Category: SONGWRITING TIPS

Using Loops or Beats in Your Music Tracks

Q & A

I got this question from a very good songwriter in one of my songwriting courses. He was wondering about using loops or beats that are longer than one or two bars. These might consist of an acoustic rhythm guitar playing a 4-bar chord progression or a keyboard, or even a whole band that can be looped to form a song section.

You’ll find these kinds of loops in “construction kits” from Big Fish Audio or websites like Splice. They can be a great way to launch yourself into a song or even a new genre.

My student was asking if it’s okay to pitch song demos using these loops. Will there be a problem with music publishers and Film & TV music libraries? Is it legal? Will he need to tell them what he’s doing?  I’m not a lawyer and I can’t give legal advice (disclaimer, disclaimer) but I do have some thoughts for you if you’re doing this or considering it.

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Universal Lyrics for Film & TV

Songs are used in movies, television series, and commercials to enhance the emotion and memorability of the onscreen action. Instrumental underscore has long been a staple of film and TV, adding drama and emotion to a scene. But when lyrics are added—when a song is used instead of an instrumental—there are extra benefits and a few potential problems.

For example, lyrics that are too specific or feature their own story lines can conflict with the script.  If a song lyric includes a place name, like”I Love Paris,” the viewer could become confused if the scene takes place in New York.

Film and TV music supervisors look for songs with “universal lyrics,” lyrics that won’t conflict with a scene but will enhance the mood or energy.  If you’re planning to pitch your songs to this market, you’ll have a better chance of success if you keep this in mind.

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Write a Memorable Song Title

The title of a song is almost always a featured line in the song itself, often the first line or last line of the chorus, making it the line that listeners remember long after the song is over. 

A good title is intriguing, evocative, and memorable. The best titles sum up the heart and soul of a song, recalling the whole experience for listeners, making them want to go back and listen again.

Keep it brief. 

A strong song title easy to remember and gets to the point, so consider keeping it short. Titles like “Everybody Talks,” “What Now?” “Roar,” and “Wrecking Ball” are all brief, intriguing, and easy to remember. Long titles can work if you use a familiar phrase like ”I Just Called to Say I Love You” or “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” which are easier to recall. To be safe, stick to five words or less. While it’s not a rule, it’s a good idea to keep in mind.

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How to Learn From Hit Songs

How to learn from hit songs. (Photo by Anita Peeples.)

I’ve been enjoying a wonderful little book called Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon.  In the book, Kleon points out that all creative works of  art are built on something that has come before. As I was reading, every page made me think about my own songwriting process. My next thought was: I really want to share this with you.

Suggesting that someone “steal” sounds pretty awful. But no one here is suggesting that you actually crib someone else’s test answers or intellectual property. And no one is suggesting that you be anything less than your creative, authentic, wonderful Self. David Bowie used to refer to himself as a “a tasteful thief” and in an interview with Cameron Crowe he boasted, “The only art I’ll ever study is stuff that I can steal from.”  I don’t think anyone could call David Bowie unoriginal.

It’s not stealing

So, let’s call what Bowie was doing “being inspired by”—using your knowledge, experience, intuition and, yes, really good taste to choose which techniques and ideas in someone else’s song you want to use as a foundation or inspiration for something new and different in songs of your own.

It doesn’t necessarily make creative work any easier. But you can use it to point the way forward or show you a goal to reach for. Youa re probably already doing it.

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Turn a Poem Into a Song Lyric

Poet

Today, poetry is often defined as putting the greatest amount of meaning into the fewest possible words. This holds true for song lyrics, too. So if you’re a poet, you’ve got a great start on songwriting. But there are some big differences, too.

The bards of old sang their poems, often based on historical tales. The melody helped both the bard and the audience remember long oral histories. But now we tend to write and read poetry on the page. Readers can go through a poem at their own pace, taking all the time they need to understand and react to each line.

But songs roll by at the music’s pace. Listeners need to understand enough on the fly to be drawn into the lyric and stay involved. To turn a poem into a lyric, you’ll need to take that into account.

1. Give listeners enough time to absorb an image or poetic device.

Try spreading out your images and metaphors over several lines rather than piling on several at once. Make each image or idea the focus of at least one line. If your lines are short, then spend two or more lines on it. Add more information to give listeners deeper insight into your idea and allow them to fully take it in before moving on. 

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