tag:donaldrobinsonstudios.com,2005:/blogs/5-tips-for-the-serious-songwriter"5 Tips For The Serious Songwriter"2023-06-01T22:07:53-04:00copyrighted @ 2018Grammy-nominated record producer Donald Robinson: Hello here you can check out all of my music tips both business and creative.Donald Robinson Songwriters TipsDonald RobinsonfalseDonald Robinsondonald@sowmusiconline.orgtag:donaldrobinsonstudios.com,2005:Post/54837562023-06-01T22:07:53-04:002023-10-16T10:52:58-04:00 Podcast #1 (Q&A ) about various subjects pertaining music <p><span class="text-big"><i><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/52643/91d4841b935715027c9cde4288374c68b9e777af/original/img-0510.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /> In this Podcast, I'm answering</i></span> <span class="text-big"><i>many questions pertaining to music. This is my first of many to come. Take a listen, it may be something to help you along in your musical journey. </i></span></p>34:40Donald Robinsontag:donaldrobinsonstudios.com,2005:Post/72131552023-05-22T00:29:20-04:002023-05-22T00:37:16-04:005 tips for becoming a successful and working musician:<p><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/52643/145421cbf06e1200b7e6df0d3f345098d119c471/original/199037_1687285426174_1358835275_3290076_6521280_n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" />5 tips for becoming a successful and working musician:</strong></span><br> </p><p><br><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>1. Practice, practice, practice! Becoming a skilled musician takes time and dedication, so make sure you carve out regular practice time in your schedule.</strong></span><br><br><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>2. Stay authentic. Don't try to copy others or be someone you're not. Your unique sound and style is what will make you stand out in the music industry.</strong></span><br><br><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>3. Network like crazy. Attend events, reach out to fellow musicians and industry professionals, and be active on social media to build relationships and get your name out there.</strong></span><br><br><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>4. Be open to constructive criticism. The best musicians are always looking for ways to improve, so don't be afraid to solicit feedback from others in the industry.</strong></span><br><br><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>5. Never give up. The road to success isn't always easy, but if you're passionate about your music and willing to put in the work, you can make it happen. Keep pushing, stay positive, and have faith in yourself and your abilities.</strong></span></p>Donald Robinsontag:donaldrobinsonstudios.com,2005:Post/54233832018-10-19T18:55:00-04:002023-05-12T19:41:18-04:00"10 Tips For The Serious Songwriter"<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/52643/352148be942daae4e3322fd8296e8b3b9db8ad37/original/img-0933.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />These are some tips I’ve learned over the years that I think may help you moving forward, no matter if you are a beginner or an experienced songwriter. <br> So where do you start? Well, most musicians may start with the music first. However, if you are a lyricist, you may start with the words and if you’re a vocalist, you may start with a melody. Music, words, and a melody are some of the major elements to write a song. </p>
<p>1) You need to come up with a cohesive and compelling story that you’re writing about. The most memorable songs resonate with everyone. It’s usually a story that they all can relate to at one time or another in their lives. </p>
<p>2) Get into a habit of recording or writing down your song ideas immediately! I can’t count how many times an idea was in my head and I forgot it just because someone walked in the room or I got a phone call or a number of other reason that stopped my creative flow. Make sure you start recording and writing down your ideas right away. </p>
<p>3) Don’t get stuck on one idea of the song too long. You get stuck on trying to find trying to a word that rhymes with “orange”. or the right chord.... should it be a minor flat 7th or flat 9th chord. Learn to look at the whole picture of the song first, you can always go back and add the details later. You want to stay focus on the creative flow of the song. As you rewrite you can at the details </p>
<p>4) Work on the song structure, ex. intro, verse, chorus, verse2, chorus2, bridge and tag out. Most popular songs have a similar song structure and for many different reasons. Ex.1 One being that most songs are 3 to 5 minutes long because of radio airplay, ex. 2 you need to keep your listeners engaged, making a song too long can be the quickest way to lose your listeners, especially if it’s an original song and they are hearing it for the first time. </p>
<p>5) Collaborate with others. If you’re a great musician but you’re not good with lyrics to find a great lyricist to work with. If you are a great lyricist you don’t plan instrument you may find a great musician to work with. The key is to make the strongest as possible. Don’t let your pride or ego get in the way from you having a hit song! Be open to work with others, if there is an area in your writing where you could use help collaborate with others songwriters. </p>
<p>6) Always be listening and analyzing songs that you love. Listen to the song structure, listen to the lyrics, melody, and rhythm of the songs. Also, listen to the instrumentation of the songs. Your goal is to try and figure out what is it that song that people really love about this particular songs? Then use these elements to write similar songs yourself. </p>
<p>7) Discipline yourself to write every day! It’s the only way you are going to become stronger and better songwriter. It may be just a title, some lyrics, or a great melody that came into your head from a dream. Many success stories come from people who have come up with just the hook of a song, they put it away for some time until they were inspired to write a verse. The key is to be consistent with your writing and make sure you do it every day. The more you write the quicker the idea else will come to you. </p>
<p>8) Always have some type of recording device with you at all times. You never know what may happen that will inspire you. It could be in a dream you had, while you are traveling, talking on the phone, a book you’ve been reading, a sermon title, a billboard sign, a heated conversation, a bad relationship, meeting someone for the first time, family, politics, a lover. Always be prepared to record any ideas that may inspire and motivate you to write!! </p>
<p>9) Don’t be a perfectionist when you’re writing! I've seen perfectionist with 10 to 20 different ideas of music, melodies, and lyrics that they never finish it. Why? because they will think it's never good enough. I hope that’s not you. You want to at least learn to finish a song from beginning to end. You can always go back and perfect it later. Get in the habit it of finishing the songs that you started. </p>
<p>10) Get into the habit of playing your song for others before it comes out. However, don’t only played for people who you think are professionals. Played for the people that will be listening to your song. If you’re an artist, play it ( or at less snippet of it) for your fans. Find out from them what they like or don’t like about the music and the lyrics.</p>
<p>Here's a bonus tip for you.</p>
<p>11) Take notes, If you hear most of your listeners saying the same thing about what they don’t like about your song, that’s probably the part that you need to work on. For example, they may like the lyrics but not the vocalist. They may like the vocalist but not the instrumentalist. However, remember everyone will have different opinions about the song but don’t let that distract you! Never forget, the more you write the better it will get!</p>Donald Robinsontag:donaldrobinsonstudios.com,2005:Post/54312852018-09-26T16:45:00-04:002021-06-03T17:50:47-04:005 Tips for Every Record Producer<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/52643/082253e076ec906694ff3065f48c0a8a5902f422/original/Donald3966.jpeg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />"Make sure Pre-production is done first" </p>
<p>1) <strong><em>Don't wait until you get into a recording studio to start working on your project. </em></strong></p>
<p>The songs, the band, and the artist should be well rehearsed. Don't pay for studio time that you don't need. Time is money so don't waste it, do pre-production first. </p>
<p>2. <em><strong>"Get to know the artist you are working with" </strong></em></p>
<p>From my experience, the chemistry between the artist and producer is key to making a great song. This can make or break the vibe of a great record. so as a producer it's important to get to know your artist. Not just from a musical point of view but their personality also. Are they an introvert or an extrovert? How hard can you push them? Do you have respect for one another? Are you both focused on the same goals? Making the record the best it can be should be your main purpose. </p>
<p>3. <em><strong>"Be a record producer, not a dictator" </strong></em></p>
<p>No artist wants to work with a producer who makes them feel small. It's counter-productive if you make the artist feel you know everything just because you have some notches on your belt. If you're playing "it's my way or the highway" game, in most cases you are fighting a losing battle. Artist wants to feel they are a part of the recording process and have some input on the direction the songs they are recording. </p>
<p>4. <em><strong>"Know the song inside and out before going into the studio" </strong></em></p>
<p>There's nothing worse than going into a studio while you're still working on the arrangement, lyric's, structure and form of the song. This tip goes for the producer and the artist. ex. #1 I'm not a firm believer that an artist needs to have the lyrics in the vocal booth while they are singing. I believe the artist should have studied and know the lyrics of the song so well that the passion, energy, and story of the song should be the artist only focus. ex. #2 The producer should know the song so well that he knows the key of the song is tailor-made for the artist's voice, the instrumentation is exactly what he wants and the studio and the recording engineer is perfect for the song he is producing. </p>
<p>5. <em><strong>"Handle your business before you step one foot into the studio" </strong></em></p>
<p>This one is super! Please, please don't wait until you're in the studio to get you're down payments for production, studio fees, musicians fees, engineering fees...etc. DON'T do anything without a contractual agreement! I recommend you higher an entertainment attorney. If you can't afford one at the time at least talked with a skilled music consultant who can help with this. </p>
<p>I hope these music tips help you on your musical journey and if you need any help please feel free to reach out to me. 215 874-7142. or leave a common below. www.sowmusiconline.org Blessings on your journey. </p>
<p>Grammy-nominated producer, Donald Robinson</p>Donald Robinson