• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS TO WRITE A GREAT SONG

How many outstanding bands are there in the USA only playing here and there, having written great tunes BUT: NO BIG HIT
Where is the missing link between a hit versus a great NON BIG HIT song?

How is a big hit written, what is the "essential" part?
IT IS STILL A MYSTERY TO ME.
Can someone give me a decent answer why band A who plays great songs in clubs in Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans DON'T break through? While Band B succeed and even play inferior to band A.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
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  • KAP54
  • Honoured Member
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  • From: London Ontario Canada
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,746

Re: WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS TO WRITE A GREAT SONG

Good question Doc...I wish I knew the answer.
My take to be commercially successful: Lyrically you have to have a great hook.
                                                         Musically you have to have a great hook.
                                                         Visually you have to project your own style.
                                                         If you are unknown you have to have a good manager  that will knock on all the doors that lead to success.You could have a great tune but maybe the person that is listening to the demo is having a bad hair day and doesn't like it.Todays music industry is all about money.I don't know if payola is still a factor.I hope it isn't.

Kap

Just Keepin on Keepin on
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  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,649

Re: WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS TO WRITE A GREAT SONG

hi doc,

what is a great song? chirpy chirpy cheep cheep?...nah
ah shuddapa yer face?...nah

but it's songs like that that become #1 hits...don't it make ya wanna puke?

if you look at TV progs like the x factor, a pattern becomes clear, the music industry is looking for young singers who look pretty, that can dance and are sexy to both boys and girls. if they can sing well then that's a bonus. they need to be pliable so the producer can "guide" them as they want the next trend to be. if they write songs themselves they must be prepared to put their writing aspirations on the back boiler while they get professional writers[?] to come up with they're hits. [as a wannabe writer i wouldn't mind this job!!!] while their own songs [if they are allowed any] are relegated to album fillers, with inferior production.

so in effect there is no fast track to getting a million seller. right place right time, and getting an established artist to record your tune, that's the hard bit! which is why i keep putting songs on chordie, in the hope that someone famous will pick-up on it and ask me to write their next album...that's enough dreaming for now.
i know i haven't answered your question, but i feel all the better for letting all this out.

phill

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,198

Re: WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS TO WRITE A GREAT SONG

I was told, only this week, about a very successful song writer and as this is hearsay I will not name him but he has written hits for Cliff Richard, Cilla Black and Elvis Presley.

Allegedly he called into a music school to ask for uke lessons and it transpired that he did not even know how to tune it and did not even know the notes on a keyboard. He was asked how he was able to write songs without being able to play an instrument. Apparently he would write the lyrics and have a melody in his head which he was able work out by playing one note at a time on a keyboard but unable to write it down. He would show this to a musican who would then, for a fixed fee, write the music for him. He was also asked how he managed to make the break and get his first song to a star and although he was a reluctant to be specific he did say that it was through perseverence. It was not possible to find out whether he sent out music and lyrics or a recording of his work which would have been nice to know.

So for this guy the ingedients are the ablility to write catchy lyrics and knowing someone who can convert dodgy, one fingered keyboard playing into recognisable music.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
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  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS TO WRITE A GREAT SONG

Lieven some make it and some dont is purely down to what P.R. and airplay they get.
Record companies mostly dictate who is and who isnt cool. Same as the image etc, it is not the band so much as it is their gurus telling them what to wear, what to say when to say it, where to say it.

But with more use of the internet abnds if lucky enough can make it on their own.

A few that I know of that have used the internet in a big way to get started are Sandi Thom, she started doing live gigs from her house and broadcasting it live on the web, she got such a huge amount of hits that record companies started taking notice of her, then bought her over,lol.

Arctic monkeys released all their material for people to share before their very successful debut album was released.

David Bowie I think it was, was the first person to release a song on the internet, couldnt get it anywhere else meaning the record company had less of a say.

Radiohead decided to release an album recently on the web and let folk decide how much they wanted to pay for it. tom York the singer, paid 1 pence for it.

there will be a lot more but not enough. But if you get too much and the record companies get left out then i think it would be harder to find really good bands that will pull in thousands of fans for a gig in one area.

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • owlboy
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2008-02-24
  • Posts: 7

Re: WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS TO WRITE A GREAT SONG

I think ive given advice before,but as we all know,somebody does it better,why bother,why are you on this site?are you looking for a  release,45/33 eh,just because it's been done.Pick a note then try to sing to what you feel at that moment,you will hear,ok,eh.

  • From: derbyshire
  • Registered: 2007-05-17
  • Posts: 2,843

Re: WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS TO WRITE A GREAT SONG

hi phil i think you need a sense of humour,a knack to make a song rhyme or understood and create a sense of enjoyment in it for yourself and those reading or listening to it,and if you put a bit of yourself in it ,it just gives it a bit of character,thats just my opinion and how i look at my songwriting....stay cool

love is life ,life is for love,keep a true heart and live life to the full....stay cool

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