Discover How To Write A Song From The Best In The Biz

1. WHERE TO START WRITING YOUR SONG 

Beginning is regularly the hardest piece of the songwriting procedure. Building up your tune’s fundamental song or focal ensemble is considered by some to be the best place to start composing your next track. Once you have your snare or key harmony movement, you can manufacture whatever remains of your melody around it. In any case, don’t stress in case you’re attempting to locate the ideal tune straight away, this technique isn’t for everybody.

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The Nashville Number System: What Is It?

Guest post by Soundfly Mentor Andre Madatian. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper

If you ask almost any Broadway Street musician in downtown Nashville, they will tell you that the Nashville number system has gotten them through at least a song or two, if not an entire set, on a honky tonk stage at some point in their career. Some don’t even leave the house without their iPad filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of Nashville-style notated charts before heading to work or a weekend run of shows out of town. But there is something quite definitive and unique about the way Nashville creates their charts — almost like a universal language amongst all of the musicians in the local community.

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Music Theory: Does It Still Matter?

Guest post by Ian Temple. This article originally appearedon Soundfly’s Flypaper

Last year, Rihanna’s hit single “Work” started an argument here at Soundfly. We come from an array of different musical backgrounds, styles, training, and instruments, and the question that kicked us off was:

What key is “Work” actually in?

It’s got that super repetitive synth bass line that returns to C# every time, giving the impression we’re in C# Dorian mode, but the key signature is B major, or G# natural minor. The melody floats around a C# note a lot, but it still sounds unresolved, except in a few moments where it lands on G#. There are even a couple moments that sound a little more major and could lead one to hear the B as an unplayed tonic (or “home base”).

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Making Sense Of A Song By Richard Strauss Via Botany

Guest post by Erica Ann Sipes. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper

Yes, you read that correctly. In the course of this one blog post, I am going to attempt to use a brief study in botany to unravel an issue I am having in the accompaniment to a song by Richard Strauss.

Ready?

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Negotiating A Music Producer Agreement: 7 Key Issues

This post by Canadian entertainment lawyer Byron Pascoe originally appeared on the Bandzoogle Blog

Whether you’re a music producer, or a performing artist working with a producer, it’s important to discuss the terms of your arrangement with each other.

While it’s better late than never to formalize the artist-producer relationship, it’s easier to start the conversation before heading into the studio, and much easier before the music generates interest and money.

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Sonic Branding: How Can I Write Music For Commercials?

Let’s start with a little experiment - think about NBC.

Did you visualize the rainbow peacock logo?

More importantly: did you did you hear the NBC chimes?

The chimes associated with the NBC Network are an example of sonic branding. Just as brands rely on a certain color palette, typography, or a particular image, brands may also establish a connection to a particular song, jingle, or series of notes (as NBC does with the G3, E4, and C5, for you music theory folks out there).

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