Monthly Archives: May 2012

Get Out of Your Songwriting Comfort Zone

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We all have one. That style of writing that we know just works. It just works, it does. It sounds good, it is right smack dab in our style. It feels good when we sing it. The chords work. The melodies work. It just works. We use it over and over….Wait. This is a problem.

Do you ever feel like your songs kinda sound similar? Sure style is one thing, but think about it….do your songs REALLY sound similar?  Mine do. Mine really do and it gets bad and frustrating sometimes. Why? Well when I catch myself writing in ‘my style’ and what ‘feels natural,’ that means I am swimming in familiar waters and writing in my comfort zone. Recently I have come to believe that means I am not growing. I am at a plateau and risking doing things I have done over and over…even though I do them pretty damn good.  It’s OK everyone does this, and it isn’t always bad….but we need to know how to NOT do that.

How do you get out of your comfort zone? Here are a few ideas on how to break out of your songwriting comfort zones:

1. Work with a new cowriter

2. If you write chords first usually…..start with lyrics

3. If you write lyrics first usually…..start with just a melody

4. If you write words and music at the same time usually…..stop and break it into each part and do only 1 at a time

5. Copy chord progressions from songs you like, but would never attempt writing

6. Copy the title of a hit song and try to write your song about a story that is completely different from the original

7. If you write your songs from start to finish…example: start with verse, then write chorus, then bridge…..do it backwards. Start from the end of the song

8. Take your favorite standby chord progression and play it backwards

9. If you write songs using 3 or 4 chords, try writing a whole song with just 1 or 2 chords

10. If you usually write slow songs, write fast ones for awhile or vice versa

11. Does it take you a weeks to write a song? Try writing a full song in 1 hour! remember it doesn’t have to be perfect, just write the damn thing, even if you feel stupid and lost.

12. If you usually write melodies based on chord tones….try picking notes that are not in the chords. Practice singing those notes over the chords…..start retraining your ear to not hear the same things all the time (I am VERY guilty of this one)

So there are just 12 ways you can start getting out of your comfort zone. There are more. Do you have any you can share? Post them below….  The idea here is to not get stuck in that rut of writing your same 5 songs over and over again.  Have fun in not being perfect, have fun with the process of experimenting and trying new things. I am very sure that some of your tests will result in some cool songs. You can post those too, if you like.

~~ Chad

Are you a Song ‘Student’ or Song ‘Writer?’ – I think you should be both.

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This past week someone said something that really got my gears turning. They said, “At some point you need to stop studying songwriting and just write.”  Wow. Guilty as charged in a number of ways. This hit me and I had one of those A-HA moments that Oprah always talks about.

I fully believe that studying songwriting is not bad. There are a ton of techniques, theories and tendencies that can be studied and learned. I would associate it with an architect learning about building frames, plumbing and substructures. In songwriting it can help immensely to know the inner workings. Know the structure and why things work. There are many traits of songs that have been blasted into our minds since the day we were born. Not so much formulas, but trends and patterns that click with our brains. Patterns that we associate with great songs. Can you get this from just listening? Yes. But I think you need to dissect and study to really get a good grasp on the inner workings. Know the rules of the songwriting ‘nature’ and why they equate with emotions and communication.

Learning the theory is great….but it only gets you so far.  If you do not practice the theories, you will never get better and really break through and write great songs.  You have to apply the knowledge that you pick up from studying. You have to be a student, and then writer. Student, then writer. Writer, then student. You have to be willing to take a concept and apply it, experiment with it, flip it upside down, backwards, forwards and inside out. Make it your own, AND play it liek someone else. Think about the day at Reese’s when someone said, “What if we put peanut butter inside choclate?”  I bet they started doing testing and seeing what worked, until they made one of my favorite candies….Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. YUM.

Think of your songwriting like a scientist thinks of his work. Many times a scientist will use another scientists theories, and try to duplicate them in the lab…..THEN they try to play with the theory to see if it stands up….and sometimes they discover something completely new.  This can happen in your songwriting. I know some of you purists and artsy fartsy types try to never use formulas or things that have been done….but you should try. You can’t effectively break the rules, if you don’t know the rules. Note – There are NO RULES in songwriting, just tools.

So my challenge to you, is to study like a maniac every songwriting book, website, video, theory, or whatever….BUT after you study, make sure that you are using the theory to WRITE. It doesn’t matter if it sucks, it is just an experiment meant to help you expand your war chest.  Try things you have not tried. I am sure that you will be pleasantly surprised to what may come out. And each new thing you try plants new seeds in your mind and makes neuro connections that can come in handy down the road.

So are you a song student, or song writer?  I hope you are both….but you should probably do more writing. Right?

~~ Chad

Songwriting Presentation: May 30th – McNally Smith College of Music

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WHAT: Presentation on writing songs that connect through the senses

WHEN: May 30th – 7pm

WHERE: McNally Smith College of Music – MN Association of Songwriters Meeting

WHO: I will be presenting an educational writing exercise for the May MN Association of Songwriters meeting.

WHY:  Come learn one technique for writing songs that connect with listeners. We will be doing actual writing at this meeting, so you will leave with the start of a new song!!

Minneapolis Songwriting Lessons, Classes and Coaching Sessions

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I am starting to book 1 on 1 songwriting lessons and coaching for this summer. If you are in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area, I host the lessons at my project studio in the west metro. If you do not live in Minneapolis, we can work out online lessons via phone, web, or skype.

Do you write songs, but they seem to be missing something, or not connecting with listeners? Do you struggle with how to finish or develop good song ideas? I can help you, no matter what level you are at by teaching you tried and useful techniques, theories and tools. It will help you grow as a songwriter.

Send me an email or give me a call at 612-454-0926 to book a session. ~~ Chad

Technology Changes, Craft is steady – So Learn the Craft of Songwriting

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Hendrix didn’t invent the electric guitar, but man did he know how to make music with it….
How we make and record songs is always changing. But what makes a great song has not really changed much over time. Great songs are made of memorable melodies, harmony and lyrics. Whether that happens through an acoustic guitar, or a computer, it kind of is the same thing that happens between the music and the listener.

So my thought on this is that if you study the craft of songwriting, you can apply to ideas and techniques to no matter what technology comes along. So keep studying lyric writing, music theory, writing songs, the craft, etc. Then make some great songs using what ever technology is available at the time. Technology changes quickly, but real craft does not. Do you agree?

~~ Chad

Ways to Create Melodic Contrast in Your Songwriting

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Contrast is always the goal when writing song sections. You will always want your sections to contrast with each other. This makes sure the songs don’t get boring.
So how can you add conrtast in your melody?

1. Note Range – each section should ‘sit’ in a different note range. Usually the verse is the lowest, then each section after that is usually a bit higher than the next. The bridge is usually the climax.

2. Note Length – How long are the notes in the section? If your verse has short notes, then it is a good idea to make the chorus have longer notes. Whatever you did, do something different in the next section.

3. Space between notes and phrases – This has to do with the rests between notes and phrases.

4. Rhythm of the notes

5. Melodic Contour – does the melody go up, down, zig zag, stay static? Vary this between your song sections

6. Scales and Modes – What scales or modes are your song sections? Play with varying this as well.

The best way to use these options is to look at whatever section you have, then write down what traits it has….then in the next section do the opposite. It will open up some cool ideas for your writing.

Let me know if this has been helpful or inspiring to you…

~ Chad

3 Minute Songwriting Exercise Results

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A couple weeks ago, Gary Ewer posted a blog post about doing speed songwriting exercises. Basically the idea is to break your habits and blocks by just jumping in a going for it. Kinda of like speed-dating, but probably less intimidating.  Gary’s process had 6 basic steps that you should spend about 30 seconds each on.

The steps were:

1. Find Topic

2. Make a list of related words

3. Make a chord progression

4. Write the lyric

5. Make a Melody

6. Fix and hone.

3 minutes and whatever you get, you get.  Great way to start….

So I have been home sick the last few days with a cough and head cold from hell. Going a little nutzo.  So this morning, I was like..”I NEED TO WRITE SOMETHING!”  So I decided since I had no real big ideas, I would try Gary’s 3 minute exercise.  So here is what I came up with….

1. Started with a title – Walked Through Fire
2. Related words – Test, struggle, defeat, victory, success, trials, win lose, heat, pain, mission, motivation, push, drive
3. Chord Progression: Am – G – F – G
4. Lyric:
Walked Through Fire
by Chad Shank

I’ve had my struggles
Been lost in the trials and pain
But I found my mission
Motivation to run again

That’s when I Walked Through Fire
I tasted Victory
Walked Through Fire
Yes, I walked
Oh I Walked Through Fire

Listen to what I came up with:Walked Through Fire

* Please ignore my vocals, since I have a cold, they are a bit strained.  But what this did was give me the start of a kinda cool song. I may be able to work it into a full song and fine tune it. It is 100% more song than I started with when I woke up this morning AND…..it only took 3 minutes!! 3 minutes!

Have you tried writing a song in 3 minutes?

~ Chad

Songwriting: Pentatonic Scales and Why They Rock

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One of the big questions that I get asked alot is, “How can I write better melodies?” Well, it takes lots of practice and listening to great melodies. Write, Write, write, as they say. But there is a kind of big secret hidden in plain sight. Pentatonic scales are your best friend when it comes to starting catchy and great melodies.

What the F is a Pentatonic Scale? Pentatonic means 5 notes. Thousands, if not millions of great songs are built around pentatonic scales….so you will be very wise to learn this and use it in your writing. When I was a teenager, the pentatonic scale opened up a whole new world of writing for me.

So why does the pentatonic scale become so powerful?….well the simple answer is that notes in the most common pentatonic scale can be harmonized or sound good with almost any chord in the key. So no matter what your chord progression is, notes in the pentatonic scale will usually sound good. You don’t need to really know why, you just need to know how to use the scales.

What is the most common pentatonic scale? It is the 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 of the key you are playing in. So for example, in the Key of C the pentatonic scale is made of the notes: C-D-E-G-A. Also in this key is the relative minor….or the A minor pentatonic scale…. A-C-D-E-G

How do you use this? Well….start by playing a chord progression in your key using any of the 6 ‘useful’ chords. I say 6, because we rarely use the diminished 7th degree chord. So in the Key of C the ‘useful’ chords are C maj, D min, E min, F maj, G maj, Amin. So make a progression from those chords….

C – G – Am – F is only one example……Now start just adlibing using the Pentatonic scale notes….C-D-E-G-A…..any order of notes over any chord. You will find that these notes almost always sound good and work over any progression in the key. Sweet! You can then take your melody and change the chords and see what kinds of new colors and harmonies you can create.

Most listeners have been hearing pentatonic melodies their entire life, so melodies created using these scales can become very catchy, very easily.

I dare you to write your next 3 songs using the pentatonic scales. Post the links on this blog, share with other writers. How do you use the pentatonic scales?

~~ Chad

Interesting Movie: Press Pause Play

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This week I was at home with a cold and I was browsing movies on Hulu Plus. I have a Roku box and like to watch online TV and movies through Hulu and Netflix. I stumbled upon this movie called, “Press Pause Play.”  It is a very cool documentary about how technology is shaping art. It includes film, songwriting, music production, visual arts, etc. It is an interesting jump into the worlds of creativity, commerce and technology. If you have a chance, check out the movie. Here is a trailer….

~~ Chad