a demo or full CD and tell people exactly
what to play. When musicians are hired to play -- instead
of doing it because they're your friends or because they're
doing you a favor -- you have every right to tell them exactly
what you want them to play. You can then hire musicians
to perform live with you as well. I've gone through this
-- I used to play only with friends who would play for free.
And they weren't very good. But I hated the idea of having
to hire musicians. After all, The Beatles didn't hire musicians
to play with them -- they had a real band. But this, like
so many of my idyllic beliefs, was not very realistic. Because
I was saving money but my music sounded terrible. And I
could never figure out why I couldn't get the drums, for
example, to sound right. I figured it was my fault -- that
I was unable to communicate clearly what I wanted. But I
found I was wrong -- the problem was that my drummer simply
didn't play very well. As soon as I started playing with
pros, everything shifted -- not only could the drummer get
the exact groove that I wanted, but he could also add to
it and make it work better. And same with the other instruments.
So if you want your music to sound professional, it's best
to hire some pros. And it needn't cost a fortune. And, potentially,
you can start getting paid for your gigs and actually break
even or even make money on a show. Imagine that!
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8
How young is too young
QUESTION:
>What
are the chances of a 14-15 year old going professional in
the music industry with great music ability?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Better late than never! Just joking -- I can't give you
odds, but depending on the level of your talent, and your
ability to record your music and get it to people that matter,
your chances are okay. Probably better than someone who
is too old -- being too young has NEVER been a problem in
the music industry, if you have the chops.
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9
Difficulty finding ideas
QUESTION:
>The
most difficult part of songwriting for me is finding a topic
to write about, I am only 14 years old and I have believe
it or not experienced a great deal of so called "love",
and that is the only thing I can think of writing about.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
You can write about ANYTHING! That's the beauty of songwriting
-- there are no rules. Though it seems that love and romance
is the only subject of songs -- and it is a great one --
it is not the only subject. I suggest you listen to a lot
of great songwriters-- Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Randy Newman,
Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Rickie Lee Jones, Woody Guthrie,
Joni Mitchell, etc. -- and study their lyrics -- look at
their subjects. What songwriters do you like? What do they
write about? What is going on in your life -- anything bothering
you -- intriguing you? It's not necessary to write a song
about yourself or your own life -- For story ideas I'd also
suggest that you read books -- read novels, nonfiction -newspapers
-- anything! Woody Guthrie used to read the newspaper every
day and write a song based on stories he'd find there. And
as you seem to have Internet access, there is a universe
of subject matters to be found there -- easily transferable
to songs. I have been interested in the actor Lon Chaney,
for example, and found Web pages about him, which I copied
into my Word program -- and from there used bits and pieces
and ideas and themes I found there to write a new song.
And I love it -- it's one of the most interesting songs
I've yet written. So please understand -- though love is
a great topic for songs, maybe the greatest, it's not the
only one.
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10
Role of songwriting books in songwriting
QUESTION:
>I
haven't read any songwriting books, in my opinion you don't
necessarily have to read books to be a good songwriter,
because I have not read any and I write many songs. True
songwriting comes not from books, but from your heart, and
knowledge of the world.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
I TOTALLY agree. One does not have to read any songwriting
books to become a good songwriter. It's MUCH more important
to listen to great songs and study them. As a songwriter
myself, I hungered to read about what the great songwriters
had to say about songwriting, as opposed to some author
who I've never heard of. So when Writer's Digest Books asked
me -- years ago now -- to write "The Beginning Songwriters
Answer Book," I agreed on the condition that, number one,
I could quote abundantly from songwriters I'd interviewed
(after all, Carole King's advice on songwriting seemed a
lot more important than my own) and also that I could do
another book just of my interviews. This second book, which
they agreed to publish (Writer's Digest is a GREAT company),
was "Songwriters On Songwriting." (I've done a new expanded
version of this book --now published by Da Capo Press.)
And in this book, one can read what the great songwriters
have to say about how they write songs. And in my opinion
-- irrespective of the fact that this is my book -- I don't
think there is another book which contains so much wisdom
about songwriting. Which is not to say anyone has to read
it to become a good songwriter. But if you love songwriting
and are interested in it, or if you have a lot of questions
and concerns about the process of writing lyrics and music,
here are 52 songwriters discussing very specifically how
they wrote their famous songs. And their thoughts contradict
each other as often at they concur but that is the beauty
of the book -- for there are no right answers about songwriting.
But there is a LOT of wisdom to be found on the subject.
So I agree -- you certainly don't have to read books about
songwriting to be a great songwriter or even a good one.
But if you do want to read one, make sure it's mine! But
as Dylan says in the book, "That's what is so attractive
about songwriting -- that there is no rhyme or rule to it.
But as they say, thank God for songwriters."
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