Dainis

I'm definitely considering video. I'm focusing on educating fellow songwriters with my eBooks right now, and I'm mulling over Internet promotion strategies. I'm an iTunes "link affiliate" and I put an ad on my website the other day. Here's a question: Does anyone really buy downloads from iTunes? Also, with Prince giving away CD's and George Michael's website being an all-out, free radio station...what does that mean "lesse" indies need to do? Should I mimic the big boys and just put everything out on the net in full and see what happens? Doesn't quite sound like the best plan for success... Cheers! Dainis

Interesting...language is a living entity. Can you imagine that in German, "overalls" translates into English as "Jumpsuit?" I mean, they just took the term to mean what they figured it meant, and everybody uses the term "incorrectly." It's pretty funny. I forget what they call what we call overalls, but it ain't "overalls." We're talking about respect for tradition, but we're also talking about "using terminology correctly." The issue of "using terminology correctly" sounds brainy, nerdy, and yes...old-fart-esque. But why? Stephen Colbert's term "truthiness" comes to mind. It's actually a much bigger issue than we think...and Lazz, your process of clarification is an important one...my question is: "how are you going to sell it?" I've started selling some eBooks, as my signature shows...and my "flagship" product "was" "How to Write YOUR Songs Down," because I know that the skill of music notation contributes greatly to any songwriter's creative capacities. It's even in the term "song" "writer," that is writer as in someone able to write. Someone who is literate. John has graciously reviewed the book, and we'll be doing a special for SongStuff members soon. Very cool. But my point, that relates to yours is that, I decided that I was giving people "what they need" as opposed to giving them "what they want." That's why I wrote "Become a Better Songwriter Guaranteed!" I speak about the value of learning music notation in the text, but I also concentrate on other aspects of songwriting and unleashing ones' creative potential. So, it seems to me that you could "work" the same angle. You could make the very legitimate claim that using terminology properly helps songwriters gain better perspective over what they are doing, what their historically-based options are, and how they can forge ahead into new territory without repeating the mundane. However...is there really a drive for "quality" in songwriting in today's music business? I address that issue by discussing "Internal" vs. "External" success in "Become a Better Songwriter Guaranteed!" If the drive for "quality" in the music itself is lacking...why would there be a drive for quality in the use of songwriting terminology? ...interesting nut to crack... Wishing you the best of success, Dainis

If I'm looking for a midi file, I just search on things like bohemian rhapsody mid midi I usually find several examples done by people of various skill levels. Sometimes, things are WAY off. Regarding chord progressions, good question. I'm glad to read that you are interested in that kind of insight into the songs. If you learn how each chord relates to the key its in, you can quickly and easily create that kind of harmonic map. Some folks call that the Nashville Numbering System, others know it as harmonic analysis. I just searched on harmonic analysis of music dominant tonic i ii V and found some decent results. My recommendation is to work with a teacher and to acquire appropriate learning materials like books and CD's. Best, Dainis