121
Writing about heavy subjects
QUESTION:
Certain subjects are very hard to write about. Like right
now I am trying to put together a song for a 16 year old
girl that died of cancer. It's not that it's too emotional,
you just can never find the right words.
I have not read any books about songwriting. There are
two reasons for that. One is that I just recently started
writing. Two is that I don't believe in writing from a
book. All kinds of writing AND SINGING come from the heart,
soul, and mind.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
It is very difficult to write effective songs about heavy
life experiences -- especially when you are only 13! You
mention that you have not read any books on songwriting
and don't believe in them. That is a very serious mistake!!
You need to be open and teachable in order to learn your
craft well enough to write about every kind of subject
matter -- even very difficult subjects such as cancer
and death. Music does indeed come from the heart and soul
-- but as you well said, it also comes from the mind.
You need to develop your CRAFT and stretch your mental
capacity to learn all that you can about songwriting if
you intend to write songs that will be seriously considered
and which will impact millions of listeners.You will not
lose the "inspirational" part of your gift by developing
the "intellectual" aspects.
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122
Can you mail in a request for permission to send tapes?
QUESTION:
People are always talking about how you need to CALL and
send in tapes to recording companies, producers, etc.
Well, what if you don't have the equipment for that, and
you can't CALL them? Does mail or e-mail work?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
If you intend to pursue songwriting seriously, you will
have to be able to make professional sounding demos. Whether
you purchase your own recording equipment or are able
to use someone else's home studio setup, you MUST have
tapes or CD's which adequately "demonstrate" your songs.
You can make contacts with record companies, producers
etc. by phone or email, but you still have to have something
for them to hear. Please refer to Question 5 above about
getting involved in your music community. Find out where
other serious songwriters do their demos. Then start saving
your money to begin building a library of good demos of
your songs.
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123
Do lyrics always need to have a rhyming pattern?
QUESTION:
Do you need a ryming patteren all the time in a lyric?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
There are songs that don't have rhyme schemes -- such
as The Lord's Prayer set to music. But these are usually
songs that we say are "through composed." In other words,
they are not so much a "song" as they are a poem set to
music. For songwriting -- especially hit or commercial
songs -- listening audiences EXPECT to hear rhymes. Their
subconscious minds are programmed to respond to rhymes
in lyrics. You need to study rhymes and rhyme patterns.
There are MANY kinds of rhyme schemes that can be used
for various styles and effects. Learn to use rhymes --
buy several good rhyming dictionaries and study them.
One that I highly recommend is "The Songwriters' Rhyming
Dictionary" by Jane Shaw Whitfield. It is available from
Melvin Powers Wilshire Book Company in N. Hollywood, CA.Rhymes
and rhyme patterns help to capture the meter and power
of the music. Learn to rhyme well and you will move from
the ranks of the hobbyists, to the ranks of the professionals.
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124
How do I know if I'm good?
QUESTION:
I write lyrics I have no problem with writing things on
my mind. It's I don't know if it's good or not.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
You need some critiques from more experienced songwriters.
Become involved in your local music community (See Question
5). At every opportunity attend songwriting critique sessions
and seminars. Listen to other people's songs being critiqued
and learn what elements of songwriting are necessary for
a truly "good" song. You may also want to invest in some
initial songwriting critiquing services that will help
you to be able to critique your own songs as you are writing
them. You must become experienced enough to KNOW when
your song is a "killer song" and when it still needs improvement
and work.
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125
Is there a contract to protect lyricists?
QUESTION:
Is there an outline or a standard contract to protect
a lyricist from a collaborator(or anyone) using the words
without recognizing the original lyricist?.....or receiving
royalties, etc. Is copyrighting enough protection?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
I would strongly suggest that you register your lyrics
with the US Copyright Office before you begin collaborating
with people you may not know very well. See answer to
Question 4 above. Also, I am a firm believer in drawing
up a simple Letter of Agreement between you and a new
collaborator.....just so that you have something to "jog"
your memories as to what you originally agreed on. When
a song is completed by two or more writers, that song
becomes their composition. Based upon how much each writer
contributed, percentages of the generated revenues are
distributed to each writer. I have learned over the years
as a lyricist, that it is much easier to be cautious and
protect yourself "on the front end" of any collaboration
-- rather than to rush into something first and then find
out later that each writer had different ideas about what
the arrangements would be.
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126
Looking for a song collaborator
QUESTION:
I am looking for a song collaborator, in my area. I have
the words but no music and wish to find someone who can
put notes to my lyrics. I have tried the Area Songwriters
association with little progress. If you know of any resources
in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area please help!
Thank you!
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
This is definitely the most frequently asked question
I receive from aspiring songwriters. My stock answer is
that you need to be as creative in finding a collaborator
as you are in writing a song in the first place. There
are talented musician/composers all over the country --
you just have to find one. My first suggestion is your
local songwriters' association. In a city the size of
Raleigh-Durham, that should be a fairly large and active
group. You say you have tried that and that you have had
little progress. What do you mean? Do you mean that you
haven't found anyone there to collaborate with....or that
you have tried to collaborate but it hasn't been successful....or
that you simply haven't had the nerve to ask someone to
collaborate with you? Remember, collaboration is a lot
like dating...you just have to pluck up courage and ASK.
You may be rejected several times, or you may go out on
one "date" and find the chemistry isn't right, but eventually.....you
will find someone that you really click with and then
all the attempts that went before are worth it. If you
have really exhausted the possibilities at your local
songwriters' association, why not go visit the music department
of one or more of the large universities and/or community
colleges in your area. There are always talented people
in such places! Put a note up on the bulletin board indicating
that you are a lyricist and seeking to collaborate in
writing songs. Or go to a large church music department
and do the same thing. Or you could take out a classified
ad in a local newspaper...or put your name up on a community
bulletin board. Be creative and ask lots of questions.
You might even go to your biggest area music store and
ask the sales people there who they know in the music
community that might be interested in collaboration. If
all else fails, there is always the internet.....Lyrical
Line is a great place to meet other songwriters from all
over the world. And it is possible to write by long distance.....I
do it all the time with people I have never even met in
person. If you are truly motivated, you will find a way!
Also, don't miss Nancy Moran's great article "In Search
of a Musical Co-Writer" on the Lyrical Line site. Good
luck!!
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127
I can't seem to finish a song
QUESTION:
I have been trying for a long time to finnish a song.
I am 15 years old and have started a whole lot of different
songs, but whenever i get started it just seems that I
can't finnish it.
Please give me some suggestions. I love music and the
one lyric(s) I did finnish, everyone I showed them to
loved them. Please help.
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
Finishing a song is a lot like finishing a book you are
reading. You just have to sit down and DO IT! It is always
easier to start something new than finish something you
have already started, but a professional songwriter will
discipline himself/herself to finish the songs they write
because there is no future for a half-written song --
creatively or financially. One reason you may find it
hard to finish a song is because you don't know where
the song is going or what the main message is that you
are trying to get across. Master songwriterJimmy Webb
says: " The amateur songwriter's greatest single failing
and one that is immediately obvious to the listener is
that the writer does not know exactly where the song is
going." A song is just like any other piece of writing
-- an article, a term paper, an essay -- you have to outline
the content before you just start writing. Try this with
your songs -- before you start rhyming and creating, jot
down on a piece of paper what you feel is the main point
(the thesis statement) of the song. This should be your
hook or title. Then jot down what you want to say about
that thesis in the Chorus, in Verse 1 -- Verse 2 and/or
the Bridge. Try to develop the content along some sort
of organizational line -- such as a "timeline" where,
for instance, Verse 1 would be about the past -- Verse
2 would be about the present and the Bridge would be about
the future. Or you may want to start with a simple vignette
or story in Verse 1 -- and then expand that truth to the
universal in Verse 2. There are many ways to organize,
but whatever you do -- decide before you actually start
writing the song WHERE you want to end up and HOW you
want to get there. And then just determine to finish --
and DO IT! You can always go back and "tweak it up" later
but at least get something accomplished.
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128
Can I pitch songs that are under a publisher already?
QUESTION:
I co-wrote with a band for 2 years. Later we recieved
a publishing deal from windswept pacific. All the songs
where registered as co-writes with windswept.
Later when I left the band, I was informed that I was
released from the publishing contract as well as any further
publishing advances (not royalties) for the songs. Since
I really could care less about practically all the songs
but one, can i still pitch this song?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
I can't answer your question in depth without seeing the
songwriting agreement that you had with Windswept Publishing.
However, I can comment generally. Think of your song as
being a pie. When you signed your agreement with the publisher,
you basically were splitting the whole pie with the publisher
in exchange for the publisher finding places to "exploit
your copyright" -- in other words, to make money from
it. In most songwriting agreements this is a 50/50 split
-- the publisher gets half and the writers split the other
half. The writers half is split according to how much
input each writer contributed to the song. If your song
was registered with the Copyright Office with you as one
of the writers, that will not change -- whether you are
with the same publisher or not, you should retain your
percentage of the writers' portion of the income. However,
the publisher is no longer obligated to "advance" you
royalties -- they are only obligated to pay you when and
if the royalties come in. As one of the writers of the
song, you may continue to pitch the song whenever and
however you wish, but if you generate any activity with
the song that earns money, you will still be obligated
to split the writers royalties with the other writers
and the publisher (Windswept) will still get their half
of the total income -- whether they did anything to place
the song or not. I hope this helps. If you still have
questions, read your copy of the contract and make sure
you understand it. Then consult an attorney to clarify
your rights.
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129
I can't write music notation. What do I do?
QUESTION:
I know how my songs are going to be, as I know how to
sing it. But i dont have knowledge on writing the song
on piece of paper. What else can I do in order for my
songs to be read or heard ??
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
If you can sing your song and/or play it into a tape recorder,
there are many services that can help you to produce a
professional quality demo that will be suitable for pitching
to major record companies. Or you may be able to find
a musician/sequencer in your area that can help you to
arrange and produce the song professionally. These services,
however, can be quite pricey -- ranging from $150-$300
per song. So be sure your song is as good as you can make
it before you invest that kind of money in a demo.You
may want to get some professional feedback from a song
critiquing service before you actually do the demo.
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130
I'm stuck writing the same music. How do I start fresh?
QUESTION:
Here is the problem: over the last few months every song
i have written sound almost exactly the same. I am stuck
in ths mode of using arpeggios and using major thirds.
How can i start fresh?
ANSWER
(by Mary Dawson):
This is a common problem -- especially when were in the
habit of writing at our instrument. Our tendency is to
just let our hands move to the chords we know and that
have worked before. If it is any consolation, even a composer
as gifted and creative as Burt Bacharach has this problem.
His secret to writing melody after creative melody was
to write AWAY from the piano. He says; "You can hear a
long line that way. You can hear the whole song. You can
hear it evolve, and not be as concerned with what the
fingers and the hands are playing, where they're going.
It's short term with my hands on the piano. It sounds
really good for that one bar, but I'm trying to hear the
whole thing and hear how it would sound just coming at
you as a song, as a listener. If you get away from the
piano and hear the melodic contour as well as the harmonization
in your head, you're hearing the long vertical line...I
just get a better picture when I get away from the keyboard
and just try to hear it that way. I mean, guys have written
great songs and continue to do so while sitting at their
instrument, whether it's guitar or piano. Not to say I
don't somethimes start at the piano, then get away from
it. But I get a sense of balance that I wouldn't get if
I was sitting at the piano. I can't say enough about where
your hands tend to go because they've been there before...You'll
write what your hands can play instead of what an orchestra
can play." This is GREAT ADVICE. Concentrate on writing
fresh, creative, simple singable melodies. If you can't
find the right chords to go under the melody, get together
with an accomplished arranger/musician who can help you
find the harmonies. But push yourself to get away from
the overly familiar chords that you have been using. One
other suggestion would be to listen to LOTS of different
kinds of music. I often suggest that songwriters have
every button on their car radio set to a different genre
of music -- Country, Pop, Classical, Jazz etc. Listen
to the chords and harmonies that are being used in hit
songs of all styles -- then come back to your instrument
and try finding those harmoies and musical patterns.Try
using one or more of these new elements in your next song.
After all, we are a only a composite of all the music
that has ever entered the "computer" of our brains. As
songwriters we only re-cycle these musical elements into
new sequences and patterns. Keep stretching and learning.
Good luck!
