The Christmas Season: A new definition

I had to take a moment to compose myself when I found out that tomorrow is Christmas eve. I mean, how fast has this year gone? I don't know about you, but this year ...especially the second half - has gone incredibly fast for me.

So what does this holiday season mean to you? Well, technically, Christmas is a religious festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. But let's look at things practically and logically. Christmas is now celebrated by millions people across the board ...it has become recognized as an international celebration of 'connection' and 'love'. This (in my opinion) is a beautiful thing. Christmas is an excuse for doing what we should all be doing all year around - and that is making that connection, loving your friends, you family ... and caring for strangers. Why not?

I want all of us to think about the things that really matter in out lives. The things that we are eternally grateful for... our families, our friends, the roofs over our heads, the heart to love and care, etc. Just thinking about it for a minute. Take a moment to really reflect on the good things that life has brought you this year. And then look forward to the good times that lay ahead of you.

Now let's talk about the new year. Do you have anything you want to achieve? Are you looking to study hard for passing those exams? Are you looking to excel at work and get that position you're after? Are you looking to improve your health/fitness and finally go to the gym and not eat crap all day? Tell me... are you looking kick-start your songwriting career? Do you need to 'get out there' and stat performing on stage to show the world what you really have? Is it time you took some kind of action for your passion?

What about relationships... are you looking to restore that magic you had with you wife, your family or your children? Or even your girlfriend or maybe your general friends?

Have you been putting something off?

What do YOU want to work on in the new year?

Do yourself a favour. In fact, let's all do ourselves a favor and make this happen. The time is now. Whatever you want in life, you can have it. Make those decisions today and make it possible.

I wish you all a brilliant Christmas and a very prosperous new year.

Much love,

Shamir

Sometimes, being a creative person is tough

When it comes to songwriting, we're creating something. When it comes to producing a song, we're creating something. When it comes to singing out an improvised melody, we're creating something. When it comes to teaching music, we're creating something. When it comes to writing a post on a subject - we're creating something.

I do all the above - and sometimes, creating something (ANYTHING) is mighty tough when you've got other issue's in your life to deal with.

Sometimes I feel that I should use these emotions to create something else. A song, a piece, an arrangement - or even a story. But the truth is, whatever's bugging you often finds it's way to cut through your intellect to actually make the decision to create. Am I not right?

How else are you supposed to justify all the wasted hours we spend on useless, worrisome things? Sorry if this sounds like a rant, it's just that sometimes (and believe me, this *very rarely* happens) I can't help but think of things that bother worry me - even if they are small and petty. And as I mentioned, time goes by so quickly, it's not even funny.

Sometimes, being a creative soul means that you are sensitive to your pain just a little but more then perhaps your friends. You find it hard to think logically when perhaps if you do, then the creativity might diminish.

This post is now going to end here.

I just had to say something...

Shamir

A brilliant and incredibly inspiring performance...

I always appreciate artists, songwriters and musicians no matter what level or style of music they perform in. But it takes quite a lot to actually *blow me away* with just *one single performance*.

Now check this out... and MAKE SURE YOU LISTEN FROM START TO FINISH - the rhythm this guy has - amongst another thing (which you'll get to hear yourself) is absolutely brilliant.




Who is he? Raul Midon. He's not a 'new' artist - though he's certainly new to me. Like it? :-) Post a comment below.

Shamir

Writing an R&B song?

I get hundreds of emails per week with all kinds of comments, questions and suggestions. One of my subscribers wanted me to post some 'R&B tips'.

I'm not always keen on isolating a particular genre and advising on it. But this simple email got me thinking about some of the songs I had written in an R&B style.

There isn't a science when it comes to ANY style of music, but there are certain things I do factor in when writing an R&B song. I'll go into them here...

An infectious simple hook: It goes without saying, but if you listen to the R&B tracks of today (from artists like Neo or Usher) you'll notice that there is a very distinctive chorus. An excellent way to do this is to have a phrase in the chorus which you consider the most catchy - and then repeat that phrase twice in the chorus. If you analyze the top ten R&B hits you'll notice this trend throughout 80% of the tracks.

Be literal in your lyrics: I think it's safe to say that the majority of the R&B buying crowd are 'young'. Young people can relate to stories that are literal and 'real' (so to speak). Now I don't say this in a derogatory sense ... you don't have to be young to like stories, not by a long shot. This relates to all genre's, but it definitely lends itself to an R&B style more so than any other.

Write with syncopation in mind: People often come to me to get their songs recorded, produced and arranged. Many have songs in an R&B style. The 'good songs' (at least the one's which are up tempo) inevitably sound like they were written with a drum beat in mind. If you find this difficult, then you should buy some sort of metronome or click track (you can pick on up from Amazon for as little as $12) and write your melodies and/or lyrics along with the metronome.

Bring some dynamics into the mix: In the Professional Songwriting Secrets we state the importance of expressions in your melodies - keeping your listener interested and hooked throughout the song. Now, of course this could be true nearly all styles of songs, but I'm noticing a pattern in certain R&B songs of today ...many of them are being written one a 'single note' throughout the melody with different words. While this may come across 'slick' in some up-tempo tracks, this is fast becoming a one trick pony.

Be dynamic in your melodies. For example, stay low in the verse and escalate to a higher range in your choruses - this is just a simple example I'm putting out here.

OK, as I gather up more thoughts on this subject I'll keep you posted.

Shamir

You CAN write songs with DEAD simple chords on the guitar

Yep, just like the title says. My good friend from the other side of the pond was generous to give us yet another quick lesson on guitar chords.

By the way, if you're keen to know more about Andrews amazing guitar course then click here.

Are you afraid to write 'cheesy' pop songs?

My apologies for taking so long to post another blog comment. I was extremely busy in the studio producing a couple of demo tracks for a couple of cool folks.

Anyway.

I wanted to address something that's been playing on my mind for a while. In fact, I've received numerous emails this and I'm sure I''ll receive may more in the future.

So many have expressed there dis-likeness to write a song that's cheesy. People say "corny is bad" or "anything cheesy should be shot dead".

I remember when rock group Aerosmith released their movie themed titled track 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' (from the movie Armageddon) ...many fans completely dissed the song exclaiming "how could they record such a track?" "How could they record a song written by Dianne Warren?"

Just in case you didn't know, Dianne Warren is a multi- award winning songwriter who has written for the likes of Celine Dion, LeAnn Rimes, Eric Clapton and a plethora of other million-selling artists and bands.

You know what? I really didn't see the problem. I also don't have a problem writing 'pop' songs either. I don't even care if they sound cheesy. Hey, you can't write a credible masterpiece everytime now, can you? And why should you anyway?

As Aerosmith wanted to sing it, do you think they were embarrassed about it? Do you think they enjoyed performing the song? I think Steven Tyler and the band did a great job at it - both in record and in performance. Despite the fact they they are a 'rock group', aren't they allowed to take a shot at a cheesy pop ballad?

I think so. Which brings me to my main point.

Are you afraid to write a cheesy pop ballad? Are you in a situation where you just feel like if you DON'T write a cool, credible, clever masterpiece of a song that for some reason you'll get slated?

If so, then please trash those feelings today. There is nothing worse then a songwriter who feels caged in trying to write a song, but doesn't do so in fear of it sounding corny or cheesy.

So what if it does. It might even be a great corny pop song... like 'I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing'. Won't it still be a 'song'? In the end, haven't you just added another song to your catalogue?

Today you may write a cheesy pop ballad. Tomorrow (metaphorically speaking) you may write a clever masterpiece ...and the cycle continues. Don't try to stop yourself from writing a pop ballad because you fear it may sound cheesy. I say, write the darn song. Complete it. Every last lyric, every last melody, every last chord ...just finish it. And don't rush either... imagine you're writing the best darn pop ballad ever. Make it a beautiful pop ballad.

OK, sorry for the rant. I just had to get that out my system.

Speak soon...

Shamir
SongwritingTipsOnline.com

Playing a blues riff in your song....

Because the good response we had for Andrew's cool guitar tip (the previous blog post) he's decided to give us another one!

I know some of you are well versed on your guitar... but some of you will really find this useful.

This time his post and video is about basic building block for blues soloing. This riff can be copies and then variations of it can be used.

Remember, you don't have to write 'blues' style songs to incorporate these riffs! Far from it. You should use them in whatever style you write in. Also, you can play it on any style guitar (ie. electric, classical etc) and check out how it sounds.

So Andrew (from Guitar5Day.com) ...thank you very much!

Again, please leave your thoughts here on the blog so we can get more from Andrew ... please :-)

Shamir




This video is about a basic building block for blues Soloing. This riff can be copied and then variations can be used.

The Riff is in A minor/a blues but if you slide it up or down the neck can be played in any key.

Here is the tab for the riff:


E|--------5----------------5-----------
B|--8b10-----8--5-------5-----8---(b10)
G|-----------------7b8-----------------
D|-------------------------------------
A|-------------------------------------
E|-------------------------------------

Fingers:
-----3----1--4--1---3---1--1---4---(3)


Try playing the riff in three parts.

Try the first two notes. Get a good sounding bend. make sure you bend all the way up a whole step. In this case from G to A.

Next Play the short run from the second note (A on high E string) down to the D (7th fret G string)

Lastly Bend the D (7th Fret G string) and play the last three notes and the final bend.

The bend at the end is somewhat optional.

Play with this and come up with your own variations.

Andrew
Guitar5Day.com

Do your guitar chords sound DEAD?

For those of us who play guitar to write songs (and if you don't, what are you waiting for?) many times our chords can sound rather DEAD. Here, Andrew from Guitar5Day.com shows us how with a couple of simple adjustments, we can make our chords come ALIVE.

He was nice enough to also put together a short video (for SongwritingTipsOnline readers). A massive thanks to Andrew.

If we're nice to him (hint hint... post a nice comment in the comments section below :-) then I'm sure we'll get some more cool stuff from him.

Take it away Andrew.....





One of my favorite and easiest things to do is taking a simple hammer on and making open chords come alive.

I have prepared a short video lesson for you.

What I am talking about is using the open chords C major, F Major and G major and simply hammering with the second finger.

Here is a tab that will give you an idea of what I mean: The only thing you do is take your 2nd finger off the string and then put it back on. Play with it.

e[]------------------[]
B[]----1--1--1-------[]
G[]----0--0--0-------[]
D[]----2--0--2-------[]
A[]----3--3--3-------[]
E[]------------------[]

The Exercise would look like this:

e[]-------------------------------[]
B[]----1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--[]
G[]-------------------------------[]
D[]----2--0--2--0--2--0--2--0--2--[]
A[]----3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--[]
E[]-------------------------------[]

OK, who REALLY wrote that song?

I stumbled upon an interesting article the other day. The fact remains, there are several well known and well respected artists out there who shove their name on a songwriters credit as a 'co-writer' but do nothing more than just sing on the track.

Now I'm not saying that these artists aren't 'true' artists because they don't write their own music (if that was the case, then we should automatically dismiss the likes of Whitney Houston and Elvis Presley) but what I hate is 'false credit'.

"How can someone look in the mirror and know they didn't do something and their name is on it? For money? For credit? It's a lie." - that was said by Diane Warren, who has written for artists such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Mary J. Blige.

Check out the article below...
---------------------------------------------------------

Of all the names in music, Chantal Kreviazuk may be the least likely to appear in a headline. Though she recently released her own album, the songwriter usually stays behind the scenes to pen hits with artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne.

But earlier this month, Kreviazuk rocked the pop music world by suggesting that Lavigne was a collaborator in name only. Although she quickly retracted her comments and others defended Lavigne, the flap illuminated a long-standing fraud that has become more prevalent than ever: "singer-songwriters" who do much less songwriting than their publicists would have you believe.

"It's crazy!" exclaimed Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren, who has written for artists such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Mary J. Blige. "How can someone look in the mirror and know they didn't do something and their name is on it? For money? For credit? It's a lie."

This being the music industry, money is of course a factor, since the writers of hit songs can earn more than the singer over the long term. But today's singers also press for writing credit because it gives them more of a cachet, presenting them as more of a "real artist" in comparison with a star who doesn't write a note.

"It's a practice that's been going on but now it's really prevalent in every situation," says songwriter Adonis Shropshire, who helped pen the hit "My Boo" for Alicia Keys and Usher, and has worked with Chris Brown, Ciara and others.

Shropshire says that many artists will only allow songwriters to work on an album in return for song credit, and "if they do write, they ask for more publishing than they honestly contributed ... it is the way it is."

The practice has been prevalent for decades. Elvis Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, maneuvered to give the King songwriting credits on early hits like "Love Me Tender" even though he never wrote a word. James Brown was sued by an associate over song credits.

Lauryn Hill settled a lawsuit by a group that claimed she improperly took sole production and writing credit on her Grammy-winning album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." And Diddy seemed to acknowledge claims that he wasn't really writing his raps in the "Bad Boys for Life" song with the brushoff line: "Don't worry if I write rhymes, I write checks!"

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Source: CNN.COM

MySpace + Kunaki = Money

Once upon a time, record labels ruled the music industry. Getting an appointment with an A&R guy on any major record label was hard work. And when you DID finally meet with him, you better be damn sure that you're music and image is up to scratch - otherwise you can kiss any chance of a record deal goodbye.

That was the scenario.

Now, things have changed. Drastically.

Since the extreme diversification of music and the advent of the internet, it seems like record labels are now finding themselves desperately looking for the next big merger, rather than signing the next big artist.

In the meantime, artists and bands are looking towards a better way to make money from their music ...their songs ...their artistry ...and what some would consider, their life.

I want to tell you about a service that's available online, right now, that's making the process for distributing YOUR OWN music an absolute walk in the park. The company is called Kunaki - and here's where things get really interesting.

Picture this. You've set up a MySpace page and you have 3 of your songs on your page. You've made loads of 'friends' and even a bunch of 'fans'. You're getting feedback from people and you're constantly improving your music because of it. You have loads of songs, but you don't want to put them all on your MySpace page.

Would you say that out of the many hundreds (or even thousands) of people who visit your MySpace page, that perhaps just a couple of them would be interested to buy more of your music? Would you say that maybe a few of them would want to buy more songs from you? On a daily basis?

Well of course it's plausible. This is a definite possibility - and this is where Kunaki comes in.

Kunaki (despite the strange name) is a company that burns your own album on to a CD, packages the CD jewel case and ships it out to the chosen country. The great part about this is that they only charge you when somebody buys it.

And of course, you set the price of your album.

Let me show you an example.

Go here http://kunaki.com/Gallery.asp?cc=

Click on a 'detailed view' for any CD

Choose a country and click 'calculate shipping'


You can see a breakdown of how much they charge. For outside the USA it's normally $3.00 handling charge and $3.60 shipping/air mail fee. For inside the USA it's around $4.60 in total.

Note: You can check out the prices at their site and email them if you have to. My numbers may not be 100% acurate - but they are roughly correct.

So here's how the process goes:

1) You get some songs together and put up a MySpace page. Present 3 'teaser' songs on MySpace. You spend some time making as many friends on MySpace and basically promoting the heck out of it. If you want to know more about promoting on MySpace you can try this ebook. It may help you.

After you've gained some presence, you want to let people buy your music! There are two options for this... but for now I'm going though Kunaki which handles your CD as a physical product. As I said, they package, burn and ship out your album for how much you want to sell it for. Example, $5.00. So the buyer will pay around $7-11 depending on if they live in the USA or not.

Even $11 is pretty good for an album of 15 songs ;-)

2) Go to Kunaki and go through their procedure. You may need to download some free software (they provide) to design your album cover and CD design.

You design it, and they print it. And it's all professional - we're not talking 'sticky labels' here, we're talking about images burnt on the actual CD and high quality inlay cards. It's proper.

You will also upload your songs one-by-one to their site so that they can then burn it on CD.

3) Then you put the link and your newly designed album front cover picture on your MySpace page. Monitor it... see if anybody buys your stuff.

4) When you make sales, Kunaki will send you a check every month - deducting their own fee's first.


There you have it :-) With this process in place, any songwriter, musician or singer can make money in the music industry.... and potentially, lots of it.


~Shamir

Have You Ever Wanted To Become a Better Singer?

Have you ever wanted to become a better singer? ....Or have you ever wanted to know how to sing?

When I started to write songs, I knew that the only way I was going to get my songs across to my audience the RIGHT way, was to sing them myself. But like anything else, I knew that if I had bad vocal technique (which, lets face it, most of us do) then in the long run I would damage my vocal chords for good - and that would be a disaster.

Are you in this boat? Wanting to sing your own songs, but worried hat bad vocal technique might one day creep up on you and ruin your voice box completely?

I've received countless emails asking me about vocal improvement, and while I can't physically vocal coach you (unless you're in London and can afford £25 a lesson) I can recommend you to a great course - that I've reviewed personally.

It's called 'Singorama'.

http://www.songwritingtipsonline.com/singorama.htm

In a nutshell, Singorama is a DREAM for anyone who is looking to improving as a singer - or even for those who are just starting out to sing. It take you though the nuts and bolts of singing *the right way*.

You'll work on crucial elements like:

* Pitch control
* Breathing
* Resonators (ie. using head voice or chest voice)
* Vocal Power

The package is especially unique because of the way it's presented. It comes with all three elements - audio, pictures and text - and this gives you the full vocal learning experience

But that's not even the best part.

The BEST part is, they actually GIVE you a free software that records your voice (on your computer) and you can check out instantly if you've got good 'pitching' or 'tuning'.

If you haven't, then you can sing along with their scales (which are already in the software) and the virtual keyboard on-screen will tell you instantly if you're going wrong - and then you can quickly correct yourself to the correct pitching of the notes.

And this is just one of the *many* excellent softwares they give you with the Singorama package. It's a truly awesome package.

Everything that is included in the package is all carefully thought out and put together to totally maximise your chance of singing success. You'll know exactly what I mean when you see it for yourself.

And this is NOT hype. I've seen and reviewed this package myself. I can say with confidence that you will not be disappointed.

Check it out, it's worth it.

http://www.songwritingtipsonline.com/singorama.htm

Talk soon,

Shamir

A good song is a good song...

In the Songwriting Secrets Interview I did, we talked about how 'a good song is a good song' no matter which way you cut it. What I mean by that is, we all love songs - and we all hate songs.

But do you recognize the genius of the songs that you hate?

There are some songs out there which I don't particularly like, BUT, I know that they are GOOD songs. I know they have a good melodically structure, and nice chord progression and some captivating lyrics.

A good way to gauge what is a good song is... can it be sung or played in another style or format successfully? Can it come across as magical as the original - although you may not like the actual genre in question?

I have picked a Bob Dylan song in this example. I've found 4 different versions of the same song, and I'm sure there bucket loads more. But I think everyone here has done a good job - but more importantly, the song itself is a good one.

The song almost lends itself across the board of different musical styles.

It's truly amazing. Check these out...

Bob Dylan...



Stevie Wonder...



Katie Melua...



Sam Cooke...



Post your comments...

Songwriting Secrets Interview changes...

Hi all,

Some of you already know this, but I thought I should just spell it out here in the blog.

The Songwriting Secrets Interview that I currently offer now has a LIFETIME worth of FREE updates.

I used to only offer Session Two for free, but now, for EVERY interview I do (with any high-profiled songwriter, producer or artist) it will be available to you for free on the download page.

Why am I doing this?

Because the interviews that I do are a pleasure for me to conduct. I don't consider it 'work' and therefore I don't see why I should be charging any more for it.

For those who don't know, there is already over 4 hours of content in the interview and I've just added another hour.

In a week or two, I will also be adding another hour. There is some great stuff and some real golden nuggets in the Songwriting Secrets Interview.

If you don't have it already, you can grab a copy here. (scroll down and click order).

Is everyone cool with this decision? :-)

Can I know your thoughts about this? Please post your comments below...

Shamir

PS. Please post your comments below, and try not to hit me with an email instead. I'm completely overloaded with emails at the moment! Thanks! :-)

Incorporating Metaphors in your Songwriting

For those who are new to the idea of a metaphor, here's a quick definition..

A metaphor is the expression of an understanding of one concept in terms of another concept, where there is some similarity or correlation between the two.

That was taken from an online dictionary.

Here's an extract metaphor taken from William Shakespeare:

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and their entrances

Now there are a gazillion metaphors used in several songs today. So many of them sound over-used and a bit too familiar. This doesn't mean it's a bad thing... but what this DOES do is open up a opportunity for us to get a little creative a think a little bit outside the box.

Before we set out to do this, let's check out these cool metaphors... (in bold)

- On and on the rain will fall like tears from the sun (Sting)

- They paved paradise and put up a parking lot (Joni Mitchell)

- Here abandoned in my fame, armageddon of the brain (Michael Jackson)

I discovered a nice little exercise recently that helped me create more metaphors then I could ever dream about. The original concept is by the author Pat Pattison.

Write down a list of adjectives on one side and nouns on another. Make sure these words are somewhat created in impulse ie. don't think about it, just write it down. Start with the adjectives...

For example:

Adjectives

smoky
refried
decaffeinated
hollow
understated

Then do the nouns... for example:

Nouns

conversion
railroad
rainbow
rainforest
eyebrows

You will find the two lists will sound very disjointed and will eventually make some pretty strange combinations. This is good.

Now, take a look at both of your lists side by side. Think about each combination for a minute. They should stimulate some pretty interesting possibilities.

Take ANY combination and try to write s sentence or short paragraphs from it.

Like this:

"Since I got your phone call, everything seems dull. My day has been bleached of sound and color. Even the rainbow this afternoon has been decaffeinated".

You want to write down at least 5 short paragraph incorporating a combination from your list.

So, I would probably write the remaining short paragraphs with these combo's:

smoky conversation
refried railroad
hollow rain forest
understated eyebrows

Now, we would jumble them up into different combinations (for example smoky eyebrows) and write a sentence or short paragraph for each one. The point of the exercise is to see what overtones (linking idea's, metaphors) are produced by this blind striking of notes.

Some wonderful accidents can happen this way :-)

Remember, we aren't writing a song here. We're focusing on metaphors which we will essentially be able to use at some point when writing. You can perform this exercise as many times as you like.

You will soon be pouring with metaphors.

Feel free to comment...

Enjoy,

Shamir
www.SongwritingTipsOnline.com/Secrets

My Holiday and Possible Future Plans...

It's official. I'm going to Spain on Monday (with my family) and I'm going to completely unwind for a full 8 days. Sun, sea and sand. Oh, and... apparently... songwriting.

In all honesty I didn't want to write anything, but my sister insisted on taking her guitar. She can't live without it. To be honest, I can't live without my piano. But that's a tough one to carry around ;-)

I'm also going to take some time to reflect on what other products I'd like to create. I'm not talking about audio interviews, (although I will be doing more of those) I'm more talking about getting involved in other sectors of the music world.

What only various people know, is that aside from the songwriting training, I'm also a vocal coach, a piano teacher and a producer.

I love to watch people learn how to play the piano. I love to see people progress with their songwriting skills - and I love to hear people improve on their vocal abilities and grow more stronger in their performances.

So, I have many things to ponder over.

I have many things I want to share to the world and I want to do it sooner rather than later. So I guess, I'm kinda' declaring to you my commitment to actually 'doing something about it'.

Most people would probably think I'm stupid for telling my plans - "why the heck are you telling your subscribers and customers about your future products?"... (that's what I hear them scream).

Well, why not? I'm looking to provide VALUE here. Some hardcore value-driven courses that I feel are very much needed in the music world today.

I meet people every week who are in real need of crafting their skills as songwriters, singers, musicians and performers. I'm gonna step up to the plate and try and do something about this.

Anyway, sorry for the rant :-)

I'd like to hear your thoughts about this. Please feel free to post a comment.

Enjoy,

Shamir

PS. For those who purchased the Songwriting Secrets Interview, the special Q&A bonus (session two) will be on the download page at the end of June, or at the latest very early July.

PPS. If you want to purchase it, go here... SongwritingTipsOnline.com

Kicking Lines Around with a Theme

Today I was writing with my sister in a rather unconventional method. Rather then going line by line in song format, we were focusing on a theme. The theme was contradictions.

And it didn't matter whether they were good or crap - we just needed some idea's of contradictory lines tossed out in the air so we could get inspired to then write some lyrical phrases (ie. verse, chorus, etc) and melodies.

So for example here are a couple that we came out with:

" hate to see the world go hungry but I can't wait to cook"
" hate royalty but I wanna be treated like a princess"
"have so much time on my hands but I got none to spare"
"There's no such thing as a ugly person, but my man has to be fine"

As you can see, not the best lines. We had plenty more jargon that we had written down. (of course our best gems won't be published on this blog for obvious reasons).

As we were doing this, we would talk in between cracking jokes (humor is important in a writing session... to me anyway) and every time we cracked a joke we got a new idea. We would say words and then another contradictory line would stem from that. Writing seemed very easy and almost effortless.

Having said that, perhaps the red Thai curry I cooked before hand had something to do with the mood of the mind.

Never the less, we went from not having a word on paper, to around 15 solid lines we could then edit and format. How cool is that?

It took around 45 mins for this to happen.

It would have happened within 10 mins, but remember we were joking around... AND that was the important part in the session - as I said earlier. For us, the funny chit-chats in-between fueled our inspiration and BAM - we had a theme for a new song.

So why don't you work on a theme? It could be any theme. It could be irony, pessimism, cynicalism, feel-good, etc.

I just might play on to this way of writing and do it more often. Who knows the magic that it can produce.

Leave your comments. Tell me what you think.

Shamir

PS. I'm going to be holding a Q&A type interview soon. This will be Session Two of the Songwriting Secrets Interview. You'll get to ask your question, and we'll answer it for you in depth. This will be for customers of SongwritingTipsOnline only. I'm just in the process of setting this up.

PPS. Don't post this 'Q&A' question in the comments! I'll contact you about that separately. Please stick to this blog post topic for comments. Cheers

My Arrogant Behaviour Towards Music Can Lead To Terrible Things...

It's been a terrible month for songwriting - for me. I seem to be more concerned with what's 'out there' rather than what's 'in here' (ie. my head). Ever had those moments?

Ever had those moments where you seem to criticize everything and anything you hear on the radio? Instead of focusing on the content that can help your songwriting, you end up purposely finding flaws in it - so you can justify your own in-actions.

Well, enough of this! You see, today it may be criticizing songs and the artists... tomorrow I may be putting down people because of their looks, habits, characteristics or personalities. Think I'm taking this thing a bit too far?

Trust me, I'M NOT.

I've seen this happen to people. People I know. Songwriters, Musicians - and dear friends of mine. It all starts with the negativity:

"that base line sucks" , "that guitar solo is naff", "man, what terrible lyrics".... or "she's such a crap singer". How about ... "eew, what a cheesy melody...that's been done a thousand times before".

They continue to chant on their soap box until the cows come home. And before they do, it turns into this:

"that dude with the crap song has a brother who plays crappy bass... and his sister is well ugly".

Trust me, I ain't kidding here.

That's why I posted this here today. I wanted to validate my recent pompous behaviour towards the current music scene, and then do something about it. I have no right to judge. None of us do.

Yes, I know we all have opinions. And we should. But remember this.: an opinion can change... but a judgement is absolute.

This means, I won't be the one who says "that song is crap" as if it's the God to honest truth. Yes, I will have my reasons for why I don't like something, but equally I will try as best as I can to soak up as much inspiration and positivity that the song/artist/band/person can give me... as I humanly, possibly can.

I don't want to be the person who is constantly trying to justify my own rubbish music (or behaviour) by putting others down. And I hope you see the wisdom in this.

Peace,

Shamir
[formally known as Calvin]

A Common Problem That Songwriters Face...

Here is a common problem that one of my subscribers expressed recently...

"I'm 16 and the main problem is, I know what I want to write, but when I do write it down I think it sounds lame"

Now she's 16 years old, but I'm pretty sure that this problem transcends all ages.

The truth is, nearly every thing *I* put down I also think sounds lame too... at least at first. We all have to understand that in most cases you will never write a 'great song' the first time around. It doesn't happen that way.

I always jokingly tell those who are aspiring songwriters that "you aren't in the business of writing a song"....but more like... "you're in the business of editing them".

By that I mean, you're not necessarily song'writing', but rather song'crafting'. That's how you should be thinking. It's about constantly editing and re-arranging your song until you see it fit to be heard by other listeners. When you have a song down, don't just let it stop there. Trust me, it ain't finished.

There may be exceptions to the rule, but mostly - you still have work to do.

Listen to the verse... could it do with a change of melody? Does it tie in well with the chorus or Pre-Chorus? Does the song make sense lyrically? Step out of the song for a moment... would you dig the song if you were an outsider listening in? Does the song bore YOU? What could you do to change that?

Now, you don't have to go mad here. Don't nit-pick every little knock and cranny - that will only drive you crazy. Take in the first instance of what you feel could do with re-working, then DO IT. Change it up... and make it better.

Critiquing your own song is probably one of the most difficult things to do in songwriting - but it CAN be done relatively easily. It involves you really having to stand apart from your song and looking at it a little objectively. By listening to the song from other people ears can do wonders for your songwriting.

After you have done this, it's time to let the cat out of the bag... BUT only for a limited audience.

What do I mean by that?..

...I mean, you should now play your song to a fellow musician, singer or songwriter. All three if you can. If it's somebody you respect, then even better. Here's the ticket: There is no better way to drastically improve your songwriting then when you actually begin to listen to your song though another songwriters/musician's ears - of whom you respect. That's the ultimate.

In fact, I'll say that one more time so you can engrave this phrase in your mind...

There is no better way to drastically improve your songwriting then when you actually begin to listen to your song though another songwriters/musician's ears - of whom you respect.

If you don't have a friend who's a songwriter or a musician that you admire and/or respect, then go get one. Honestly. Befriend one. Develop some sort of relationship with one. FIND one. It will be the greatest move you ever make in songwriting.

Normally people who sell songwriting products (like me... I won't deny it here) won't give you that kind of info because it hinders any chance of making a sale for whatever product they are offering. But to be honest, I don't really care. I want to help, and this info WILL do that if you apply what I'm saying.

Finally, remember you will get better as you write more and more. By definition, if you do something more than often, you will get better at it. So keep at it and for goodness sakes, ENJOY it

Shamir
[formally Calvin]
SongwritingTipsOnline.com

PS. Feel free to leave a comment here on the blog (click on 'post a comment' below).

Do you write BEATZ? Maybe This Will Inspire You...

Must say, I have written drum loops and 'beatz' -- in fact, I used to do them very often. As I writer, I like to explore different 'virtual' drum kits here in my little studio.

BUT...what about you're to see goes way beyond creating drums loops in the studio. How about this -- creating drum beats in the kitchen. Ok, so now I've got you pondering. And before you guess... NO, he doesn't use pots and pans and other kitchen utensils to produce a drum loop.

Well...

Not exactly anyway ;-)

Take a peak...

Emi & Apple Offering Better Quality Files That You Can Trasnfer To Any Device...

So the time has arrived, and I knew it would. Some see this as 'earth shattering' news, and I guess to some degree it is. So whats all the fuss about?

Apple and EMI have now announced that they will be offering downloadable music without the DRM encoding. What's DRM? It stands for Digital Rights Management. And this short video below (which was created few days ago, *before* this announcement) will give you a light hearted version of what DRM is all about.

Give it a watch...(don't skim, watch all of it, it's very short).



So now that you're an expert on DRM you can see how utterly annoying it can be. From today though, things have changed. Most of the songs which you download from the world famous iTunes browser will now be 'easily transferable' to other music devices. This means you don't have to rip the darn thing to your PC first to ransfer it to another device.

Not only that, but they have also announced that the 'new music files' will be better quality -- at 256kbps. I'll be honest with you, most people won't notice the change in sound. It's only those who 'care enough' about the sound, that will actually significantly *hear* the difference.

They are also asking us to pay for these privileges -- songs will be $1.29 a pop, as oppose to the usual $0.79.

I for one have never really been an Apple fan -- and I may be in the minority here. The thought of being totally restricted to the Ipod really does my head in. It's silly when you think about it... why pay for music that you can ONLY listen to on your Ipod? Makes no sense. Of course, things are different now. Who knows, I might consider the Ipod now that they've finally woken up.

The main thing that bugs me is that Apple work by an audio format AAC. And although some non-Ipod players can handle non-protected AAC, it's hardly in the same league as an mp3 file -- which ten times more universally accepted.

What do you think about all this? Are you a ipod user? Are you happier that this change has been embraced by EMI? What about all the file sharing that's going on right now.... is it only a matter of time before music doesn't have a value anyway? Are we headed that way? I would love to know your thoughts.....

Post a comment here on the blog

Shamir

[formally Calvin]

Child Prodigy 'Wows' Musicians All Over The World...

It's not often you see a 12 year old kid playing drums like a 35 year old man. This video that I recently stumbled upon really freaked me out.... in a GOOD way.

Check out the video. It'll blow you're mind. I have a couple of friends who I consider as world class drummers, and they were in complete shock and disbelief when they saw this 12 years old boy perform his drum solo.

Talk about child prodigy...




What do you think? :-) Post a comment here in the blog....

Shamir Rele

(formally Calvin Rele)

Is Michael Jackson due for a comeback?

Well, well, well. It's been a long time since we've heard anything from the self-styled King of pop, in fact I remember nothing but gossip and controversy about Michael Jackson in recent times.

Sometimes I forget the timeless classics he wrote in his glory days. To be fair, I would go as far as to say that Michael Jackson has written some of the best pop songs in music history -- not just in the 80s, but throughout his career.

So what's going on now?

I'll tell you what's going on. A new song has surfaced on the Internet that features Michael Jackson. Some reports have been floating around to suggest that the vocals on this song a result of Jackson collaborating with Will.I.Am from the group Black eyed peas... while others say that the vocals were done many years ago, and have been incorporated in the mix just recently.

You can see Jackson working in the studio here, just recently in the last few months...


Whatever the case, it seems evident that Jackson doesn't plan to be leaving his music career behind any time soon. Perhaps this is a teaser for what is yet to come.

Watch this space...

Shamir
[formally known as Calvin]

http://www.songwritingtipsonline.com/

Tony Furtado releases new album, ‘Thirteen’ out 12 March 2007

From the very first moments of “Used,” which opens Tony Furtado’s new album, Thirteen, it’s clear that the prodigious instrumentalist turned singer/songwriter is a man on a mission. This bracing rocker, with its galloping ZZ Top groove and restless Tom Petty vibe, establishes the album’s interlocked themes of “good luck/bad luck/no luck” (as Furtado puts it) on both the personal and political levels, while a phalanx of fretted instruments provides a thrillingly visceral reminder of Furtado’s prowess as an ax wielder of the first order.

On Thirteen, this rapidly maturing artist fulfills the immense promise of his 2004 breakthrough These Chains, his initial foray into songwriting and singing. While Furtado’s 2005 outing, the literally solo Bare Bones, pushed the technical envelope as he recorded his own one-man tour, the expansive Thirteen reveals an artist with a great deal on his mind and a full arsenal of skills with which to express his thoughts and feelings in a captivating way. “These Chains was my first serious attempt at songwriting,” says Furtado, “so it was a trial by fire, with a bit of experimentation. This time I had the chance to go deeper.”

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source betweenplanets.co.uk

American Idol extends talent search to songwriters

NEW YORK (Billboard) - It's hard to imagine that the producers of "American Idol" would want to tinker with the show's formula following last season. After all, the hit reality program -- a talent search for music's Next Big Thing -- was 2006's top-rated TV series by a wide margin. But when the "A.I." juggernaut returns for its sixth season January 16, that's just what they'll be doing.

In the biggest tweak of the show in years, a new national songwriting contest will be introduced and run parallel alongside the usual singing competition. The winning song, as determined by viewers, will serve as the first single from the champion of "Idol."

It's fine-tuning like that -- a quintessential "Idol" touch -- that has enabled the franchise to maintain its steady upward trajectory during its five-year run. Last season was the show's biggest and best yet. According to Nielsen Media Research, the show averaged more than 30 million viewers -- ratings that trail only the likes of special one-off events like the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards. What is more, Ad Age says the show generated more than $500 million in TV sponsorship revenue in 2006. It now sets the value of the "Idol" franchise at $2.5 billion. A record four contestants were signed to album deals with Simon Fuller's record company, 19 Entertainment: Taylor Hicks, runner-up Katharine McPhee and finalists Chris Daughtry and Kelly Pickler.

Now the franchise -- which through the years has given rise to the platinum-selling careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino -- is thinking even bigger as it heads into its latest season.

Says a relaxed and confident Fuller, "Idol" creator and mastermind, "We're just hitting our stride."

So what can viewers, not to mention advertisers, expect in the season ahead?

Details of the songwriting contest are still being sketched out, but it will be open to amateurs, with demos submitted through an "Idol" Web site. The show's producers and judges will whittle entries down to a dozen finalists, which will be performed in the show's stretch run and put up to a vote by the audience.....

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source: http://ca.today.reuters.com