Tag Archives: Songwriting Tips

“Slash” Songwriters

January 22, 2014 Brent Baxter 19 Comments

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

There are a few very, very successful writers that make a killing, but most writers can’t feed their families on JUST songwriting. I know a lot of songwriters which are “slash” songwriters. They are songwriter/waiters. Songwriter/producers. Songwriter/demo singers. Songwriter/mentors. Songwriter/real estate agents. Certain exceptions are writers who are young, single, and can live on very little- thanks to sharing rent with roommates. Others have spouses with solid incomes. But the vast majority of songwriters just don’t maintain a strong income over a long period of time.

For example, I was blessed to have a hit with Alan Jackson. Then came marriage, and after Emily finished up school, we had two incomes. Then came our son, Ozark (yes, that really is his name). It is very important to both of us for Em stay home with Ozzy, so that certainly changed the math. We were blessed that Emily was able to take Oz to her job as a nanny for a while. Then that job ended for her not long after I left a publishing deal. And now we have a 2nd baby on the way, due in March of 2014.

A publishing draw does NOT pay enough to feed a family of four unless you’re willing to live in poverty. And while I’ve gotten cuts, cuts that aren’t singles are pretty much just for bragging rights. Therefore, I had to take a full-time job in the summer of 2013. I’m still in the game, writing with some major label artists, pitching songs, getting some cuts, etc. But it’s mostly nights and weekends right now. It definitely makes things more difficult, but it’s best for my family at the moment. We’ll see where God takes us.

If you’re preparing to make a run at a professional songwriting career, what is YOUR slash? Are there certain skills you can develop or a business you can grow which will give you both enough time and money to devote to your songwriting? It’s worth thinking about. It’s worth building something for the long haul.

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

What did I miss? Anything you’d like to add or ask? Leave a comment!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

If you like this blog, don’t miss a single post! Subscribe by putting your email in the “Follow Man vs. Row via E-mail” section on this page. It’s either in the upper righthand corner or down below. Also, please share this blog with anyone you think would benefit from it. I appreciate it when you share it on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else. Thanks!

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

Craft, Cut Study, Write Like A Pro

Pictures As Proof: Carrie Underwood & “Before He Cheats”

January 20, 2014 Brent Baxter 4 Comments

There are a lot of great things about “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood (written by Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins).

But today I want to focus on one. The writers never call the cheating boyfriend a name. They never call him a jerk, a loser, etc. Instead, they use the lyrics to paint a picture of this guy that leaves the listener thinking, “Man, what a loser!”

If Carrie just called the guy a jerk, I might believe her. Or I might just think she’s a bitter, psycho ex-girlfriend. But the pictures are the proof. The writers prove to us that this guy is a jerk- we’ve seen him in action (up behind the girl showing her how to shoot a combo, buying her drinks, and dabbing on $3 worth of that bathroom Polo, etc). Therefore, when Carrie takes it out on his truck, you at least agree that he was due some payback.

The lesson for me is: If you want the listener to think someone is a jerk, a hero, a great lover, whatever- don’t just tell the listener so. Use pictures as proof.

Strong imagery like we find in “Before He Cheats” can really make a song stand out. If you want to build YOUR imagery skill so that YOUR songs stand out, I have a great opportunity for you. In Songwriting Pro’s upcoming live online workshop, I’ll reveal several techniques that I and other pro songwriters use to create killer imagery.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT YOUR SONGS TO STAND OUT.

God Bless,

Brent

Anything you’d like to add or ask? Leave a comment! Also, are there any topics you’d like to see addressed in a future MvR post? Thanks!

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

Biz, Craft

5 Ways Songwriters Make Their Lyrics “Too Old”

January 15, 2014 Brent Baxter 2 Comments

Sometimes songwriters needlessly limit the pitchability of a song by making the song too “old” for most singers. In today’s country, most artists sing “young,” meaning their songs are from a young point of view no matter how old the singer really is.

Here are some ways songwriters “age” their lyrics. Please keep in mind that none of these things are bad in and of themselves. However, they may limit who will sing it. Also, I’m not telling you to never put these into your songs- they may be a vital part of a great song. Just make sure that if you include these points in your songs, they’re there on purpose and with good reason.

1. Shacking up.

Saying things like “you came home” or “you’re moving out” means the singer and their lover/ex-lover are living together. That’s an adult situation.

2. Working.

Have you noticed how almost no one in country music has a job these days? “Worked all week” or “my boss is a jerk” makes the singer seem older.

3. Drinking.

If you’re drinking on the riverside, you might just be 17 or 18. If you’re drinking in a bar, you’re at least 21, unless you have a fake ID.

4. Kids.

You might have a nice love song that works for a singer of any age, but as soon as you mention kids, the singer has to be old enough to have kids. It definitely puts the singer in a more mature phase of life.

5. Old love.

Talking about how you’ve been together “all these years” may be true for the songwriter and his wife, but it might not make sense for the 20-year-old singer who is selling tickets to 18-year-old girls.

Again, none of these things are bad. Just make sure that if you decide to use any of these in your song, that you do it intentionally, with purpose, knowing the effect it might have on the song’s pitchability.

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

Anything you’d like to add or ask? Leave a comment! Are there any topics you’d like to see addressed in a future MvR post? Thanks!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

Craft

Don’t Let The Facts Get In The Way Of The Truth

January 13, 2014 Brent Baxter 6 Comments

Remember, if you write to get cuts, your songs aren’t about you. Your songs are about the artist and the listener. You might write a song inspired by a true story from your life, but don’t be so determined to keep all the facts accurate that it makes your song confusing, complicated, or boring to the outside listener.

What matters is the emotional truth- the feeling you want the listener to feel. The listener doesn’t care about you (heck, they probably think the artist wrote the song anyway). The listener cares about connecting to the song.

If you want to write the song (or an alternate version of the song) for yourself, that’s great. It’s a worthy thing to do. But if you want cuts, it’s to your advantage to give the truth a higher priority than the facts. It’s about communicating emotional truth, not facts.

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

Anything you’d like to add or ask? Leave a comment! Also, are there any topics you’d like to see addressed in a future MvR post? Thanks!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

Craft

6 Simple Ways To Make Your Songs More Commercial

January 8, 2014 Brent Baxter 2 Comments

If your goals are like mine- getting cuts, hits, etc., then your best bet is by writing well-crafted COMMERCIAL songs. Here are six simple (though not always easy) ways to make your songs more commercial.

1. Write uptempo.

Learn to write tempo! If you don’t believe how important this is, count the ballads on the radio for an hour. Or listen to a few of the current top albums and count the ballads. Knock, knock. Who’s there? Math. Math, who? Math says they cut a lot more uptempo and midtempo than ballads.

2. Write positive.

If you’re like me, your natural inclination is to write sad/negative. When I come up with a hook, my first instinct is something sad. Maybe for some reason pain is just more interesting than happiness. But not for radio. Radio likes happy. Knock, knock…

3. Write from the me-to-you point of view.

“I love you” is just more emotionally powerful than “he loves her.” The artist wants to connect with the audience, and “I” to “you” is a good way to do that.

4. Write about love.

Love is a deep need. It’s often our greatest joy and our sharpest pain. Nothing is more universal.

5. Write in-the-moment.

The present tense- right now- has more power than the past or the future. “You ARE killing me in that sundress” usually beats “you WERE killing me in that sundress.” There’s power in the present.

6. Write with imagery.

Don’t tell me how you feel- show me. After all, there are only so many emotions. But there are endless ways to put those emotions into pictures.

There are obviously many hits that weren’t written in the way I’ve described. But, from both my experience and observations, writing songs with these six qualities as your default setting will increase the commercial appeal of your songs.

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

Break down this week’s top 10 singles according to this list. What did you find? Leave a comment!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

Biz, Mini

$91 vs $91,000

January 6, 2014 Brent Baxter Leave a comment

Right now, the statutory mechanical rate in the US (set by Congress) is $0.091 per unit sold. Meaning, each time someone buys an album at Wal-Mart or iTunes, each song generates $0.091 to be split among that song’s writers and publishers.

Just for the sake of easy math, let’s say you write a song by yourself and own the publishing. All that $0.091 goes into your pocket. If you get one song cut on an indie project which sells 1,000 units, that’s $91. Okay.

Now, say that same song is cut on a platinum-selling album (1,000,000 units) That’s $91,000 you just made- before taxes.

Indie cuts are great, and I’m thankful for every one I get. But I’m careful about how much time I spend on them (pitching, writing for, etc.). After all, it takes 1,000 indie cuts like that to equal just one platinum cut. Yes, there are a LOT fewer platinum cuts to be had, but that’s 91,000 reasons to spend a lot of time working on a song and a cut with platinum potential.

To see the current mechanical rate for the US, click here.

http://www.copyright.gov/carp/m200a.pdf

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

Anything you’d like to add or ask? Leave a comment! Also, are there any topics you’d like to see addressed in a future MvR post? Thanks!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

Biz, Mini

Hurt Like A Man: Luke Bryan & “Drink A Beer”

December 30, 2013 Brent Baxter 5 Comments

In today’s country market, male artists generally don’t like to be seen as weak, vulnerable, or too sensitive- it doesn’t fit their brand (for more on this, CLICK HERE). This in in contrast to country music of the 1990’s when artists like Colin Raye, Doug Stone, Vince Gill, and others were often very vulnerable. So, for today’s market, how do you write a song about a guy that is heartbroken about the loss of his friend?

You make him hurt like a man.

Written by Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers, “Drink A Beer” is undeniably manly. Sure, the singer is hurting and heartbroken, but he keeps it locked up inside. No tears are shed (at least not that he says), and he doesn’t call his mom to talk about it for hours. No, he goes for a walk alone and ends up drinking a beer in memory of his friend.

Not that real men don’t cry- “I Drive Your Truck” by Lee Brice is a great example of this. But even when that manly singer sheds a tear, it is balanced by knowing his brother would punch him in the arm for it.

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

Anything you’d like to add or ask? Leave a comment! Also, are there any topics you’d like to see addressed in a future MvR post? Thanks!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

Biz, Mini

Busy Is Lazy

December 23, 2013 Brent Baxter 3 Comments

Too many times, our busy-ness is really just laziness. We keep ourselves busy with organizing our writing room, checking email, or checking out an artist’s new record. And none of these are bad things- but neither are they usually the BEST thing.

Too many times, these activities are just a way to avoid the important things. And why do we avoid the important things? Usually, it’s because they’re difficult, unpleasant, or scary.

Staring at a blank page is hard. Staring at a full email inbox is easy, and we fool ourselves into thinking we’re being productive. But we aren’t. We’re just scared and lazy. Or sometimes it’s easier to work on a song than to make those uncertain phone calls that might land that big cowrite.

So put on your big-boy or big-girl pants and do what you know is the important thing- not the lazy thing.

God Bless,

Brent

Here’s a great book on trading busy for simple and effective. I’ve read it multiple times, and I recommend it.

YOU VS…

Anything you’d like to add or ask? Leave a comment! Also, are there any topics you’d like to see addressed in a future MvR post? Thanks!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

Biz, Craft

10 Tips To Maximize Your Writer’s Round

December 18, 2013 Brent Baxter 1 Comment

Ok, I’m a lyricist, and I don’t play out. So, no, I’ve never really played a writer’s night. But I’ve been to a ton of them, and I’ve picked up some things I want to share. Writer’s nights can be an effective tool, but you want to make sure you make the most out of them. Here are 10 tips to do that.

1. Determine WHY you’re playing the round.

Then choose your songs accordingly. If you’re there to network as an aspiring hit country songwriter, it doesn’t serve you well to play that lullaby you wrote for your dog. Play songs that aim in the direction you want to go.

2. Practice your songs.

You might’ve written a great song, but we might never know it if you can’t remember the melody and lyrics. Having to start over is a big groove-buster.

3. Bring a crowd.

You’re more likely to be invited to join in somebody else’s round if you prove you can bring a crowd. More rounds can equal more opportunities.

4. Play uptempo!

Most new writers play ballad after ballad. The easiest way to stand out is to play something uptempo (and fun).

5. Bring business cards and CDs.

Throw some CDs of your songs in your guitar case- be sure and have your contact info on each one. Keep business cards handy. Make it easy for someone who likes your music to remember you and find you later.

6. Get there early.

It shows professionalism. It also makes you more likely to be booked for your own round or be invited to join someone else’s round if you’re reliable. Nobody likes to sweat, wondering if their buddy is going to flake out on them.

7. Stay for at least one round after yours.

It gives you the chance to discover potential cowriters in the next round. It also gives folks who like your music the chance to approach you.

8. Get a pro writer in your round.

If you can get a professional songwriter in your round, you look more legit by association. It also may bring out better potential contacts. Maybe they come to see the pro, but they also discover you.

9. Don’t ignore your peer group.

Odds are, there won’t be a hit writer or publisher or A&R rep in your audience. But the unknown writer in the round with you or in the round before/after you may just be a future hit songwriter. Identify and build a relationship with them now, while they’re still accessible.

10. Sometimes, you DON’T play the round.

This deserves its own post, so check back next week- or better yet, subscribe to Man vs. Row so it’s delivered right to your inbox.

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

What did I miss? Anything you’d like to add or ask? Anything you’d like for me to cover in a future MvR? Leave a comment!

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

Biz, Craft

Shark Tank and Songwriters

December 16, 2013 Brent Baxter Leave a comment

Just like on the TV show “Shark Tank,” when an entrepreneur comes in with a great idea but has little or no sales… the sharks usually want no part of it. Their potential partner hasn’t proven the product (demand, etc.), and they haven’t proven themselves as businesspeople. There are just better places the sharks can invest their time and money- safer bets with more of a track record.

It’s the same deal if you’re a singer, singer/songwriter, or songwriter looking for a record deal or a publishing deal. The label/publisher isn’t just looking for a decent place to invest- they’re looking for the BEST place to invest. You need to prove your business if you want them to invest in it. Play shows, write songs, get indie cuts, and build your business.

God Bless,

Brent

YOU VS…

What did I miss? Anything you’d like to add or ask? Also, are there topics you’d like to see covered in an upcoming MvR? Leave a comment! And, as always, thanks for reading and sharing Man vs. Row.

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

Brent’s Twitter: @Razorbaxter

Brent Baxter Music: http://www.brentbaxtermusic.com

There are a lot of great things about “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood (written by Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins).

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

1. Shacking up.

2. Working.

3. Drinking.

4. Kids.

5. Old love.

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

1. Write uptempo.

2. Write positive.

3. Write from the me-to-you point of view.

4. Write about love.

5. Write in-the-moment.

6. Write with imagery.

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

You make him hurt like a man.

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

FOLLOW AND SHARE THIS BLOG

1. Determine WHY you’re playing the round.

2. Practice your songs.

3. Bring a crowd.

4. Play uptempo!

5. Bring business cards and CDs.

6. Get there early.

7. Stay for at least one round after yours.

8. Get a pro writer in your round.

9. Don’t ignore your peer group.

10. Sometimes, you DON’T play the round.

YOU VS…

Helping songwriters turn pro.