Tag Archives: Jimmy Yeary

Know The Row, Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

Songwriting advice from hit songwriter, Jimmy Yeary!

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Here’s golden advice from a #1 songwriter.

Jimmy Yeary’s Lee Brice hit, “I Drive Your Truck” was awarded Song of the Year honors at the 47th annual Country Music Association Awards, as well as Song of the Year at the 49th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. More recently, he landed another chart-topper with David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney’s “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.”

Yeary’s songwriting credits also include Kenny Chesney’s #1 hit “Til It’s Gone,” Rascal Flatts’ #1 single “Why Wait”, Jake Owen’s #1 “Anywhere With You,” and Martina McBride’s top 10 hit “I’m Gonna Love You Through It.” He’s also had songs recorded by George Strait, Leann Rimes, Troy Olsen, Heidi Newfield, and more.

Jimmy was a recent guest on Frettie.com’s “Know The Row,” and he shared some great, real-world advice for songwriters.  Here’s some of what he had to say.

Read on!

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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Here is a bit of Jimmy’s advice (paraphrased):

You don’t necessarily need to write with the artist. It certainly helps, but the right song can overcome that. I’m a firm believer that the best song wins.

If I write with an artist, I generally let that artist lead and guide. Nobody knows what the artist wants to say better than the artist.

If I feel the emotion of the song, you (the listener) will feel it. If I don’t feel it, you won’t either.

It’s really important to be yourself- to do what YOU do. Expose that to other people and let them decide if the value you bring is something they want. And it helps to be a writer that people want to be around.

I go through a ritual every day to get my brain revved up. Reading, vigorous exercise and brain exercises get me ready to write. I can’t just wake up, hop in the truck and go write.

Get going early. Bring in ideas so you can find the idea quickly.  Then you have more time to work on the song.

I know what makes me be my best. And then I make sure I do those things that make me the best I can be.

If you want a Blake Shelton cut, you better have every Blake record and study ALL the songs. Because if you haven’t, other songwriters have. If you want to give yourself the biggest advantage, you have to study their music.

The key to everything I do is the prep I do. I have a healthy diet, I exercise, I read, and I study artists and the market- on a very consistent basis- to give myself the best chance for success.

I don’t want to write a good song. I want to write a great song.

What’s important between cowriters is not having ego. You can’t get easily offended. You have to be able to be honest with each other.

One of the worst attributes you can have as a new songwriter is thinking you’re really really good. You need humility to get better. The more stuff you can figure out that you’re doing wrong, the more stuff you can fix.  And that’ll make you better.

If you’d like to hear EVERYTHING Jimmy had to share, the full video replay is available in Frettie’s Member Area.  It’s right there along with full video replays of other events with hit songwriters, Byron Hill & Chris Lindsey, music publisher Scot Sherrod, artist/writer Aaron Goodvin, and more.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

If you want to join our next event live, “Know The Row” is a cool opportunity for us to hang out together (online) with a music industry pro.  It starts off with a brief conversation between me and our guest, as he or she reveals information YOU need to know about the music biz.  After that, we’ll open it up to YOUR questions.

This month, our guest is hit songwriter KENNA WEST!  Kenna has had over 31 #1 singles in the gospel and southern gospel markets.  She currently writes for Word Publishing.   He’s has been nominated for multiple Dove Awards, multiple “Songwriter Of The Year” nominations (AGM, SGM), and over twenty “Song Of The Year” nominations.  Artists who have recorded Kenna’s songs include Karen Peck & New River, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Marty Raybon, Brian Free & Assurance, and more.

This is something you do NOT want to miss!

This event will be on Thursday, November 29, in the evening.

Can’t make it to the live event?  Every “Know The Row” is recorded and added to the Frettie Members Area.  These videos are a resource for Frettie subscribers.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE INFO.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.

Write Like A Pro

How deep do you dive into your song?

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I hate to tell you this, but YOU are probably never going to write a hit.  But the good news is… the characters in your songs just might.

I recently spent a weekend at the Martha’s Vineyard Songwriting Festival teaching a songwriting workshop with multi-hit songwriter, Jimmy Yeary.  And, boy, I can’t wait to share some life-changing songwriting advice with you!

Read on.

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

I re-learned something this weekend.

One thing I love about teaching songwriting is that it’s a great way for me to continue learning the art, craft and business of songwriting.  Preparing a workshop lesson forces me to thoughtfully consider a topic and put it into a framework that songwriters can actually use- a way of writing that you can apply to your own work.  This helps me to remember these lessons and apply them to my own writing.  Not a bad trade off.

I also learn from the professional songwriters around me.  That’s what happened at the Martha’s Vineyard Songwriting Festival with Jimmy Yeary.  Jimmy has written hits for Lee Brice (“I Drive Your Truck”), Kenny Chesney (“Till It’s Gone”), Jake Owen (“Anywhere With You”), Rascal Flatts, (“Why Wait”)  and more.  So, yeah.  He’s legit.  He’s also a great songwriting teacher.

Jimmy was my co-teacher for the weekend, and he kept hammering some important songwriting truths that I know, that I’ve used, but sometimes don’t teach enough.  And, honestly, I don’t always use them enough in my songs, either.  But it’s on my brain right now, and I’m fired up about it.  So let’s dive into some of those lessons today.

Dive deeply into your song.

It’s not enough to just “throw lyrics at an idea.”  It’s not enough to stand at a distance, consider a song idea, then start trying to rhyme it into a story.  No, that’s not enough.  Not if you want to write incredible, moving songs.

You need to really dive deeply into your song.  Dive into the idea.  Dive into the story.  Is it a story about heartbreak?  Go back into your memory and relive a heartbreaking experience you’ve had.  Is your song about a first kiss?  Then don’t just write about a first kiss.  Take some time to go back to YOUR first kiss in your mind.  See it again.  Feel it again.  Feel the emotions.  Then paint the picture.

It can be tempting to stop at the surface.  It can be scary to be vulnerable in your song, to tell the honest truth to your listeners, to your cowriters, and even to yourself.  But don’t stop at the surface.  Your best writing is waiting way down deep.

Become the character in your song.

If your song is a memory or part memory, really try and go back to that time and place in your mind and heart.  Feel those emotions again.

But what if your song isn’t a true experience?  What if you haven’t lived it?

You have to become the character in the song.  You have to imagine what it would feel like- REALLY feel like- to be that person in that situation.

I did not live the story of my top-5 Alan Jackson hit, “Monday Morning Church.”  But I kind of did live it for a little while.  I imagined being the character in the story.  I imagined what my house would look like if I lost my spouse, and I saw a Bible on the dresser.  I imagined how I would feel, and I pictured myself lying in bed and yelling at God.

Jimmy Yeary, Connie Harrington and Jessi Alexander didn’t live the story in their ACM and CMA Song of the Year “I Drive Your Truck.”  It was someone else’s story.  But they became the guy who lost his brother in Afghanistan and drove his truck as a way of coping with the loss.  They pictured the 89 cents in the ashtray.  They pictured themselves tearing up that field.  They brought themselves to real emotion, even though they hadn’t really lived it.

Being clever is fun, but it isn’t enough.  You have to bring “heart” and not just “head.”

Playing with words isn’t going to get you where you want to go.  You must really feel it.  So I want to challenge you to dive deeply into your next song.  Don’t float on the surface.  Dive down deep.  Feel it.  Become the character.  Then write what you see.  Write what you feel.  Be honest.  That emotion and that truth will make your song much more real and powerful.

Remember, YOU might never write a hit song, but just maybe the characters in your songs will.  So be that character.

What about you?  Do you have the habit of diving deeply into your songs, or do you tend to stay near the surface?  Have you done both, and can you tell a difference between the two?  I’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment!

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

Frettie, Know The Row, Write Like A Pro

Don’t demo that song until you ask yourself these 8 questions.

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So you’ve written a bunch of your new favorite jams, and you’ve flipped a lot of burgers for demo money.  But heading into the demo studio right now might be a huge mistake.

Read on if you want to level up your songwriting game.

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

The big question you should be asking yourself right now is not when to demo, where to demo, or how to demo.  The big question to ask is should you demo this song?

After all, demos cost time and money.  If you have an unlimited amount of both, then rock on.  Hit the studio, and hit it hard.  But if you want to spend your time and money efficiently and effectively, you want to take a little time and thoughtfully and honestly answer the following questions.

1. Is the song finished?

I love the emotional high of having just finished a song and feeling like it’s a big ‘ol hit.  That never gets old!  But it’s important to step back and make sure it’s really finished.  90% right and 100% right might mean the difference between a pass and a keep or a hold and a cut.  Or even a cut and a single.  That can be a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Have you played your song for an industry pro and gotten their feedback?  Have you played it for your songwriting peers and asked them for their honest opinions?  Even pros usually run songs by their publishers before spending money on it.  If they know to get some outside feedback, shouldn’t you get some, too?

2. Is it a wide pitch?

A wide pitch is a song that fits a large number of artists.  A narrow pitch is one that only a very limited number of artists could record.  For example, if you say, “If George Strait doesn’t cut this, I don’t know who will,” that’s a narrow pitch.  If you can say, “Well, if Luke Bryan doesn’t cut this, I can still take it to Old Dominion, Chris Young, Kenny Chesney, etc.” then it’s a wider pitch.

As a general rule, I’m going to demo the wide pitch, because there are more pitch possibilities- there are more paths to victory.  It just puts the math more in my favor.

3. Is it commercially relevant?

Is this a song that a large audience will want to hear?  Will it make the listener laugh, cry, dance, or think?  It’s not about you- it’s about the audience.

You can write a great, well-crafted song, but if only 12-year-old foreign exchange students from Bulgaria will “get it,” an artist is not going to record it.  Why spend money on it?  Or if it’s a moving song about the plight of the orange-billed hoof-footed salamander that only lives in one drainage ditch in California… who’s gonna care, other than a few people?

And don’t be fooled into thinking that just because a type of song used to be commercially popular, that they still are.  For example, what if you write a great rodeo song, but nobody’s recording and releasing rodeo songs?  At least not in numbers big enough to justify the investment?  The pros think about these things, and you should, too.

4. Who could sing this?

A wise artist is really only looking for songs that fit their brand and speak to their audience.  Like the rodeo example, are their enough artists that talk about your song’s subject matter or take on the character in your song?

For example, if your song is from the point of view of a man crying over his daughter having a baby… what artists are willing to sing, “I’m A Grandfather?” Not many.  Not in commercial music.  Who could sing that?  Or who in the current market would sing about being a cheater?  Not many.  There have been some at different points in history, but not many in country music right now.

Also, does this song fit the general branding of the format?  Is it hitting on all sonic cylinders, but it’s an anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment song?  Well, that’s probably not going to fly in today’s country market.  Maybe in another market, but not in country.  Same thing about a pop song that says you need to get your hot booty off the dance floor and into church.  There may  be a few artists who would sing that… but not many.

Also, is the melody one that many artists could sing?  Is it such a small range that your “big-voice” singers won’t be interested?  Or is it such a rangy song that most guys can’t sing it?  That’s worth paying attention to.

Again, we want to get the math in our favor when we can.

5. Does the song have a fresh melody and lyric?

You HAVE to bring something different, especially if you are a new, unknown writer.  YOUR vanilla has no chance.  An artist has no reason to invest in your vanilla when they can get vanilla from friends, established hit songwriters, or just write it themselves.

Let’s face it, none of us were invited to the music business party.  Virtually nobody in the business was invited in.  So if you’re gonna crash it, you better bring something new to the party.

6. Will I pitch it… really?

If you have already demoed ten songs like this one (and they’re not getting cut), and this one isn’t any better… what’s the point?  Will you really pitch it?  Maybe you should spend your time writing a song that you will pitch instead of demoing a song you won’t.

7. Does this song NEED a full demo?

You should do what’s best for your song.  Some need a full demo- rocking uptempo anthems, for example.  Certain ballads and midtempos might be best presented with two guitars, a drum loop, and a great singer.

8. Is it great?

I’ve never had a so-so song get pitched to and cut by a major artist.  I just haven’t.  My cuts are each different- fast, slow, funny, sad – but, to me, each one has something really strong about it.

If you’re an outside writer, and you’re not already one of the “cool kids,” you HAVE to write better songs.  Otherwise, they’ll just record songs from known, trusted sources.  Hey, if a proven hit songwriter pitches a dud now and then, no big deal.  But if you, who doesn’t have a track record, pitches a couple duds, the industry will just assume you’re not a great writer, and they’ll close their doors to you.  They’ll assume you’re a waste of time.

9. Are you serious?

Here’s one more bonus question for you.  Are you serious?  Are you really serious about getting your songs recorded by major artists?  If so, I have a great opportunity for you.  In May, I’m hosting Frettie’s “Know The Row” event with multi-hit songwriter, Jimmy Yeary!

Not only did Jimmy write “I Drive Your Truck,” a CMA & ACM Song Of The Year and a #1 hit for Lee Brice, he’s also written hits for Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts and more.

This is YOUR chance to sit down face-to-face (online) with a real-deal professional, hit songwriter.

You and I both want to learn what Jimmy has to share.

Here’s the deal.  You can join us online from anywhere in the world on Thursday, May 24, 2018 from 7pm-8pm Central time.  And this special event is FREE to members of Frettie.com!  (But don’t worry- you can still purchase a ticket even if you don’t want to take advantage of all of Frettie’s membership benefits.)

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS & MEET HIT SONGWRITER JIMMY YEARY.

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

Frettie, Know The Row, Write Like A Pro

You will win or lose in the music business based on THIS.

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You will win or lose in the music business based on this one thing.  And the scary thing is, you may not even be thinking about it.

Read on if you want to level up your songwriting business.

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Okay, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.  You will win or lose as a songwriter based on how much value you add to OTHERS.  This isn’t about you.  You win by helping others win.

So, what does this mean, exactly?  It means that the amount of value you add to others will largely determine how much success you have.

Do you write great lyrics?  This is a big value to songwriters who don’t write great lyrics.  If they’re smart, they’ll want to write with you.  Do you write great melodies?  This is a major value to songwriters who are strong on lyrics but weak on melody.  They’ll want to write with you.  Do you have incredible, commercial songs that are perfect for Artist X?  Artist X is much more likely to want your songs.  That, in turn, earns you royalties.  You win by adding value.  You win by helping others get what they want.  It’s not about you.  It’s about helping others.

Opportunities come to those who add value.

The more value you add, the more opportunities you will have.  Let me give you a few personal examples.

“Caribou Barbie” recorded by Ray Stevens

Ray is a comedy legend with songs like “The Streak” “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” and “Everything Is Beautiful.”  So how’d I get my song “Caribou Barbie,” recorded by Ray?  I brought value.

I was over at Ray’s office one day, and he was in a meeting.  When Suzi, Ray’s daughter, poked her head out, I offhandedly said, “Hey, I have a song idea for Ray.  It’s about Sarah Palin, and it’s called “Caribou Barbie.”  She laughed and went back into the meeting.  Later that afternoon, I was over in Ray’s parking lot picking up my car when Ray happened to walk outside.  He said, “Hey, I wanna hear ‘Caribou Barbie’.”  I said, “Yes, sir- I’ll write it!”

Now I had something of value.  I had a title that the artist himself asked me to write.

Since Ray wanted me to write the song, my first question was, “who are the best possible cowriters?”  (I’m a lyricist, so I need a good melody-writer.)  It was an easy call to make- Matt Cline and Max T. Barnes.  Both these guys wrote for Ray’s publishing company, so he’d have extra incentive to record and release it.  They brought the value of publishing income for Ray, which made the song more valuable for him.  This, in turn, made them more valuable to me.

They also brought in the value of being dialed into the project, having songs in the mix already for Ray’s album.  Plus, they’re a great hang and really good writers.  That’s more value they brought to the table.  I called them up, they saw the value in the opportunity, we wrote the song, and Ray cut it.

Each person brought value to the song, and we all won.

“Crickets” recorded by Joe Nichols

I’m blessed to have the title track to Joe Nichols’ recent album, “Crickets,” on Red Bow Records.  This title was not my idea.  Joe himself didn’t ask me to write it.  But I brought a different value to this song.

 Bill Whyte and Lisa Shaffer had the idea for “Crickets.”  I’d never written with Bill, but I’d written several songs with Lisa.  She thought my sense of humor, storytelling and lyrical sensibilities would be a good fit for the song, so they invited me in.   Simply put, I was invited in by two good writers because they believed I would add value.

Bill was in the room because (if I remember correctly) it was his title (and he’s a fine writer).  Lisa was in the room because Bill had originally brought the idea to her because of their friendship and her songwriting skill.  I was added in because Lisa valued my lyrical abilities.

Unlike the Ray Stevens situation, Joe and his team had zero publishing or other direct financial interest in the song.  Neither, Bill, Lisa nor I were in Joe’s “camp.”  Joe cut the song because (I assume) he believed “Crickets” would add something valuable to his album.

What value can you bring?

Artists bring the value of having a record deal.  Published writers bring the value of experience and a team of songpluggers.  What’s your value?  Great hooks?  Do you record your own demos, saving your cowriters money?  Do you have artist potential?  Great melodies?  What can you do to add value?  If you identify your value, you can sell yourself on it.  Because, like it or not, we’re all in the service and sales business.

Here’s some value for you.

If you’re interested in getting cuts and hits, I have a great opportunity for you.  In May, I’m hosting Frettie’s “Know The Row” event with multi-hit songwriter, Jimmy Yeary!

Not only did Jimmy write “I Drive Your Truck,” a CMA & ACM Song Of The Year and a #1 hit for Lee Brice, he’s also written hits for Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts and more.

This is YOUR chance to sit down face-to-face (online) with a real-deal professional, hit songwriter.

You and I both want to learn what Jimmy has to share.

Here’s the deal.  You can join us online from anywhere in the world on Thursday, May 24, 2018 from 7pm-8pm Central time.  And this special event is FREE to members of Frettie.com!  (But don’t worry- you can still purchase a ticket even if you don’t want to take advantage of all of Frettie’s membership benefits.)

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS & MEET HIT SONGWRITER JIMMY YEARY.

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

Frettie, Know The Row, Write Like A Pro

Your Song’s First Line Really Needs This!

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Imagine yourself in a dark movie theater.  The movie starts to play, but there is just sound- no picture.  You’d be upset, right?  Then why do we often write songs that way?

Why don’t we give our listeners some pictures right at the beginning of our movie/song?  After all, the hit songwriters know how important this is, and they do it consistently.

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

I think the movie analogy is an appropriate one for songwriting.

Songs are basically 3-minute movies.

And just like someone making a movie, we want to hook our audience immediately.  We want to draw them into our story as quickly as possible.  And you know what does this extremely well?

Imagery.

Well-written imagery quickly lets the listener know the setting for our story or gives them a sudden emotional punch.  Or it builds mystery or interest.  And, along with good melody and production, that will keep the listener listening further into the song.

The main job of your song’s 1st line is to make the listener want to hear the 2nd line.

Here are the first lines of a few of my songs that have been recorded.

You left your Bible on the dresser, so I put it in the drawer – “Monday Morning Church” sung by Alan Jackson

Sunday morning was a fight, I was runnin’ from that clip-on tie – “Every Head Bowed” sung by Alan Jackson

Past the cotton fields and the old Spring Mill, we laid a blanket out where the world was still – “Crickets” sung by Joe Nichols

There’s a towel on the bathroom door, a t-shirt in my dresser if you like – “Last Night Last” sung by Lady Antebellum

But don’t just take MY lyrics for it.  Here are the first lines of 9 of the current top 10 songs on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart.

I believe kids oughta stay kids as long as they can, turn off the screen, go climb a tree, get dirt on their hands – “Most People Are Good” sung by Luke Bryan

I ain’t heard you laugh like that in a long time – “Singles You Up” sung by Jordan Davis

Baby, lay on back and relax, kick your pretty feet up on my dash – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

She wants to get married, she wants it perfect, she wants her grandaddy preaching the service – “Marry Me” sung by Thomas Rhett

Don’t think I’ve ever seen your kind of pretty wandering ’round this midnight mad house city – “The Long Way” sung by Brett Eldredge

Like a rainy Sunday morning makes me wanna stay in bed, twisted up all day long – “You Make It Easy” sung by Jason Aldean

This is perfect, come kiss me one more time – “Heaven” sung by Kane Brown

When the devil’s knocking at my door, when I’m broken and I’m battle worn, down in the valley, on my knees – “She’s With Me” sung by High Valley

Seen my share of broken halos, folded wings that used to fly – “Broken Halos” sung by Chris Stapleton

The song in the #10 spot, “All On Me” by Devin Dawson, doesn’t have an image in the first couple lines, but all the rest do.   That’s 90% of the current top 10, and it’s something you should pay attention to.

And note that not all the images are literal.  In “She’s With Me” and “Broken Halos,” the images are more metaphorical.  But they STILL put a picture in the mind of the listener.  So you don’t have to JUST paint a literal picture of the situation.

But in case you aren’t quite convinced yet, here are a bunch more first lines from other hit country songs over the past several years:

Doublewide Quick Stop midnight T-top Jack in her Cherry Coke town – “American Kids” sung by Kenny Chesney

Quarter in the payphone, clothes drying on the line – “Automatic” sung by Miranda Lambert

Those high heels with that sun dress, turquoise heart hanging ‘round your neck – “My Eyes” sung by Blake Shelton

Summer comin’ through a rolled down window, tearin’ down an almost two lane back road – “We Are Tonight” sung by Billy Currington

Sun shines, clouds rain, train whistles blow and guitars play – “It Just Comes Natural” sung by George Strait

I’ve packed a cooler and a change of clothes – “Want To” by Sugarland

Driving through town, just my boy and me. With a happy meal on his booster seat– “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house– “What Hurts The Most” Rascal Flatts

She’s a yellow pair of running shoes, a holey pair of jeans– “She’s Everything” Brad Paisley

I could do this for days. Now, I know there are examples out there of purely emotional songs that do well. But if you look at the songs that are not written by the artist or by the producer or by an established hit songwriter, I think you’ll see a trend.

Put images in your song’s first lines to draw your listener in.

One more great example is from a recent CMA and ACM Song Of The Year:  “I Drive Your Truck,” written by Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, and Jimmy Yeary and recorded by Lee Brice.

“89 cents in the ashtray, half-empty bottle of Gatorade rolling on the floorboard”

It’s like the opening shot of a movie that starts with a close-up of change in the ashtray, panning over to a Gatorade bottle rolling on the floorboard.  The song follows the camera as it moves over to the dash, the backseat, etc.  This pulls us in.  It also gives us clues about the truck’s owner.  It’s such a well-written song!

If you’re interested in writing commercial songs- if you want to give your songs their best chance to succeed, I have a great opportunity for you.  In May, I’m hosting Frettie’s “Know The Row” with one of the writers of “I Drive Your Truck,” Jimmy Yeary!

Not only did Jimmy write this Song Of The Year, he’s also written hits for Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts and more.

And this is YOUR chance to sit down face-to-face (online) with a real-deal professional, hit songwriter.

You and I BOTH want to learn what Jimmy has to share.

Here’s the deal.  You can join us online from anywhere in the world on Thursday, May 24, 2018 from 7pm-8pm Central time.  And this special event is FREE to members of Frettie.com!  (But don’t worry- you can still purchase a ticket even if you don’t want to take advantage of all of Frettie’s membership benefits.)

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS & MEET HIT SONGWRITER JIMMY YEARY.

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

Frettie, Know The Row, Write Like A Pro

How To Make Your Ballads More Radio-Ready

2 Comments

It seems like every songwriter writes more ballads (slow songs) than uptempo songs.  But MOST ballads will NEVER get recorded.  Of the few that do, most never get on the radio.  But a few slow songs beat the odds and not only become hits, they become MASSIVE HITS.

Today, I want to discuss one way YOUR ballads can beat the odds and have success.

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I’m a lyricist, and I don’t write melodies. I leave that to folks who are great at that. However, I know from experience and observation that MELODY MATTERS. It’s huge.

Let me be clear- a song with a great melody and average lyric will get cut a lot faster than a song with a great lyric and an average melody.

(Of course, the real winners have BOTH great melodies AND great lyrics.  So don’t think you can be lazy on lyrics, because you’ll probably get beat out by songs that are great at both.)

Your melody has to fit your idea, simple as that. This is not to say that sad songs HAVE to have “sad” melodies (I’ll touch on that later), but if your lyric is angry, your melody probably shouldn’t be too “sweet.” Likewise, if your idea is for a tough guy, the melody should be one that a tough-guy artist would sing.

In general (there ARE exceptions), if your song has a slower tempo, it probably needs to have a bigger, more rangy melody. There just aren’t many slow songs with soft melodies getting cut these days. You put your song at a disadvantage when you frame it that way.

If you’re going to go ballad, go big.

A good example of this is “I Drive Your Truck,” written by Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, and Jimmy Yeary and recorded by Lee Brice. It’s a sad ballad. But it doesn’t FEEL like a ballad because of the power in the chorus. Lee just sings his backside off.  


If they hadn’t CHOSEN to go the power ballad route, I don’t think the song would have worked as well- and I definitely don’t think it would’ve been a #1 hit country single.

Not only was this ballad a #1 hit, it was named the CMA and ACM “Song Of The Year.”

If the tempo had been too fast, it might have trivialized the subject matter. If they had given it a soft, flat melody, I think the singer would’ve come across too whiney.

Again, if you go ballad, go big.

If you’re interested in writing commercial songs- if you want to give your songs their best chance to succeed, I have a great opportunity for you.  In May, I’m hosting Frettie’s “Know The Row” with one of the writers of “I Drive Your Truck,” Jimmy Yeary!

This is your chance to sit down face-to-face (online) with a real-deal professional, hit songwriter.

You and I BOTH want to learn what Jimmy has to share.

Here’s the deal.  You can join us online from anywhere in the world on Thursday, May 24, 2018 from 7pm-8pm Central time.  And this special event is FREE to members of Frettie.com!  (But don’t worry- you can still purchase a ticket even if you don’t want to take advantage of all of Frettie’s membership benefits.)

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS & MEET HIT SONGWRITER JIMMY YEARY.

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.