Category Archives: Craft

These posts focus on the craft of songwriting.

Craft, Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

Songwriting Is All About Location, Location, Location

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cropped-SWP-2.jpg 

It’s true for real estate, and it’s true for songs.

I want to talk about the 3 most important things in real estate (which are also really important in songwriting):

Location, location, location.

In probably any town, certain neighborhoods have certain personalities. One neighborhood is full of SUV-driving soccer moms. Another is mostly middle-class country folk. Another is college kids, another is hipsters, etc.

Musically-speaking, most artists put down roots in one neighborhood.

They spend most of their time there, only venturing out to the adjacent neighborhoods every now and then. This is another way of talking about branding. An artist’s brand says, “I live in THIS neighborhood. I’m like THESE people, and I sing about them and for them.”

For example, an artist’s music may be most “at home” with the good ‘ol party boys. Most of his music is for those good ‘ol boys- bonfires and tailgates. The “good ‘ol party boy” artist doesn’t usually venture into the soccer mom neighborhood, where the music is more about family, lifelong love, kids, etc.

Most songs are also “at home” in certain neighborhoods. Some songs are built for the rednecks, some for the high school girls, some for their moms, some for the blue collar dads, etc.

But remember, most ideas can be built to fit in any of several neighborhoods.

It just depends how you frame the idea (pun intended). The choices you make will determine your song’s neighborhood.

For example, Craig Morgan’s “Redneck Yacht Club” and Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” are basically about the same thing- getting out on the water. But the songs (houses) were built in different neighborhoods and attracted a different kind of artist. Even though the basic ideas of the songs are similar, Little Big Town wouldn’t feel at home moving into Craig’s neighborhood, and vice versa.

When you think about where to build your song, it’s wise to think about the property values in the different neighborhoods.

Are the houses in the “good ‘ol party boys” neighborhood in high demand? Are the houses in the blue-collar-working-man in low demand?  What type of song are artists cutting?

I was blessed to have Joe Nichols cut a song of mine on his most recent album. The song became the album’s title, “Crickets.” We built the song in Joe’s neighborhood, and I’m glad he liked it enough to move in!

joe-nichols-crickets

But what about “Crickets” put it in Joe’s neighborhood? Well, first off, it’s country. Pretty dang country. Joe’s done some more modern stuff here and there, but he has a deep love for country songs that are really country. Also, Joe has also recorded several songs that are funny or tongue-in-cheek, such as “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.” He’s not afraid to poke a little fun at himself, either, so “Crickets” seemed like a really good fit. I’m glad Joe thought so, too!

The concept of “Neighborhoods” is important if you want to write commercial songs. I go into more depth on the topic in my upcoming web-workshop series in August called “Song Ideas: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.”

 Blank 2 Finished

This course is designed to take you from a blank page to a new song idea to a fully developed concept to a finished lyric. You’ll learn a repeatable process you can use to discover and develop strong song ideas again and again. And you’ll also learn how to frame and focus those ideas for maximum commercial impact and appeal.

This course is INTERACTIVE! You won’t sit back and just stare at me talking for an hour-and-a-half. You won’t be some number on my laptop’s dashboard. No. We’ll be face-to-face. You’ll have exercises to practice outside of our sessions. I’ll ask you questions. You can ask me questions. We’re in this thing together. That’s why I keep the workshops small- I want to get to know YOU!

Tickets for this event are on sale NOW. There are only 11 spots open, and I expect them to go fast- so don’t wait too long and miss your chance to take your songwriting to the next level!

I look forward to seeing you in August- CLICK HERE or on the image below to learn more and reserve your spot now!

Blank 2 Finished

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

SWP 4

Craft, Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

What Songwriters Can Learn From Jason Aldean & “Lights Come On”

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 Jason Aldean has a new single out, called, “Lights Come On.”  If you’ve heard it, you know it’s not exactly an artistic stretch for him.  It might be easy for you to write it off as “just another Aldean song,” but that would be a mistake.  You see, there’s always something to learn from a successful song.  After all, this song is on the radio.  Is yours?

I don’t know the backstory of why he cut this song  (written by Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Jimmy Robbins, Jordan Schmidt, Brad Warren, and Brett Warren).  I’m not in his inner circle, but here are some elements of the song which probably made it appealing to him…

1. The song sings to the listener.

Aldean gets to sing directly to his audience- and he identifies them as HIS audience.  That’s a good way to build your relationship with them and their loyalty to you.  Fans want to connect with the artist, and the artist wants to connect with this fans.  Talking to them through the lyrics is a good way to do this.

2. The listener is the hero.

Not only does Aldean talk directly to the listener, he’s complimenting them.  They’re the hero of the story.  The listener is the hardworking guy or the cool girl who deserves a good time.  he makes them feel good about themselves, which of course, makes them feel good about the singer.  (Don’t we all tend to like people who compliment us?)

3. The singer is Yoda.

Complimenting the listener automatically casts a positive light on the singer, but the song doesn’t stop there.  It’s not just “you deserve a good time.”  No, it also says, “and I’m the guy that’s hosting the party!”  The listener is Luke Skywalker, and Jason Aldean is Yoda.  The listener is the hero, and the singer is the hero’s helper.

4. The song fits the brand.

The song perfectly fits Aldean’s image as a rocking, partying good-time loving country boy.  Sonically, it fits right in with what he’s done time and again.  Lyrically, it definitely fits his artistic voice.  If the Florida Georgia Line guys (Tyler and Brian) hadn’t been writers on this, I’d have sworn it was written specifically for Jason.

5. It’s built for “live.”

Most artists make their money by selling tickets.  And this song is a three-minute commercial selling you on coming to a Jason Aldean concert.  It’s positive, fun, and loud.  It’s something to get the crowd pumped, let them know they’re in for a good night… and hopefully, get them to the merch table.

6. The power of imagery.

When Aldean is telling the male listeners that they are awesome, hardworking men, he doesn’t just say, “you’re an awesome, hardworking man.”  No, he paints the picture of strong coffee, a power stroke diesel engine, backhoe, etc.  And he doesn’t just say, “you’re coming to a show,” he shows them hanging speakers over the crowd.  That kind of imagery makes the lyric a LOT more interesting.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.  What do you think we can learn from this song?  Maybe you disagree completely and think there’s nothing to learn.  Either way, please leave a comment!

If you want to become a songwriting pro (in how you think, write songs, and do business), then a great place to start is RIGHT HERE.  I want to help you on your songwriting journey.  I’ve been in the music business for years, and I’m here to help you get the cuts – and avoid the bruises.  CLICK HERE TO TAKE YOUR SONGWRITING TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Craft

Put The EmPHASis On The Right SylLABles!

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Man vs Row

Next time you’re out (single guys), I want you to say this to a girl:

“Hey, beau-TI-ful girl, what are you do-ING la-TER? wa-NNA go to the luke bry-AN con-CERT?”

Try saying that out loud, with the emphasis I’ve given.  Totally unnatural, right?  (No, I don’t mean the part about going to a Luke Bryan concert- I meant the syllables.)  I don’t care if you even have backstage passes, the girl is going to say, “No way, dude- you sound like an alien robot.”

If this fails so miserably, why do we sometimes write songs that talk like this?

A big part of successful songwriting is the ability to write lyrics that fit naturally into your melody.  If you want your song to be singable, you want the emphases of your melody and the emphasis of the syllables in your words to match up.  Here’s an example:

The word “moment” naturally has more emphasis on the 1st syllable and less emphasis on the 2nd syllable.  You naturally say it like “MO-ment.”  You don’t say “mo-MENT.”  Likewise, the word, “daughter” also has it’s natural emphasis on the 1st syllable. “DAUGH-ter,” not “daugh-TER.”

Your melody also has certain notes or beats that it emphasizes.  So if you’re writing a line with the word “moment” in it, you want to be certain that the melody doesn’t make you sing it “mo-MENT.”  You want it to sing like you’d actually say it in real life: “MO-ment.”

If you’re writing a line with he word “daughter” in it, you want to be certain that the melody doesn’t make you sing it “daugh-TER.”  You want to sing it like you’d actually say it in real life: “DAUGH-ter.”

If you run into this conflict, I suggest that you either adjust your melody or replace “moment” or “daughter” with a word that sings better.

I’ve used the words “moment” and “daughter” as examples, but this holds true for any word.  You want to get the syllable emphasis right on every word in your song.  If you don’t get it right, here are at least two things that can go wrong:

It’s harder for a singer to remember your song.

When your syllable emphasis and melodic emphasis don’t compliment each other, one part of your singer’s brain will be trying to say the words normally (“MO-ment”) because that’s how he’s said it his whole life.  But the other part of his brain is trying to sing the melody correctly (“mo-MENT”).  It’s unnatural, and so it’s harder to learn.  If he has trouble learning it, he just may not cut it.  He’ll cut something that’s easier to remember.

It’s a speed bump for the listener.

The A&R rep, publisher or audience member is grooving along with your song, everything is fine… then you hit “daugh-TER.”  It sticks out like a sore thumb- in a bad way.  Unless it’s somehow your gimmick and you do it enough where it’s a “thing” and you make it cool… it just sounds like a rookie mistake.

You want your words to sing naturally and conversationally.  You want your lyrics to flow naturally over the tongue so they flow believably into the ears.

So, if you remember nothing else from this post, remember this:

Don’t be an alien robot.  They don’t get the girl… and they almost never get a hit.

Today, I also want to let you know about a course I’ve put together to really boost your songwriting.  It’s called, “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” and it’s available now!

The course guides you as you learn to:

  1. Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
  2. Make your story come to life using imagery.
  3. Prove your character’s personality using imagery.
  4. Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
  5. Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
  6. And begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.

And since we’re all songwriters, that means you might not have the means to pay for the full course right now.  Not to worry.  I’ve made three packages of the course available.  Each one has great, helpful content.  Just choose the one that works best for you by CLICKING HERE.

And there is an upcoming LIVE imagery workshop on Tuesday, May 17.  Not only does it come with all the course materials, I’ll be there to answer your questions and walk you through some great material not covered in the course!

If you’re ready to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” CLICK HERE or on the image below.

imagery_square_copy

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Man vs Row

Craft, Muse

Your Songs Have To Be Better. Period.

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Man vs Row

Ever turn on the radio, get mad and think, “Well, my stuff is just as good as THAT!  Why aren’t mine getting cut???”

Raise your hand if you’ve been there.  Yep.  Me, too.  And you might actually be writing songs that are, in fact, just as good as some of the ones on the radio.

But “just as good” isn’t good enough.

0 Just As Good

Unless you’re already one of the cool kids on Music Row with a bunch of hits and a strong network, being “just as good” equals “just as good as invisible.”  It’s not enough to get you noticed or to get your song on the radio.

If your songs are just as good as a pro’s, expect the pro writer to get the cut.

After all, the pro has paid his (or her) dues, written a lot of really good songs, has industry contacts and might be writing with the artist or producer.  If anyone’s going to get their mediocre song recorded, it’s them, not you.  It might not seem fair, but a songwriter in that position has earned it.

Your songs have to be better. Period.

Not only do your songs have to cut through all the clutter of “bad” songs, they have to leapfrog all the “good” songs and be so good they land in the stack of “great” songs.

Sure, vanilla songs will get cut, but yours probably won’t.  As an outside songwriter (one without strong industry connections), you’re up against songwriters who DO have those connections.  Basically, your song has to be so good or so right for the artist that they pick yours INSTEAD of their buddy’s (or even their own song).

Write songs so good they can’t be ignored.

0 Songs So Good

So… how do you actually do that?

There are a few ways to make your songs stand out: great melody, great production, great idea…  I’m a lyricist, so I’ve always found my advantage in finding and developing ideas.  Being known for consistently brining in strong ideas – and knowing what to do with them – has helped me attract great cowriters and land some great cuts.

I want to teach you how to find and develop great song ideas, too.

A great idea is one of the best ways to get other songwriters to not only notice you, but to tell their friends about you. If you can make another songwriter say, “I wish I’d thought of that!” they’ll remember you.

And I want you to be memorable.

I’m hosting two live, online workshops in March, and I’d love for you to join me. On March 22, I’m hosting “Finding Great Song Ideas.”  Together, we’ll explore strategies and exercises I use to come up with my best song ideas.  This isn’t about just waiting for lighting to strike.  This is about how to stand in the rain with a big lightning rod. CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO FIND GREAT SONG IDEAS.

Finding Ideas Workshop

On March 29, I’m hosting “Focusing Your Great Song Ideas,” which dives into how to get the most out of your great ideas.  This isn’t about going with the first angle that hits you.  We’ll discuss exercises and tactics to make sure you’re writing your best ideas in the best ways possible. CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SONG IDEAS.

Focusing Ideas Workshop

Both workshops are online, so you can join us from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.  The two workshops build on each other, but they also stand alone. You don’t have to attend both to get a lot of value out of either one. However, there’s a discount if you do join both. Check them out at the links above or go to… www.gumroad.com/manvsrow.

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Man vs Row

Craft

Use Small Details To Make Your Song More Believable

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Man vs Row

There is power in finding images that go deeper than the obvious or cliche images.

I had a publisher tell me once, “write about the truck from the INSIDE THE CAB, not from the OUTSIDE.”

“The truck,” of course, is a metaphor for the situation of the song- the song’s emotion and story.  (Funny how I’ve always remembered that metaphor- it’s probably because it’s wrapped in an image.  Hmmm…)

Too many writers (and I was obviously guilty of this) write about “the truck”- the situation in the song- from the outside. They describe it using imagery and details that anyone who isn’t IN that situation could use. It’s the obvious ones. And, usually, it’s the cliche ones.

Our job is to dig deeper.

Dig Deeper

We need to use our memory, our imagination, research, and whatever we have at our disposal (including our cowriters), to write from the inside of the truck.

That’s what I tried to do with my Alan Jackson cut, “Monday Morning Church,” and it made a big difference.

Once the situation was decided- the man had lost his wife, who was the more spiritual of the two and his anchor- the trick was to figure out “what does this look like from the inside?” The results were the opening lines:

You left your Bible on the dresser so I put it in the drawer

‘Cuz I can’t seem to talk to God without yelling anymore

Yes, the part about yelling at God is a bold, raw, and real way to start off a song. But the first line is really important, too. “You left your Bible on the dresser so I put it in the drawer,” balances the big, bold statement yelling at God by giving the listener something small, real and believable. Plus, the Bible sets up “God” in the second line.

Alan Jackson- Monday Morning Church

Use inside details, but be sure and use details that make sense to the listener. Be inside but not too inside. In our truck analogy, write from inside the cab, which people can understand. Don’t write from so far inside the truck that you’re in the carburetor and only a mechanic knows what you’re talking about.

Also, keep the images relevant. They should add to our understanding of the characters or story, not just be filler. In our “Monday Morning Church” example, the fact that she left her Bible on the dresser is very telling. It’s HER Bible. She reads it often enough that she keeps it out where it’s handy. The next lines show the listener, in pictures, that the singer’s putting it out of his sight because he’s too angry at God.  If I’d started off with something like…

“You left your makeup on the counter, so I put it in the drawer

And I can’t seem to talk to God without yelling anymore”

…the first line wouldn’t be nearly as useful.  Yes, it tells us that she left her makeup, but it doesn’t set up the spiritual aspect of her character or of the song.  It’s just a random image that doesn’t “point to the point” of the song.

So next time you write, take your time. Close your eyes and imagine the situation. Then climb into the truck.

Truck Cab

What are some songs that do a good job of writing from inside the “truck?” Do you find that this comes naturally to you, or is it a struggle?  Please leave a comment- I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Since strong imagery is such an important part of professional-level songwriting, I’ve put together a course on imagery. It’s called, “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” and it’s available now!

 

By the end of the course, you’ll have the basic skills to:

  1. Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
  2. Make your story come to life using imagery.
  3. Prove your character’s personality using imagery.
  4. Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
  5. Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
  6. And to begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.

If you’re ready to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” CLICK HERE or on the image below.

God Bless,

Brent

imagery_square_copy

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

 

 

Craft

Make a songwriting “Confession!”

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Are you ready to make a moonlight soaked, ring of smoke, right hand on a cold one “Confession?”

The new single by Florida Georgia Line does a great job of painting a picture for the listener.  There’s so much to see in this lyric!  Great job by songwriters Ross Copperman, Matt Jenkins, and Rodney Clawson.  Let’s take a look into this hit lyric.  I’m going to put the imagery in bold blue.

“Confession”

Rusty barbed wire lines these fields
Gravel dust behind the wheels
Drifting like my mind into the rearview
Jet trails cutting across the sky
I’m rolling through the open wide
Searching for a song to drink beer to
And trying to find a place to disappear to

CHORUS:

I light up the night and let it burn
Lean back and watch the sundown fade
Do what I do when life’s a little sideways
I take a sip and say a prayer
Wait for a shooting star and stare
Off at the headlights on the highway
That guy in the windshield looking back looks just like me
But there’s a crack in the reflection
This is just a moonlight soaked, ring of smoke
Right hand on a cold one confession

Embers in the ashtray glow
like memories that won’t let go
I’m out here trying to get ’em untangled
In the darkness on the edge of town
A little lost, a little found
Waiting on a call from an angel

REPEAT CHORUS TWICE

That’s a ton of images!  I really puts the listener into the scene.  Right away, the listener knows where the song is taking place.  We don’t have to drift around without an anchor.  We immediately see fields lined with barbed wire.  I’m watching the movie.

The writers also do a nice job of showing the singer’s emotional state.  Notice how they compare “memories that won’t let go” to embers glowing in the ashtray.  And how they put an image to how he feels broken by putting a crack in his windshield reflection.  Great stuff.

SHOWING is so much more interesting than just TELLING that he feels broken and has memories he can’t forget.  Show me, don’t tell me.

If you want your songs to stand out, put killer imagery in your lyrics.

Since strong imagery is such an important part of professional-level songwriting, I’ve put together a course on imagery. It’s called, “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” and it’s available now!

I’ve also created two LIVE, ONLINE workshops for “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do).”  Each workshop includes ALL the regular course materials- and they are now available for less than the price of the regular course!

Time is about to run out, so don’t delay. The workshops are on February 16 and 18, and a ticket comes with ALL the materials for the full course:

*2 hours of video teaching

*1 hour of audio (great for listening on-the-go)

*50-page ebook

*course workbook

And, of course, you get an hour of additional coaching on the live, online workshop.  I’ll cover materials not included in the regular course, and we’ll do plenty of Q&A.  It’s your chance to ask me your songwriting questions.

As long as you have an internet connection, you can join us! (We’ll be using the Fuze online platform, which is free.)

By the end of the course, you’ll have the basic skills to:

  1. Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
  2. Make your story come to life using imagery.
  3. Prove your character’s personality using imagery.
  4. Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
  5. Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
  6. And to begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.

To find out more, just…

CLICK HERE for the FEB. 16 ONLINE WORKSHOP and COURSE.

CLICK HERE for the FEB. 18 ONLINE WORKSHOP and COURSE.

If you can’t make either workshop, but you’re ready to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” CLICK HERE or on the image below.

God Bless,

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

imagery_square_copy

 Man vs Row

Cowriting, Craft, Songplugging

The Advantages of Cowriting

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Man vs Row

Nashville is a cowriting town.

It seems that everyone that moves or spends time here gets sucked into it eventually.  But maybe you’re unsure if it’s something you want to try.  Maybe you’ve always written alone and you’re worried about the unknown.  Maybe you think another writer might pull your song in the wrong direction.  Maybe you don’t see the value in it.

If that’s the case, consider these advantages of cowriting:

1. More relationships.

The writing room can be a very lonely place.  Some of your cowriters will become close friends, and that’s awesome.  For me, one of my favorite parts of songwriting is getting to hang out for hours with people I admire and enjoy.  Each of your cowriters also has his or her own network.  That means they can help you mean more publishers, artists, other cowriters, etc.

0 A Story Of Relationships

2. More pitch / promotional power.

If you write a song alone, it’s up to you- and only you– to get it into the right hands (a publisher, a producer, an artist, etc.).  However, if you add a cowriter or two, now you have more people to play the song out live at songwriter nights or pitch it to publishers or artists.  It multiplies the chance that your song will be heard by the right people.

Rise

3. More ideas.

When you write alone, you have to come up with every single melodic and lyric idea yourself.  If YOU don’t think of it, it doesn’t end up in your song.  However, when you cowrite, you and your cowriter help each other overcome those creative roadblocks. “Two heads are better than one.”

4. Less creative ruts.

When you only write alone, it’s harder to stay out of creative ruts and it’s harder to pull yourself out of them.  Maybe you find yourself going back to the same tempos, moods, chord progressions or stories time after time after time.  However, it’s hard to stay in a rut if you’re writing with a bluegrass female on Monday and a pop-country guy on Wednesday.

5. Less excuses, more productivity.

It’s pretty easy to break writing appointments with yourself.  Nobody’s going to call wondering where you are, and you’ll probably get bonus points with your spouse if you did the laundry or mowed the yard instead.  But if you know someone expects you to be online or in the writing room at a certain time to write, you’re a lot less likely to bail. Likewise, it’s pretty easy to walk away from your guitar or notebook when you hit a creative roadblock in a song.  But it’s a lot harder to just walk into the other room and turn on the TV when you have a cowriter sitting across from you.  That would be just plain awkward.

6. Faster learning curve.

Cowriting allows you to learn from your fellow songwriters.  You get a front row seat to observe how they think, how they overcome obstacles, etc.  You may pick up a cool alternate tuning or a way of constructing a lyric that you would’ve only discovered on your own years later.  Plus, a good cowriter will challenge you to dig deeper and write better songs.  I know that’s definitely been true for me.

This is not to say that cowriting is always the best thing in every circumstance.  But it sure has helped a lot of writers (like me) get more successful more quickly.  What about you?  What other advantages of cowriting would you add to this list?  Leave a comment below- I’d love to hear from you!

Oh, and here’s one more advantage…

7. Complimentary strengths.

Few songwriters are equally strong at both lyrics and melody.  Even fewer are equally strong AND GREAT at both.  So, if you’re like most of us, your songs can benefit from finding a cowriter who is strong where you aren’t.  And this doesn’t mean just “strong at lyric” or “strong at melody” or “strong at producing.”  It could even be more specific things like “great at idea development,” “brings in killer hooks” or “writes awesome images.”

Team Sport

You want to find cowriters who have valuable strengths.  And YOU become a more valuable, in-demand songwriter as you develop strengths in different areas.  One area which has helped me attract and grow some valuable cowriting relationships has been my ability to write with strong imagery.

Writing with great imagery has helped my songwriting career and helped get my songs cut.

Imagery in songs like “Monday Morning Church” (a top-5 hit for Alan Jackson), “Last Night Last” (recorded by Lady Antebellum), “Crickets” (the title-track to Joe Nichols’ current album), and “When Your Lips Are So Close” (Canadian #1 hit and Single Of The Year for Gord Bamford) helped them get recorded and released.  I’m living proof that it’s a valuable skill.

And since strong imagery is such an important part of professional-level songwriting, I’ve put together a course on imagery. It’s called, “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” and it’s available now. 

 

By the end of the course, you’ll have the basic skills to:

  1. Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
  2. Make your story come to life using imagery.
  3. Prove your character’s personality using imagery.
  4. Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
  5. Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
  6. And to begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.

If you want to join a LIVE workshop or learn more about how to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” CLICK HERE or on the image below.

God Bless,

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

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Craft

Gather Images By Writing The Video For Your Song

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Man vs Row

Sometimes, as writers, we have the tendency to leave too much information in our heads and off of the page.

Maybe we know the story too well- maybe because we’ve lived it. Either way, our lyrics can sometimes just comment upon the story without actually giving us the story.

You might say, “Last night, you made me cry,” without telling us that he made you cry BECAUSE he “looked at me with cold blue eyes like I was some stranger he was telling goodbye.” It’s up in your head- you see the picture when you sing that line. But the listeners won’t see that. They can’t. They’re not in your head.

You want to build the habit of showing us the cause of the emotions, not just telling us about the emotions.

Show The Cause

One way to help in this process is to “write the video.” This is not actual storyboarding. It’s just stream-of-consciousness (or more thoughtfully) writing down what you see in your mind’s eye when you’re thinking about the story in your song. Memories or make believe, it doesn’t matter. Just capture the sights, sounds, tastes, touch and smells of your story.

This process is good for a few reasons:

1. It gives you a stack of images to draw from in your lyrics.

You can now pick out the coolest, most true images for your song.  You’re not stuck just using what you can think of in the moment.  Instead of “well, that’s the best I could think of at the time,” you get to say “that’s the best I could think of. Period.”

2. It helps you really crystalize your thoughts.

Instead of vague notions you’re trying to capture in your song, you’ve already sketched out your story. Now, instead of trying to come up with the next rhyme, you’re more likely to think about what the thought needs to be. And a cool thought is much more important than just a cool rhyme.

3. It helps you reach past cliche’ images.

It might be easy to just write about her “feet on the dashboard” because that’s what country songs say (and you’re just focused on finding a line that sings well). However, if you spend more time on the story without being constrained by “next line syndrome,” you’re more likely to say, “Well, no. Her feet weren’t on the dash. One leg was curled up under the other.” That’s way more original and more believable.

So, remember. Focus on giving the listener the cause of your emotions, not just your emotions. Write the video to your song, and you’re more likely to see the video OF your song someday.

Since strong imagery is such an important part of professional-level songwriting, I’ve put together a course on imagery. It’s called, “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” and it’s available now. 

 

By the end of the course, you’ll have the basic skills to:

  1. Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
  2. Make your story come to life using imagery.
  3. Prove your character’s personality using imagery.
  4. Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
  5. Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
  6. And to begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.

If you’re ready to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” CLICK HERE or on the image below.

God Bless,

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

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Craft

Take A Cliche Moment And Make It A Hit Moment

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Replay Wednesday

Every time you use a cliche in your song, you miss an opportunity to do something great.

cliche or great

Cliches get used so much because they’re so easy. They are the first things that come to mind when we want to communicate certain things.

For example, it’s a lot easier to just say we’re “raising hell” or “painting the town” than it is to dig deeper and say we’re “filling Friday night full of empty cans” or “trying to make the Barhopper’s Hall of Fame.”

The cliche gives the listener information, but it’s forgettable because the listener has heard it a thousand times. There’s no emotion left in it. (Unless you somehow set up the cliche in a way that makes it fresh.)

When you go beyond the cliche, you have a chance to wow the listener with something they haven’t heard before.

A great example of this is “Summertime,” recorded by Kenny Chesney and written by Craig Wiseman and Steve McEwen. It’s about being young in the summertime, and there’s a part in the chorus where they reference driving around.

Young + summertime + driving = radio up + windows down. Right? Yes, and that’s why it’s a worn out, cliche image. Sure, it’s true- we’ve all lived that line many times. But there’s nothing memorable or “wow” about it.

Instead, these hit writers reference a Yoohoo bottle on the floorboard. So much better!

It’s believable- I can totally picture young guys leaving a Yoohoo on the floorboard.

It’s fresh- I’ve never “seen” that image in a song before.

Bonus: It provides a fun melodic moment when Chesney sings, “Yoohoo!”

The writers took a cliche moment and made it a hit moment by using a fresh, believable image. It’s our job to do the same.

Dig Deeper

What do you think? What’s your take on this topic? I’d love to hear your comments. And if there are some lyrics where the songwriter make a cliche moment a hit moment, share those in the comments, too!

Since strong imagery is such an important part of turning a cliche moment into a hit moment, I’ve put together a course on imagery. It’s called, “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” and it’s available now. By the end of the course, you’ll have the basic skills to:

  1. Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
  2. Make your story come to life using imagery.
  3. Prove your character’s personality using imagery.
  4. Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
  5. Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
  6. And to begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.

Click here if you’re ready to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” or click on the image below.

God Bless,
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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

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Man vs Row

Craft, Write Like A Pro

Imagery In Your Song’s Opening Lines

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Imagine yourself in a dark movie theater.

The movie starts to play, but there’s no video- just sound. You’d be disappointed- and you’d probably be confused as to what’s going on, right? Then why do we sometimes write songs that way?

In my last couple of blog posts, I’ve written about how imagery can be the slight edge that gives you big results (READ HERE). I’ve also detailed how a quirky image (“spork”) can really make your song memorable (READ HERE). Today, I’m going to tell you about a great opportunity that’s coming up. But first, let me tell you a little story…

Back in my first publishing deal at Major Bob Music, I was playing a new song for one of our songpluggers. It was a pretty emotive song. There wasn’t much of a story to it, just mostly emotions. He wasn’t crazy about it.

He said my song left him “floating around in space with nothing to hang on to.”

He said, “you’re just telling me how you FEEL.” I’d left him without an anchor. I wasn’t giving him any sense of the song’s setting.  I’d left him blind, searching for something to “see.”

Sometimes just one or two well-placed images in a song can give the listener something to hang on to so they AREN’T floating around. So why not give them that anchor at the beginning so they’re not waiting for it to get there?

Anchor

So, giving the listener an anchor is one thing. But, really, you want to go beyond just anchoring them. You want to hook the listener right off the bat. Right from the very first line, you want to be pulling the listener into the story, getting them curious… or furious… or whatever emotion is the point of the song.

That’s a really big opportunity and a big test for you as a writer.

Are you going to draw the listener in or lose them in your opening lines? If you lose them, they probably won’t stick around to hear your great hook and killer second verse or the surprise twist in the bridge.

A great image can really hook your listener.

I think one of the big reasons that my song (written with Erin Enderlin) “Monday Morning Church” got cut by Alan Jackson was it’s opening few lines.

“You left your Bible on the dresser, so I put it in the drawer. ‘Cuz I can’t seem to talk to God without yelling anymore.”

These few lines give the listener a lot of information, all through pictures. It tells the listener the person the singer is singing to is gone. That they were religious, but left the Bible. It also tells you that the singer is angry with God about whatever happened. It’s intriguing. It’s visceral. And you sure don’t know the whole story yet, but those first few lines are designed to really get your attention and make you want to know what happened- and what’s going to happen next.

My song, “Every Head Bowed,” recorded by Randy Travis (and written with Brandon Kinney), has the following opening lines:

“Sunday morning was a fight; I was running from that clip-on tie. It took Daddy’s belt to get me in my Sunday best.”

Again, these few lines give the listener a lot of information (and entertainment, hopefully). You get the sense that this is a young boy singing, you see him running from his parents, and you see his dad threatening him with a belt-whoopin’ before he finally clips on that dreaded tie. The personality of the main character is set up, and so is the mood of the song. Hopefully, the opening lines hook the listeners and gets them interested in “watching” what happens next.

And speaking of happening next…

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You know those videos I’ve shared with you over the past couple of days (WATCH HERE and WATCH HERE)? Well, they’re part of an online course that I’ve developed all about lyrical imagery.  It’s called:

“Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)”

It’s a course I’ve put together from my experience as a professional lyricist and songwriter with over 10 years in the music business. During that time, I’ve had cuts by legendary artists such as Alan Jackson and Randy Travis. I’ve also had cuts by Lady Antebellum and Joe Nichols, among others. I’ve written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 Single Of The Year in Canada.

This course is designed to make a huge positive difference in your songwriting.

Specifically, by the end of the course, you’ll gain the basic skills you need to:

  1. Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
  2. Make your story come to life using imagery.
  3. Prove your character’s… character using imagery.
  4. Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
  5. Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
  6. And begin more songs (more easily) using imagery as the start of your songwriting process.

Adding great imagery to your songs will help them stand out. It will also help your songs connect emotionally to the listener. And this course will even save you time, as I reveal techniques and thought-processes that might take years for you to learn by trial and error.

Years. Let that sink in for a moment.

But you don’t have to waste all that time. You can start writing better songs TODAY!

If you want to take your songwriting (and your songwriting career) to the next level… CLICK HERE.

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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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.