Live Musician Central » Songwriting

TuneCore Resources For Music Distribution

Matt Rushton — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:53:32 +0000

The top online music retailer is Apple’s iTunes but others such as Amazon.com MP3 service are rapidly catching up. In today’s music industry the old channels of music distribution are quickly being replaced by these digital distribution services. The good thing for us as independent musicians is that it’s easier than ever to get our music out there for sale with more of the profits going directly to us.

It’s pretty easy to become a content provider for iTunes and other digital distribution services. You usually just have to fill out an application and wait to be accepted into the program. But it can be a challenge to manage all your sales avenues. That’s why I’m recommending you give TuneCore a try for your music distribution.

TuneCoregives a single easy interface to upload your music and then select the distribution channels you want to utilize for your music. Your options for distributing your music are extremely varied and proven at selling music. You can choose online stores such as iTunes, AmazonMP3, eMusic, Rhapsody, Napster, Amie Street and others. Or you can try more groundbreaking avenues such as making your song available to buy and play on the Rock Band video game.

If you’re currently streaming your original songs on MySpace you’ll be able to get paid through TuneCore each time your songs get streamed on MySpace. TuneCore will also give you access to record labels such as Island Def Jam, Interscope, Republic and Motown Records.

Do you have a physical CD completed and ready to distribute? TuneCore can also get your CD’s into over 200 Guitar Center stores across the country. This will put your CD right alongside U2, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and Jimi Hendrix. You’ll also get physical CD distribution through Amazon.com.

Along with all these great services you’ll get the following items free as well:

Free digital cover art
Free CD artwork for Amazon’s Disc On Demand store
Free streaming music widgets for your website
Free barcodes, UPC’s, and TuneCore song identifiers (TCSI)

You can get started using all of the TuneCore services with just a single song. The cost to upload one song and get started on your musical distribution is $9.99. For all these great available services it’s really a no-brainer to at least give TuneCore a try. The best thing of all is TuneCore doesn’t take any of your royalties. You get to keep 100% of all your sales royalties from the services you choose to distribute through. Just click on the banner below to get started selling your music today!

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TuneCore Resources For Music Distribution

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Having A Jam Session Songwriting Session

Matt Rushton — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:00:39 +0000

Shufflin' Noah In The Jam Room

I am a songwriter as well as a live performing musician. I’ve been writing songs since I was about 15 years old and I have an extensive catalog of completed music. I write songs a lot of different ways. Sometimes I’ll sit down at the piano or with a guitar and write an entire song with lyrics, start to finish. Sometimes I’ll come up with a riff or chord progression and I’ll have to turn it over in my mind for a few days until I feel like I can finish a song with it. Another thing I’ll do is write with my band by getting together and actively writing a complete song. These are usually great songs because everyone adds something to them. Today I’m going to talk about one of my all-time favorite ways to write songs. That’s by having a jam session and just letting things happen while we record everything we play.

I love jamming with my friends. It’s just plain fun to get together, pick up our instruments and play whatever we happen to feel like. I primarily jam with my friends in my all original band, Shufflin’ Noah but I will jam with any musician that wants to. When started jamming all those years ago it was all about having fun. I had some great jam sessions when I was starting out my career in music. Once I got Shufflin’ Noah together we started to jam more frequently with the same people. As we got to know each other as musicians we realized that we didn’t have to work so hard at communicating while jamming. We began to get a feel for following whoever came up with a new idea for the current jam. The music we were creating was really amazing and we realized we had better start recording it or we would lose it forever. I can’t stress enough how important it is to always record yourself. Listening back to the recordings we make of our jam sessions is a total blast. It’s always fun to get a new CD of fresh music that we created during a jam session. The jam sessions have become a hotbed for new song ideas and have spawned some of our very best new songs.

In regards to songwriting these jam sessions are invaluable in coming up with new ideas for songs. Using the jam sessions for songwriting material has some major benefits. For one thing you’re writing together as a group so you get valuable multi-person input on all the music. As I said earlier, some of the best songs are the result of a group effort as opposed to individuals writing alone. Another benefit is it doesn’t feel like work when you’re making music together during a jam session. It’s always fun and there’s not a lot of pressure to come up with a great new idea. You also don’t have to worry about writing a completed song during a jam session. A jam session that consists of 3 chords and a break repeated over and over can be turned into a full fledged song later on. The reason we record all these jams is so we can pull the best bits of them and turn them into songs later on.

Occasionally we will come up with an entire completed song at a jam session. When this happens it’s just a magical feeling and it’s extremely rewarding. The Shufflin’ Noah song “Thank You” was written like this pretty much compete in one jam session. It’s one of our most popular songs and is a direct result of an inspired jam session. In conclusion, remember to make your jam sessions casual, fun and remember to record everything!

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Having A Jam Session Songwriting Session

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Playing The Song Instead Of The Instrument

Matt Rushton — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:00:11 +0000

AC/DC Play As A Band

As a musician have you ever heard the saying “Playing The Song Instead Of The Instrument”? I was having a discussion with some fellow musicians the other day and we were discussing the problem of musicians overplaying during a song. It’s something that I guarantee you’ll have to deal with at some point if you’re playing in a band.

Let’s define what overplaying is: Overplaying is when you play too much to suit the song. Let’s use the drums as an example. A blatant example of overplaying would be changing the beat deliberately to 5/4 without the rest of the band, just for a measure or two to show you can do it. Blatant overplaying would also be putting a drum break in every bit of extra space in a song. Lets look at the guitar, overplaying would be throwing in a solo lick after each phrase or running the solo on long after it gets boring. For all the instruments blatant overplaying would be a part that is way too busy for the song. If the song has a tempo of 80 BPM and 3 chords then a bass line that consists of all 16thnote runs spread over 2 octaves is most likely overplayed. A “too busy” bass line can just kill a song.

Another example of playing the instrument instead of the song is by formulaic pattern playing. I’ve heard drummers that have a pattern to their drum breaks regardless of the song. They’ll put a drum break at the end of the intro, verse, chorus, bridge and solo just like clockwork on every song. That’s not a bad thing and it’s not blatant overplaying but it makes me wonder if they’re really listening to the song? Perhaps the song could be made more engaging by running the 4/4 groove right from the chorus to the verse without a break. The same can be said for fills played on every other instrument.

So how can we Play The Song Instead Of The Instrument? The most important thing we can do is use our ears and listen. Get familiar with the song and be aware of what the song itself is trying to say. Is it a love song? A fight song? A song that deals with teenage angst? The subject matter of the song can dictate where you should go with your part. A balladmay mean laying back and letting the chords ring out with a tasty fill placed here and there. A fight song may need you to completely focus on laying down a simple, primal rhythm. The second thing you can do is to stop playing for a minute and pay attention to what everyone else is doing. Listen for a space that you can fill while at the same time leaving space for other instruments to fill. You may need to back off while the keyboards build an ambiance behind a building vocal line. One of the most powerful things any player can do is stop playing for a measure or two and then come back in. Your re-entry into the song will make you stand out way more than a fancy 128th note run. Just remember it should support the song.

One of the very hardest things for a band to learn is how to lock their parts together. It’s not individually glorious for the drummer and bass player to lock in on a repeating bass drum rhythm for an entire verse. Yet that’s what can really move a song along. If the guitar, bass and drums all lock in on an 8th note driving rhythm for an entire verse, then the bass and guitar drop out while the drummer does a drum break, that’s power! That’s playing the song on the part of everyone. Not playing the song is when you drive that rhythm then everyone does a break at the same time and it ends up sounding like cats fighting. Another way to play a song is to do a coordinated break where everyone plays a break together using the same note phrase and rhythm. It takes some planning to do this stuff but that’s what sets the great bands apart from the poor ones.

Which brings me to my last point, communication. You have to talk about what you want to do in a song. It’s a good thing to plan the breaks out and to plan when an instrument will drop out and let another instrument come to the front. That makes a song interesting to listen to. We have to remember that the song is greater than the individual instruments. So let’s all make a commitment to start Playing The Song Instead Of The Instrument.

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Playing The Song Instead Of The Instrument

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Learn Guitar Chords, Scales And Tunings For Free

Matt Rushton — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:00:37 +0000

Guitar Chordbook at Chordbook.com

When I was learning guitar one of my most valuable learning aids was a chord book. I had a Beatles songbook that didn’t have chord diagrams but it did have chord names above the music notation. So I had to turn to the chord book to learn how to finger the chords I wanted to play. It was a good way to do it because I memorized chords faster that way. Later on I got in Jazz Band in high school and had to learn all kinds of jazz chords on the guitar. Needless to say I used that chord book until the covers were falling off.

As I progressed on guitar I wanted to learn the various scales as well, so I bought a guitar scale book. I learned the most used guitar scales from that book as well as some theory about when to use them. My scales book became a well worn book as well.

I have experimented with different tunings on the guitar although I’ve never had a formal book or manual on the subject. I’ve read articles in major guitar magazines that have suggested various alternate guitar tunings and I’ve even recorded some songs using different tunings. I have to admit I tend to forget what the alternate tunings are because I don’t use them regularly.

Today I’m going to point you to a totally free website that has all these resources for you and more. The website is called chordbook.com and it has an interactive chord book with 28 different chord types for each root note. For instance, there are 28 different chord listings with E as the root. A few of them are Maj, Min, Maj7, Maj9, 7sus4 and there are many more. You pick the chord you want and the chordbook will show you where to play it as well as some inversions of the chord in case you find those easier to play. The chordbook will also play the chords for you to hear on either electric or acoustic guitar. It will show you the chord right handed or left handed and let you apply a capo as well.

Another really cool feature is the chord search. If you’re like me you write music in riffs and sometimes you’ll play a pattern or grip that you’re not sure which chord you’re playing. On chordbook.com you can drag dots to the places on the neck that you have your fingers and then do a chord search to find out exactly what chord you’re playing. It’s really a nice feature.

In addition to the chordbook there’s also a Guitar Scales page that will show you a bunch of common scales for the guitar. You just choose the key and scale type and it will show you where to play that scale. It’s quick and easy to use. Chordbook.com also throws in a Guitar Tuner that will show you how to tune to some very popular alternate tunings. The guitar tuner will strike each note repeatedly for you to tune to. If that’s not enough free stuff for you, then check out the Cafe which contains some backing tracks for you to try out your new tunings and scales with.

So check out Chordbook.com today. It’s really a valuable free resource for all guitarists.

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Learn Guitar Chords, Scales And Tunings For Free

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Get A Good Music Recorder

Matt Rushton — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:00:42 +0000

Olympus LS-10 Linear PCM Recorder

There are a lot of incredibly good audio recorders on the market right now. They are compact and handheld with built-in stereo microphones. Having one in your gear arsenal is very important for a number of reasons.

I’ve written before about how important it is to record your live performances. You can learn so much from hearing your gigs back on a recording. Having a recorder like the
Olympus LS-10 Linear PCM Recorder can make recording your live shows as easy as setting the recorder up in the back of the room and letting it record. Since it’s all digital you can edit out dead spaces later. Making a back of the room recording is a good idea because it really lets you hear what the audience is hearing. You can also capture the audience reaction to your performance. If you get good at placing the recorder where it picks up well, you could end up with an excellent live recording that you could use as a demo in your bands marketing kit.

Another reason to have a portable recorder is to capture song ideas. It’s great to have one handy when you’re practicing your instrument and you come up with a great riff. You can record the song idea with a minimum of hassle. Sometimes when I’m in the car driving I have a great idea for a song. I usually have some sort of simple handheld recording device with me so it’s easy to record my song idea.

You’d also be surprised at how popular you get with your friends if you take a good portable recorder to their gigs and make a recording of their shows. I am friends with several local bands and none of them usually take the extra time to record their gigs. So from time to time I’ll take a little recorder along and tape at least some of their show. They’re always extremely grateful. You just want to make sure it’s okay to record before you start recording other peoples shows.

So that’s today’s tip. Get a good quality, easy to use stereo recorder and start putting it to use. You’ll be glad you did!

Olympus LS-10 Linear PCM RecorderThe compact and portable Olympus LS-10 Recorder brings you high-fidelity sound recording that’s ideal for everything from live music to the singing of birds. The LS-10 delivers unparalleled sound quality, anytime, anywhere because it combines the advanced technologies derived from Olympus’ decades of experience in the recording field.24-bit/96kHz Linear PCM Recording Whether you re in the recording studio or at the office, the LS-10 will let you capture it all-exactly as you hear it-with dependable, extra-high-quality digital recording that sounds better than a CD.Up to 12 Hours of Recording Capability 2GB Built-in Memory and SD Slot The 2GB built-in flash memory assures immediate recording, while the SD slot allows for expanded capacity. Long battery life allows you to record music, performances or lectures up to 12 hours with two AA batteries, so you can spend less time worrying about recharging or replacing batteries.Three Recording Formats: WAV, MP3, and WMA The LS-10 Linear PCM Recorder makes it easy to record audio and play back the files in the format of your choice. With three compatible file formats, the Olympus LS-10 offers impressive versatility and enables longer recording capacity.

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Get A Good Music Recorder

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To Be A Great Musician, Be A Fan Of Music

Matt Rushton — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:00:29 +0000

Ringo Listening To Some New Music

I have people ask me all the time who my biggest influences are in music. I always just keep it simple and say “The Beatles, The Who and Pink Floyd”. While that’s true to a large degree they’re obviously not my only influence. When I first started to get really excited about music those three bands really turned me on to a lot of great things. But then naturally I wanted to hear more new and exciting music. Which brings me to my topic today. I can honestly say that I’m a huge fan of all music and that every piece of music I hear influences me in some way or another.

When a person becomes a musician they usually start out as a fan of music. It’s the most natural progression to become a successful musician. I know some musicians are trained at the piano from a very young age and have very little experience with the world of music. They are still great musicians but the best musicians I have met and read about started out as huge fans of music in general. Paul McCartney tells a story about when he was a young boy and he hooked up a little headset speaker to his radio so he could listen to music on the BBC as he fell asleep at night. He said that listening to all that music influenced him later on as a musician and writer.

Going from being a fan of music to a being a full fledged musician can be stated as going from listening to the language of music to speaking the language of music. In other posts I have mentioned that we learn to play our instruments by learning musical notes and phrases which are the equivalent to words and grammar. The more music that you listen to, the better your ability to speak music will be when you play. So when you listen to a lot of music as a fan you will be building your musical vocabulary at the same time.

I am truly a fan of music as I listen to music voraciously. I listen to several hours of music every day. The beautiful thing about being a musician as well as a fan is that I can listen much more deeply than when I was simply a fan. As my musical knowledge has increased I have been able to enjoy the deeper nuances of music. I don’t just listen to a song and enjoy the words and melody. I listen to the kick drum, the snare, the hi-hat, the bass guitar, the effects used, the singers delivery, and all sorts of other things an average listener would never be aware of. All this has increased my love of music over the years. I listen to music on a very deep level now and it has made me a better musician. I do have to be careful because I now prefer music that has a complexity that most average listeners don’t grasp as well as I do. I’d love to play a 10 minute opus by Ayreon at my band gigs but I don’t think it would go over very well in the Bars I play in.

So my point is, always search out new music. Listen to new artists as well as genres that you may not have liked before your musical knowledge increased. I used to loathe country music, now I can get some enjoyment out of it because I can listen more deeply and enjoy the skill it takes to play. Just be careful to protect your hearing because without your hearing, all musical enjoyment will cease. So I advise you in your pursuit of becoming a better musician to take in every note you can from every source you can get it. If you listen to enough different types of music, who knows what’s going to come out when it’s your turn to play. You may play something that changes the world because you got such great music into your head in the first place!

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To Be A Great Musician, Be A Fan Of Music

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Writing Lyrics That People Can Relate To

Matt Rushton — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:00:32 +0000

Billy Joel - Piano Man

There are a lot of great songwriters out there. Some writers can write a tune that will stick in your head for days on end. Some writers will write a set of lyrics that will really touch you on a deeper level. The lyrics that I enjoy the most are lyrics that I can personally relate to and that mean something to me. I like a song that will make me say “Yeah man, I’ve been there myself.”

So how can you as a writer write lyrics that other people can relate to? The best and easiest way is to write what you know. Write about what you have personally experienced in your life. The best things to write about that other people can relate to are the times in your life when you’ve felt really strong emotions. Writing about the first girl you ever fell in love with is always a good subject. Just remember to make it about your experience and not some fantasy where everything went perfectly.

For example, write about how hard you fell for a girl while making a point in the song that you dumped your drink all over her food while being a klutz at the dinner table. People can really relate to experiences like that. Especially if you write how the girl you fell for thought your klutziness was charming. It sounds hard to fit that into a song but listeners like to get a visual picture from a song.

If you only write in general terms about things, people can’t relate as well as if you tell a story. Here are two lyric examples: (lyric 1) “And I love her because she’s so beautiful.” (lyric 2) “I love her because she saved my daughters life.” Now let me ask you, which lyric makes you want to listen to the next line? It’s lyric 2 because now listeners are wondering how this girl saved your daughters life? There’s a lot of intrigue there whereas lyric 1 is a statement that’s pretty much meaningless because everyone that falls in love thinks the other person is beautiful in some way. The key is building up what or how the other person is beautiful to you.

So to summarize this short post, remember to always write about things you know and be specific. People like details and not generalizations.

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Writing Lyrics That People Can Relate To

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Inadvertent Plagiarism – Did I Steal This Song?

Matt Rushton — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:00:00 +0000

George Harrison - My Sweet Lord

Have you ever written a song and worried that you stole that song from somebody else? I was reading in the Harmony Central Songwriting Forum and a user named blue2blue started a very interesting discussion on this. Here’s the link to the discussion click here.

I’m sure that’s a question that every songwriter has pondered. What are we other than a mix of everything we’ve ever heard. Think of George Harrison getting hit with a lawsuit for “My Sweet Lord” and losing because it sounded like “He’s So Fine” recorded by the Chiffons. It makes us all question “where did my song come from?”

I just write what I feel, or hear in my head but we copy what we listen to unintentionally. It’s like learning to talk, if you learned english then you speak in english. If you learned to speak music by listening to the western 12-note scale then you use the melodies and combinations that you know. But it you grew up listening to Arabic music, then their quarter-tones would sound right to you even though to western ears they sound off. So there’s a huge chance that you’re using a melody that somebody has used before because it feels right to you.

My personal opinion is that all this worry about copying melodies has been brought about by the business of making money. They’ve defined a set of rules to classify art for payment. When you start following rules to make art, then it isn’t art anymore. I sure don’t get the same emotional response listening to “My Sweet Lord” as I do listening to “He’s So Fine”, but by the rules, they’re the same song.

Bottom line is, write what makes you happy. Hopefully it makes other people happy. If you’re worrying about copying while writing, then your limiting yourself. Let the lawyers and businessmen decide if you ripped someone off.

Here’s a great article called “How Many Melodies Are There In The Universe?”

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