THE MOST

COMPREHENSIVE
GUIDE TO
SONGWRITING
EVER
2020 issue | American Songwriter
 CONTENTS
F O
E L B A T
3 5 B A S I C

By: Rebekah Klemp

T I P S F O R S O N G W R I T I N G

8 T H E J O B

By: Marty Dodson

O F E A C H P A R T O F A S O N G

11 M I X I N G

By: Pat Pattison

P O I N T O F V I E W

16
R E J E C T I O N & C R I T I C I S M A S A

S O N G W R I T E R

By: Paul Zollo

22 H O W S O N G W R I T E R S

W A I T I N G T O E A R N
C A N

F R O M
M A K E M O N E Y

P U B L I S H E D
W H I L E

M U S I C

By: Tunedly

27 M E A S U R E

By: David Alzofon

F O R M E A S U R E : H O O K E D
 5 Basic Tips 3
FOR

SONGWRITING By: Rebekah Klemp

As songwriters, we all know that there is a lot that goes into writing the perfect song.
Regardless of the genre, creating music is a long but rewarding task that requires
many hours and much attention to detail. Whether you are a beginner songwriter, or
have been writing songs your whole life, you have probably realized by now that
there’s always room for improvement. If you are looking to take your music to the
next level, look no further! Here are five tips and tricks to consider for advanced
songwriters as well as beginners.

1. Start with one idea and build from there.

Composing a song can sometimes be overwhelming if you don’t start with small
steps. Similarly, if you try to combine too many elements all at once, the outcome
can be messy and less thoughtful and specific. When I write songs, I like to start
with one idea—big or small—and move on from there.

Your idea can be a storyline, a specific lyric, a chord progression, a melody, a

rhythmic pattern, or any number of other things. Once you have your idea to get you
started, start adding to it. Next, work out the meter, the melody, or maybe what
instruments or sounds you want to use. Do you want the song to have verses and a
refrain? Does it change in any way as the song continues?

Keep asking questions and exploring ideas. Just because something works doesn’t
mean it’s the best option, so take your time and try many things before you choose.
Write down multiple ideas and mix and match them in different patterns. You’ll be
amazed by the vast amount of possibilities available.
 4

2. Be specific in the choices you make.

If there’s anything I learned in my years studying music at a university, it’s that
composers, songwriters, and performers are very specific about the choices they
make. Maybe they changed chords rapidly to give the song movement. Maybe they
waited an extra beat to build suspense. Perhaps they notated a fast rhythm to cause
excitement and energy.

In order to do something like this, you must have a clear vision of what you want
your song to be. How do you want your listeners to feel as they’re listening? Should
the song be high-energy? Smooth and chill? Angry? Sad? Answer these questions and
be specific. Use descriptive words and sentences to create a statement about what
story you want to tell.

Once you have a vision for what you want, find ways to incorporate that into all
aspects of the music. Everything from the rhythm to the instrumentation can be
used as a tool to convey or create emotion. Don’t let any part go to waste!
 5

Many songwriters are mistaken in thinking that the words are the primary element
of a song that conveys the story, but it’s really the integration of all the elements
working together. Work your way through each element of the piece and think of
ways to improve it to better tell the “story” you want your listeners to hear.

3. Tap into your creativity and what inspires you.

Inspiration is tricky, because it can’t exactly be forced out of you and onto the sheet
music. However, there are ways to get the creative juices flowing that will give that
inspiration a little push.

Inspiration can come from either internal or external sources. Internal inspiration
originates in your thoughts processes and emotions. What experiences have you had
that have inspired you in the past? What feelings or emotional moments can you
think of that could add to your song in some way? What are your passions? Dig deep
into your own thoughts and memories. Write about it, if it helps.

On the other hand, external inspiration is all about what is around you. It can come
in many forms and is distinctly unique to each person. This may take a little
exploration, but listen to, see, and do things that might spark your creativity. Listen
to music that inspires you or listen to new styles of music for unique ideas that you
can incorporate. Pay attention to the words and rhythms and what each song has to
offer its listeners.

Listening to music is an obvious answer, but many musicians have other sources of
creativity as well. Go to an art museum, see a dance show, or join a yoga class. Do
whatever appeals to your creative mind. You never know what might spark a new
idea for your own art.
 6

4. Take a break.
Sometimes you’re on a roll and the brilliant ideas are flowing out of you. Other
times, you can’t seem to be satisfied with anything that you do. Both scenarios
happen to all songwriters and has nothing to do with skill or ability. Sometimes
forcing creativity just doesn’t work, or maybe your creative output is tapped out.
Inspiration is not a constant, and there will be times that you will get stuck.

Taking breaks is a great way to reset your creative mind and bring some new
perspective to your song. A break could last anywhere from a 10-minute walk
outside, to a few weeks or months of setting a song aside. Take breaks as much and
as long as you need.Put yourself in a new environment, do tasks unrelated to music,
explore other hobbies, and let the creativity come to you. Sometimes a small break
from songwriting is all you need to get the creative juices flowing again.
Additionally, I always find that after I take a break, I come back with a new
perspective, and I’m able to integrate cool ideas that I never would have considered
before.

5. Get feedback (internal and external).

Checking in on your progress and receiving feedback is essential to any songwriter.
Although it’s most commonly received the end of the process, feedback can be
helpful at any stage of the composition. From the first step to the final product,
asking for feedback can give valuable insight into what small changes might give
your song exactly what it needs.

Like inspiration, feedback can be either internal or external. Internal feedback

involves taking a step back from your job as the songwriter and trying to listen
objectively to what you’ve done so far. This step is a whole lot easier if you record
yourself. Listen back and pretend that you are just hearing it for the first time as a
regular listener, and not the composer. You’ll be surprised how easily you can
diagnose any issues or small things that that you can be improved.
 7

External feedback, of course, comes from other people. Find someone you trust
(preferably another musician) and let them listen to your recording. Ask them for
suggestions and ways to improve. You may also find it helpful to come with specific
questions, such as “which rhythm do you think fits best?” or “what do you think of
the lyrics in the second verse?” This can help guide your listener to specific points to
focus on, especially if you’re feeling less confident or unsure about certain aspects of
the song.

External feedback is a valuable tool because it brings in an entirely new perspective.

It’s often difficult to see the big picture of something that you’ve carefully
constructed each small piece of, so having another person to help you assess can be
helpful. Always remember, though, that you are the artist and you have the final say
in what does or does not change. Consider all the feedback you receive, and then
you determine what the best choices for your song are.

Final thoughts

Now you have all the tools you need to create the perfect song! If you ever feel
discouraged, just remember that breaks can be incredibly useful, and they are
nothing to feel guilty about. Take the space you need and come back when you feel
like you have a good and productive mindset.

Remember that each songwriter has their own process, so don’t be afraid to
experiment with something new or unusual and see what works for you. Create your
own rituals and strategies. You want your music to be unique and personal to you.

My last and final tip is to enjoy what you do! Songwriting can be a long and arduous
task, but if you lose sight of why you’re doing it, then what is the point? Let your
writing have a purpose and never lose the personal connection to it. Let it be
genuine, not forced. Enjoy the process and be proud of the outcome. You’ve worked
hard for it!
 Between the Rhymes: 8
THE JOB OF EACH PART OF

A SONG Sponsored By

By: Marty Dodson

This column will be helping you learn about words and communication. After all,
the basis of a great lyric in ANY genre is communication. You want to paint a word
picture that makes the audience FEEL whatever it is you want them to feel. And you
want them to understand whatever it is you are trying to say.

I live in Nashville, and much of my success has been in country music, but when I
teach lyric writing, I teach communication skills. Becoming a great communicator
will help you write better songs in any genre in which you can authentically speak
the language.

Country music uses language that often paints a picture of rural life in America. Rap
and Pop Music tend to be much more urban and trendy in the words they use.
Americana and Bluegrass use more Appalachian themes and often a “throwback”
style of writing that talks about themes that were in practice many years ago as
opposed to modern times.

But, at the heart of any great song in ANY genre, there was at least one solid
communicator that turned a song IDEA into a SONG that connects with an
audience.

I like to begin with the fundamentals when I teach and I always start with the idea
that each part of a song has a job. Without a clear understanding of this idea, you’ll
find your songs containing some very common mistakes.
 9

The biggest of those is the second verse that is just a re-written first verse. Go back
and look at some of your older songs and you’ll likely find some with this problem.
Your second verse is just the first verse idea with different words. It’s hard to make
that kind of lyric interesting.

So, here we go! Here’s the way I look at the job of each section of a song.

Verse One:
The job of verse one is to establish characters, context and setting. Without this
information, your listener will be lost. You don’t always have to fill in every blank
for all three, but you need to give enough information on each for someone to
understand your song. For instance, the opening line of “Everybody Wants To Go
To Heaven”, which I wrote with Jim Collins and was a #1 for Kenny Chesney, says
“Preacher told me last Sunday morning, ‘Son you better start living right’”. In that
one line, we established the characters – the preacher and the singer, the setting – a
church, and the context – the singer has been a little too wild for the preacher’s
taste. Notice, we didn’t SAY that the setting was a church, but that’s where
preachers are typically found on Sunday morning, so we didn’t have to spell it out.
 10

In some songs, especially love songs, the setting doesn’t matter at all. The point is
to make sure you connect enough of the dots for characters, context and setting so
that your song is easy to follow. Think of this as “setting the stage” for the rest of
the song.

The Chorus:
The job of your chorus is to introduce the big idea or emotion of the song. This is
where you really bring home what is MOST important in your song. Every now and
then, you might end a verse with your title, but the chorus is still the place where
you drive it home. Think of the chorus as the “tada” moment when the listener
finds out what this song is about. The chorus is the piece of the song that people
will sing along with, so it needs to contain the MOST important ideas and emotions
in the song.

Verse Two:
The job of verse two is to take the big idea farther. You’ve thrown out this big idea
or emotion in your chorus, so verse two needs to take it to another level. My goal
for verse two is to give my big idea momentum. I never want to back the listener up
or re-hash what I’ve already said, so I work hard to take my big idea and see how
much bigger verse two can make it.

Bridge:
If I have a bridge, my goal is always to make the big idea or emotion from my chorus
even bigger than verse two did. If I can’t do that, I don’t write a bridge. My first
publisher always said “Don’t build a bridge if there’s not a river to cross”. I never
have a bridge just because songs are supposed to have a bridge. My bridge has to
serve a purpose – making the big idea bigger.

There you have it! Go back to some of your old songs and see if you can improve
them by keeping in mind the job each part of the song serves. And, when you write
your next song, be conscious of the goal for each section you write. It will make a
difference!
 Mixing Point 11
OF

VIEW By: Pat Pattison

There seems to be a current strategy to mix points of view, apparently thinking that
moving from, for example, Third Person Narrative to Direct Address makes a chorus
more exciting. Like this:

She Will Be Loved

Levine/Valentine

Beauty queen of only eighteen

She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else
I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door
I’ve had you so many times but somehow I want more
I don’t mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
And she will be loved

What do you think? Does it make the chorus stronger? The answer is always the
same: Rewrite it in a consistent Point of View and A/B test the results.

Beauty queen of only eighteen

You had some trouble with yourself
I was always there to help you
But you always belonged to someone else
I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door
I’ve had you so many times but somehow I want more
I don’t mind spending every day
 12

Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Looking for the girl with the broken smile
Ask you if you want to stay awhile
And you will be loved
And you will be loved

Which one makes you feel more? That’s the test. On a fundamental level, our job as
songwriters is to make people feel something. For me, a consistent Point of View
here feels like the better option.

Here’s another one:

You’re Beautiful
Blunt/Skarbek/Ghost

My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I’m sure.
She smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
But I won’t lose no sleep on that,
‘Cause I’ve got a plan.
 13

You’re beautiful.
You’re beautiful.
You’re beautiful, it’s true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don’t know what to do,
‘Cause I’ll never be with you.

This move from First Person Narrative to Direct Address is confusing at best. It’s as
though the narrator is telling the audience about his afternoon experience and
suddenly turns away, voiding the First Person relationship he’s established to speak
to the woman in Direct Address. Let’s A/B it:

My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
You were an angel.
Of that I’m sure.
You smiled at me on the subway.
You were with another man.
But I won’t lose no sleep on that,
‘Cause I’ve got a plan.
You’re beautiful.
You’re beautiful.
You’re beautiful, it’s true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don’t know what to do,
‘Cause I’ll never be with you.

This feels so much more emotional without the confusing turn away from the
audience. It becomes even more confusing when the song returns to First Person
Narrative in the next verse.

Sometimes it’s just a momentary change in Point of View that takes some of the air
out of the song’s tires:

When I Was Your Man

Mars/Lawrence/Wyatt/Sneezingtons/Levine/Faisal
 14

… too young, too dumb to realize

That I should have bought you flowers
And held your hand
Should have gave you all my hours
When I had the chance
Take you to every party
‘Cause all you wanted to do was dance
Now my baby’s dancing
But she’s dancing with another man

Direct Address is clearly established from the beginning:

When our friends talk about you, all it does is just tear me down
‘Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name

The song moves along smoothly until the narrator turns away and address the
audience:

Now my baby’s dancing

But she’s dancing with another man

Let’s A/B this one:

I should have bought you flowers

And held your hand
Should have gave you all my hours
When I had the chance
Take you to every party
‘Cause all you wanted to do was dance
But baby now you’re dancing
You’re dancing with another man

Again, maintaining a consistent focus keeps the listener in the moment with the
speaker. Moving to the less-intimate First Person Narrative pulls us away from the
emotional world of Direct Address.

So far we’ve looked at songs that seem to profit from a consistent Point of View. Are
there examples of a change in Point of View that makes the song stronger?
 15

Here’s one that set a pretty high bar:

She Used to Be Mine

Sara Bareilles

… It’s not easy to know

I’m not anything like I used to be
Although it’s true
I was never attention’s sweet center
I still remember that girl
She’s imperfect but she tries
She is good but she lies
She is hard on herself
She is broken and won’t ask for help
She is messy but she’s kind
She is lonely most of the time
She is all of this mixed up
And baked in a beautiful pie
She is gone but she used to be mine…

Of course, it’s pretty clear that she’s talking about her younger self. Still, she didn’t
have to change to Third Person pronouns to accomplish the same goal:

I still remember that girl

I was imperfect but I tried
I was good but I lied
I was hard on myself…
I was all of this mixed up
And baked in a beautiful pie
It’s all gone but it used to be mine

For me, seeing my former self in Third Person pronouns creates a lovely distance,
almost impossible to traverse. It makes me feel more than a consistent First Person
Narrative or the change to Direct Address.

Again, if we A/B the two versions, the mix makes the song stronger, makes
you feel more. That’s the standard. That’s always the standard.

Change Point of View at your own peril. Always A/B your proposed changes with a
consistent Point of View. Most of the time, consistency will win out. But keep your
eyes open for those special occasions.
 Rejection & Criticism 16
AS A

SONGWRITER By: Paul Zollo

“As long as you don’t stop, you’re unstoppable.”

Being a songwriter in the world is the best of jobs and the worst of jobs. It’s the best
because we make songs. We make order out of chaos, and find harmony within the
dissonance. We give meaning to an increasingly crazy world, and create something
timeless in a time when nothing seems to last more than a moment. And we get to
live inside of music, which remains one of mankind’s most beautiful forces, as
mysterious as ever, and powerful.

But it’s also the worst job in many ways, not only for the decimation and
reconstruction of this industry we once knew, but because being a songwriter is a
vulnerable position to be in. To be a songwriter in this world –a creator of music –
requires a singular sort of person. It takes someone who feels things deeply, deeply
enough to reach down into that well of emotion and swirl of ideas, and capture it
with the abstractions of music combined with the specificities of language.

Of course, the kind of person who wants to do that – and is capable of it, even
creating an entire career of it – is the kind of person who feels things deeply. Who
might overthink some things, or all things. Who might linger often on the edges of
obsession if not in its very core. Such is the source of art. Everyone knows sorrow,
among other dynamics, is often at the heart of songs. And someone who connects so
directly with sorrow, or any intense emotion, is deeply hurt by criticism and
rejection. So this songwriting thing can be painful. But it’s necessary pain.
 17

It takes real courage to do what we do. It takes chutzpah, as my mother would say.
Creative courage. This is the business of putting your heart and soul out in the
world, where everyone feels free to criticize and tear down what you’ve done. And it
hurts. Songwriters, except if they’re genuine hacks, feel this stuff to our cores. And
when somebody tears into one of your songs, it’s like an arrow straight to the heart.
Because, as Randy Newman told me, songwriting is “life and death.” It’s everything.
Nothing means more. Few things achieve the kind of bliss a songwriter experiences
after completing a great one. And few things hurt more than unwarranted criticism.

Sure, constructive criticism is good and even necessary. Not always invited, and
should be offered only when asked. But destructive criticism, well, that is quite a
different matter. Any kind of rejection can be hurtful. Yet this is a business, not a
humane organization created to coddle songwriters. This is an industry, and those in
charge necessarily want something from you they feel will sell. And they determine
what will sell by what is presently selling. At this very second.

Which means they aren’t going to be looking for your most experimental work. As
great as we know it may be. They are not looking to stretch the envelope in any way.
They want something that fits directly into that envelope. As those of us who have
done this for more than a few days knows well.
 18

So your challenge as a songwriter becomes not only the writing of songs, but the
ability to withstand criticism and rejection. If you are not derailed by it, you can stay
on track. If it does stop you, however, you won’t make any progress. Louis CK, the
great comic, spoke of bringing this wisdom to life – the wisdom to withstand
circumstances that don’t work well for you. “As long as you don’t stop,” he said,
“you are unstoppable.”

Few words matter more in the ongoing challenge of remaining an artist in this
industry, and creating art you know can be successful, if it is given a chance. But this
is what it takes, and examples which prove this are abundant.“I don’t think it’s a
good idea for a serious songwriter to pay attention to what critics say…. They don’t
know what they’re talking about. Unless you write songs and make records, you just
can’t know what it’s about.” — Paul Simon

Keep in mind that few things are more subjective than a response to music. Even
collaborators of famous songs didn’t recognize what they had at first. The most
famous example is the writing of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” by Harold Arlen
and Yip Harburg. Arlen had composed its famous melody, but his lyricist, Harburg,
didn’t like it at all. He had yet to write the words, and felt this was all wrong, too
sophisticated – and “like a torch song” – for a little girl in Kansas.

Arlen, however, knew what he had. So he invited his neighbor Ira Gershwin to hear
it, and Ira suggested he simplify the accompaniment, and “play it like a folk song.”
When Yip heard it in this new setting, he recognized the beauty of this tune, and
wrote the iconic words to it.

Dave Brubeck told me that when he brought “Take Five” which Paul Desmond
composed on his suggestion to their drummer Joe Morello’s 5/4 groove, to Columbia
Records, they didn’t want to release it: “You don’t know the fights we had,” he said.
“It wasn’t in 4/4 time. The sales-people said it could never work. Well, they were
wrong. It worked.”

To put it lightly. “Take Five” became the single most-played jazz record of all time.
Yet those in charge were certain it couldn’t fly.
 19

Record companies being wrong is nothing new, of course. Capitol Records, as well as
every single American record company. except Vee-Jay, famously rejected the
Beatles not once but many times. The prevailing wisdom at the time was that only
singers can have hits in America – think Sinatra, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard,
etc. – but groups, no. And per usual, that prevailing wisdom was entirely wrong,
based only on the past with no vision of the future (which was the British invasion,
which changed popular music forever and gave Capitol Records and others
American labels their greatest success ever.)

Tom Petty told me when he brought in Full Moon Fever, he was told his label
wouldn’t release it. The reason? They didn’t “hear a hit.” He waited six months, by
which time many of those executives who didn’t like it had been replaced. He
brought in the same record, and they loved it. It became one of the greatest
successes of an extremely successful career, garnering not one but four hit singles:
“Free Fallin’,” “Running Down A Dream,” “I Won’t Back Down,” and “A Face In The
Crowd.”

Ray Evans, who with his partner Jay Livingston composed several standards,
including “Silver Bells,” “Mona Lisa” and “Que Sera Sera,” told me that every one of
their famous songs was turned down and criticized.

“Every hit we had was turned down all over the place,” Ray said. “`Mona Lisa’ was
not even going to be released. Nat King Cole said, ‘Who wants this? Nobody will buy
this.’ … `To Each His Own’ was laughed at. They said, ‘Who wants a song with that
title?’ … We played `Buttons and Bows’ for the head of Famous Music, and he said,
‘We might be able to get a hillbilly record out of it. That’s the best we can do.’”

Even the singers themselves often didn’t grasp the greatness of their material, none
more famously than Doris Day, who would only do one take of “Que Sera” because
she so hated it that she didn’t want to sing it twice. It became the greatest hit of her
career, and her theme song.

“That’s nothing against her,” Jay said, “It’s just that nobody knows.”
 20

Well, there is somebody who knows. That’s you. The songwriter. You know better
than anyone – be it a critic, an executive, a singer, or even a spouse. You know what
you’ve got. You need to trust your heart, and trust your song. And know you’re not
alone. So many of the great songwriters I’ve interviewed told me they suffered
because of criticism and rejection. Their years of success did nothing to protect
them for this injury. Yet they used the pain to motivate them to move towards their
next work.

Rickie Lee Jones said that she was singing at a campfire – years before she made her
first album – and a total stranger insisted on telling her how awful her singing was. It
made her cry. But she didn’t stop singing.

James Taylor told me that after Rolling Stone dubbed him the worst of all the
“confessional songwriters,” it hurt him for years. But he kept going.

Paul Simon said he was so downhearted by the poor reception of his album Hearts
and Bones that he felt nobody cared anymore, “nobody was listening.” But rather
than indulge in self-pity, he followed his muse to South Africa and recorded the
tracks that became Graceland. Figuring he’d lost his audience, he drowned his
sorrow in music, and created a landmark in American popular music.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for a serious songwriter to pay attention to what
[critics] say,” he said. “It’s just too hard. And it’s not informative. They don’t know
what they’re talking about. Unless you write songs and make records, you just can’t
know what it’s about.”

The moral, in the words of Ray Evans, is: “Never give up.” Being an artist in this
world, and in this industry at this time, is bound to be painful. But that pain can be
translated into song. You need to endure, and to keep going. The only thing that can
stop you, ultimately, is you.
 21

It helps to remember that what you do matters. Writing a song – in this world at this
time – is a true achievement. The world doesn’t tell you to write songs. Often it
encourages not creativity, but destruction. But songwriters bring songs to this
world, and that is, as Van Dyke Parks said, “a triumph of the human spirit.” Whether
one person hears your song or one million, it is a true triumph. Which is why I echo
Bob Dylan’s remark, “Thank God for songwriters.”
 How Songwriters Can Make Money While 22
WAITING TO EARN FROM

PUBLISHED MUSIC By: Tunedly

When starting out in the music business, there will be a waiting period before a
songwriter earns his or her first dollar. In fact, having spent money on recording a
song and hiring a music producer, you will be operating at a deficit from the get-go.

There might be other reasons to spend time and money on that song, such as trying
to get it placed on a high-rotation playlist, or getting it in front of an interested
artist. If successful in landing a publishing contract, you may then need to wait up to
a year or more before you see your first royalty check (yes, there are cases where you
may get an advance upfront but that is rare). To top it off, the amount you receive
could turn out to be far less than expected.Waiting to earn substantial returns from
your music can, therefore, seem like forever. Luckily, there are things you can do to
earn money in the interim.

Perform live
Have singing talent? You can seek out gigs that allow you to sing live for audiences
at clubs, bars, restaurants, etc. There are also parties, local festivals, trade shows,
and other community events that might be happening in the near future and which
may be in need of musical performers. Be on the lookout for such opportunities and
make it known that you are available for live gigs using your social media pages or
website if you have one.
 23

Become a music tutor

Having good vocal ability or knowledge of how to play a musical instrument can lead
to money in your pocket if you decide to teach what you know to others. You can
advertise yourself as a private voice or [insert instrument] tutor, or join a website
that allows you to connect with people who want music training.

Do session work
Another great way to utilize your music talent is to start working as a session
musician or session singer. In either of these cases, songwriters and other musicians
can hire you to record an instrument track or sing the lyrics for their songs, or play
on a band. This is usually work-for-hire, meaning you will be paid once for your
contribution and will not benefit from any future sales or royalties the song might
generate. However, if you prove yourself to be reliable and good at what you do, you
could be in high demand, which means cash will constantly be rolling in. Session
work is popular for both upcoming musicians who want to earn while waiting for
their own music to start bearing fruit, as well as seasoned musicians who want to
earn extra cash on the side.
 24

Start a YouTube channel

Setting up a YouTube channel can earn you money in a number of ways. First of all,
you can create videos for your own songs and upload them to your channel. You can
also do tutorial videos (in addition to or instead of being a tutor) and post them on
the video streaming platform. Either way, with enough views and subscribers, it is
possible to monetize your videos, allowing YouTube to place ads on them, which can
see you earning a tidy sum on the regular. As per YouTube’s latest policy, creators
are required to have 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers before you can join
their program that allows you to earn ad revenue.

Sell merchandise
You may also consider offering branded merchandise such as t-shirts to earn money.
This is an especially good idea if you have managed to develop a sizable online fan
base – with thousands of followers on social media, for instance – or even a few
dozen people in your community who are always raving about your public
performances. Work with a good graphic designer to come up with cool branding
marks and designs that will make your merch appealing. You can sell your wares at
live events if you do perform publicly or you can sell exclusively online. You can
even use drop-shipping platforms that deal with creating and shipping the
merchandise for you, leaving you with nothing to do but come up with design
concepts and collecting the cash when a sale occurs. With the right marketing, this
could turn out to be quite a profitable venture.
 25

Write books or tutorials

Have writing skills and the musical knowledge to go along with it? You may consider
penning a book or tutorial and selling it to people who may be interested. There are
tons of “how to” music-related books and tutorials on Amazon, so this is a pretty
competitive field. But if your writing is good and you are able to market your work
properly, you could earn a sizable income. What’s more, a book could continue to
earn you money way into the future. If you don’t have good writing skills, it is still
possible to create a book or tutorial for publication. There are many websites that
can connect you to competent ghostwriters, some of whom won’t charge an arm and
a leg to write something decent for you.

Look for brand partnerships

This is another route to explore if you have a large online following, particularly on
viral sites such as Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. With thousands of followers, you
can approach corporate brands, whether music-related or otherwise, to showcase
their products or talk about their services on your page(s). In return, you can earn a
small fee anytime someone makes a purchase using a link or code that is unique to
you.

Try crowdfunding
Have ambitions to create a mixtape or EP, or even drop an album but don’t have the
cash to get started? You can utilize a crowdfunding site to get cash for your project,
which could spill over to cash in hand. Uploading one of your songs or a snippet of
your work to show just how good you are can generate interest in your music and
influence people to contribute towards the cause. Usually, it is also a good idea to
offer a perk, such as the ability for contributors to receive a custom copy of the
finished product or some other gift once your project is complete. Among the
popular crowdfunding platforms being utilized by creators nowadays includes
Patreon, which allows users to pledge a certain amount of money to your work
based on set milestones.
 26

Write Custom Lyrics

Are lyrics your strong suit? If so, you can offer your lyrics writing skills to Bring My
Song To Life. Bring My Song To Life create custom made music as a gift, which is
perfect as a romantic anniversary gift idea, or as personalized wedding ceremony
music. They pay lyricists for coming up with the lyrics to their client’s personal
stories.

Conclusion

While it can be frustrating to be faced with the uncertainty of getting sizable royalty
checks at some future date, there are plenty of opportunities to fund your career.
Who knows, your side gig could also turn into a rewarding business empire over the
long term.
 Measure 27
FOR MEASURE:

HOOKED By: David Alzofon

In Writing Music for Hit Songs, songwriting coach and mentor Jai Josefs writes,
“Hook is perhaps the most important word in the songwriter’s vocabulary, at least in
the realm of song structure.”

What makes a hook so important? Hooks hook your audience: They stir emotions,
embed themselves in memory. They’re the part of your song people will sing in the
shower the next morning or ten years later. In short, hooks are addictive, and that’s
a good thing.

“Piece o’ cake,” I thought when I decided to write a column on hooks. “I mean, I

already know what a hook is. Doesn’t everyone?” But I didn’t want to trigger any
trolls, so I went to the books to pin it down. Two days later, I was still seeking a
simple definition. Once upon a time, it seems, people knew to a moral certainty
what a hook was. But songwriting has been evolving, and so has the meaning of the
word.

The Classical Definition

Josefs says that hooks generally contain the song’s title and are repeated frequently,
ensuring they will reverberate in memory. Thus their natural home is the chorus. A
catchy melody, of course, is a big part of memorability. Paul McCartney, who
describes his songs as “melodies in search of words,” seems to concur.
 28

On the other hand, in Songwriting – A Complete Guide To The Craft, Stephen

Citron says that once you have your concept, your first goal should be to condense
the essence of your song into a few memorable words. That’s your hook. Then you
set it to music. Songwriting teams such as Elton John and Bernie Taupin divvy up
the labor this way, but there’s no reason you can’t do both at once.

Singability is important, which means using scale steps or easy skips (3rds, 4ths,
5ths). The melody should stay within an octave and complex rhythms should be
avoided. Distinctive harmony also contributes. In the end you pray for catchiness,
for as Tim Blanning says in The Triumph Of Music, “I would sacrifice everything —
rhyme, reason, sense, and sentiment — to catchiness.”

Focus on hooks: Rule #1 in popular music is to avoid giving the listener an excuse to
change channels, which is why artists often lead out with an emotion-packed hook.
Consider “When A Man Loves A Woman” (Percy Sledge); “She Loves You,” “Good
Day Sunshine” (Beatles); “Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe,” Jimi Hendrix; “Everybody’s
Talkin’ (Nilsson). When the chorus is delayed, the anticipation can amplify the
power of the hook, as in Neal Finn’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”
 29

Take twenty songs and home in on the hook. Where is it? How does it contrast to its
surroundings? Analyze harmony, melody, and rhythm. Finally, cook up five hooks
that you wouldn’t be afraid to lead out with, like those listed above.

Modern Hooks
The classical hook is partly a product of AM radio format, which calls for grabbing
audience attention fast and holding on tight for three minutes. AM radio was
particularly dominant in the ’50s and early ’60s, but its grip began to loosen in the
late ’60s when FM took the cap off the time limit and opened up niche markets.
Americana, for example, was born at a California FM station in the ’70s. While FM
reduced the stress on “danceable,” disco demanded it at high volume over longer
time spans, which energized instrumental hooks. The Internet has pushed these
trends further, niche markets in particular.

The diminishing attention span of the smartphone generation calls for more hooks
more often. All these influences add up to a new approach: As long as any part of a
song does what a hook is supposed to do, it’s a hook, and the more hooks, sayeth
Marketing, the merrier.

The new, broader definition emphasizes the hook as a structural element, a glue that
“hooks things together.” “A Woman Like You,” by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, for
example, ishooked together by a guitar riff that’s a real earworm.

Creative Challenge
Hooks thrive on contrast. Take “When A Man Loves A Woman,” for example. The
first four notes are La–La–La–Sol — almost a flat line. The next four skip down and
bounce back: Sol–Mi–Sol–La. The lesson is simple: You should view every note as a
springboard to a contrasting rhythm, harmony, or melodic motif, and never go more
than three or four notes into a hook without hitting the contrast button. Study the
hooks to 20 more songs and you will see that many consist of two parts: a setup and
a contrast.
 30

Once you fully absorb the principle of contrast, you can extend it to phrases,
sections, verses and choruses. Contrast can be as simple as a change of rhythm or
harmony. In “Can’t Fight The Moonlight,” for example, LeAnn Rimes modulates up
a half-step for the chorus.

Write at least five more hooks based on the idea of a two-part contrast. A good hook
is a terrible thing to waste, so try to write at least one song.

Further Study
Friedemann Findeisen has many insights into modern songwriting, hooks included.
See “How Taylor Swift Writes Melodies” on his Holistic Songwriting channel for
starters.
 Get your songs in front of top artists like

Paul Stanley of KISS + A&R executives like

Steve Robertson of Atlantic Records

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