maxtor2290

Hey Lazz..... I didn't see the English language advertisement for MasterWriter. But, that statement is a bold faced lie on their part. It unlocks aspects of the English language and has very little to do with "proper" English and more to do with "snippits" of English language in a narrowly focused package. As for being an outcast. Some churches, or should I say, some church leaders believe 1. It's "sinful" to play any music besides "gospel" music and 2. We should play for free (Not just us but every gospel performer). I don't agree with either of those statements and don't know how they reference them Biblically. The playing secular events is not open for discussion. No debate or agreement to disagree, they just say it's wrong and don't want us to be a part of their service because of the "sin" in our lives. So, we aren't. And don't get me wrong, we play our fair share of "free" venues. Mostly charity events and for churches that obviously can't afford to pay. I believe that is our duty, not only from a Biblical perspective but just by being a human being living on this earth with other folks who are less fortunate than we are. I can say that the lion's share of churches who don't want to pay anything sport a large treasury and I believe it's wrong, on their part, not to provide fair compensation for a performance and I tell them so. I don't get any points for that either. Basically we perform gospel music in various other states and regions but very little around our home region. There are a few places who accept our dual performance status but our gospel music performances still remain largely out of our region. We're not going to stop playing Country, so, it'll just stay the way it is I guess. Anyway Lazz, I'm not trying to spark a controversial debate about religion (It's not the forum for it). Just trying to clarify what I said. max

"More for the Christian market in that the software also provides a specifically Biblical reference resource. Can be viewed as neither here nor there ultimately, I guess, and no harm done or presumed. But, as a non-believing Red-Sea pedestrian, I just tend to notice these things. Amen" I see your point. I never looked at that way I guess. I just saw it as another reference added to it to write songs with. I am, however, a Christian. So, Biblical reference books, Biblical encyclopedia's, and the like are common place in my household. I suppose it didn't look out of place to me. Still, the Country genre has deep Christian roots even though most people I know of or have talked to in my years of playing music wouldn't consider it "Christian" Music. It is considered "secular". That particular distinction makes me the outcast sometimes because we do Country Shows and Country Gospel Shows, even intermingling some Country Gospel in our secular shows. The crowd loves it so we keep doing it. Point being (I can get off topic easy sometimes...) that MW was designed to cater to the Nashville Songwriter. "Is this program meant to be a vocabulary tool? There's no substitute for reading." I agree. However, Country songwriters have to be cautious with utilizing writing styles that use "proper" English. The Genre dictates a "common" feel to the language. in fact, most are written with a Southern language style. It should be "conversational" in its phrasing and use common terms when applicable rather than proper terms. I do believe reading is the single most under rated and least utilized muse for opening the creative mind. Just my 2 cents! max

I have both Masterwriter and Lyricist. I got the MW at a discounted price through, I believe, BMI. Basically, if you want to keep your projects organized, especially with multiple writers, it is kinda nice. As for the tools inside it, it does have some things that are kinda nice to have at your fingertips, but nothing you can't find stand alone or on a website for free. It does have the ability for you to record audio files directly from the mic on your laptop and attach them to the song your writing, that's kinda cool (though it was used more when it was new and less now ). We basically, by en large, use it catalog our songs. It WILL NOT make you a better writer. It has, on a few occasions, helped get me or one of our other writers "unstuck" when writing a lyric (writers block). Basically because of some of the tools it has but I don't know that we used anything directly from it then - it just spawned an idea. I don't know about it being more for the Christian market. It is basically designed for the Nashville style songwriter. I don't know that genre's outside of those associated with country and the many genre's which fall under the country flag will get as much out of it. I may be wrong - just my opinion. They did spend a lot of time developing it and it has many tools that writers said they wanted. Lyricist works much the same way, without the record function (at least the version I have doesn't have it). It has some features MW doesn't have but lacks many that MW has. I view it more like a stripped down version of MW. Neither of these applications are something the average songwriter can't live without. had they not been write-off's and discounted I don't think we would have bought them. A lot of my songs are still cataloged with a text editor and by hand (especially the older ones). I think Lazz is right. There are trial versions of both. If you need to get organized I would say spend the dough. But if you already have a catalog and everything is working good, pick up a good rhyming dictionary and a pad of paper or use a text editor. I also don't think that many of the songwriters who have endorsed it wrote any of the hit songs because of it and likely not even when using it. But, hey, if they paid me to endorse it, I probably would put my signature on it too! Just my 2 cents.... max

Roflcopter: It is an interesting read and describes stem methods in detail. Personally, I don't and wouldn't use that method for mastering. I do use auxiliary grouping's in "live" sound, after the mix is set, in order to control the vocals (lead and backup) overall and the drums overall - primarily (They are the two things that tend to be most dynamic in the mix). Basically I group them because of how they sit in the mix. I prefer instruments like bass, guitar, keyboard, and etc to be controlled individually. But, there is a big difference between mastering a recording and producing live sound. Again, it's a great read and may be something for others to utilize. If they can, great! As with most things musical, while there is some basic standards, there is no specific right way to get there. In the end, if it sounds good - do it! max...

JamTimeMusic: Coises is essentially correct in his take on mastering. Basically, mastering is taking a final mix of multiple tracks and manipulating the frequency spectrum to make the overall sound of the mix acceptable to the listening public. Mastering is usually genre specific, at least in the sense of acceptable frequency ranges. It also removes errant or annoying frequencies from the recording, sets the db level, either up or down, to a basic industry standard. As for mixing and mastering in the same process, I can't tell you how many times when mastering projects for others that I wished I had the separate tracks to mix a little better. It would have made the process much - much easier. The general rule is to not "screw" with frequencies any more than you have to and always favor reduction in a frequency band over increasing one. Sometimes the mix settles better if you reduce - say - a 100k by 1 1/2 to 2 rather than increase 800K by 1 (just an example). Commercial recordings are generally compressed all to hell in order to get the volume levels you hear. Personally, my own stuff, I mix and master in the same program using individual channels to set everything and then mastering with the master effects channel. (EQ, Compressor, stereo imaging, sometimes a lite chorus to tighten the mix, and etc. Just don't record, mix, and master all in the same day. Your ear loses some of its ability to discern the frequencies as it hears everything for long periods of time. The least amount of anything I can do to it the better I believe the final product is. Hope this helps.. max...

Juliet, Yes I have owned a Taylor, along with many other brands. I currently use a Takamine EGSF15SC for our live performances when I need an acoustic. Not a real expensive guitar but I can manipulate the sound to get what I want out of it. My daughter uses a Taylor 514CE and loves it. The tone is a little heavy on the low end when running it through the sound system and we have to adjust for it. We also use a Takamine 12 string and acoustic bass. But, what you need to do is look at the best guitar in your price range. I have bought a $100 Palmer guitar off the rack, to tinker with, at a music store and then set it up to play and it played as well as more expensive guitars and better than many. I even used it in a few live shows (as a hired gun) filling in for a friend in a bluegrass band. Sounded good. They couldn't believe it was a $100 guitar. I'm not a real brand name type of player, I go by how a guitar feels in my hand. I have played a $10,000 Gibson that I wouldn't have given you $50 for to perform with. As a collectors item it is probably worth the money, but I didn't like the feel of it in my hands. Go to a music store and play several guitars in your price range and choose one you feel comfortable with. One that feels the best in your hand. More expensive doesn't mean better. To make my point, I can tell you a few months ago a guy (who shall remain nameless since I didn't ask before relating this story) who is one of Lorrie Morgan's band members, was showing me his custom made guitar he uses on stage. It really plays great, felt good in my hands and everything, but, he said his favorite guitar, out of the many he owns, is an old Yamaha acoustic guitar that cost a fraction of what most of his other guitars did (though it was a lot of money to him when he bought it). Back to another brand that was mentioned. I have had a few Martin guitars, and they are very good guitars. Their tone is more on the high side. They don't typically carry much low end. I used them mainly for bluegrass and folk stuff. Since it doesn't sound like your a lead player, yet, I would try and find one that leans toward the low side of the sound spectrum. It'll blend a little better with you playing and singing by yourself. Having a lower tone will allow your voice to come through better, especially if your gonna sing while playing. Since your wanting to get an acoustic electric, make sure the electronics are decent. A dealer worth his/her salt will not sell you junk. Ask around for the most respectable instrument dealers in your area. I, personally, don't buy instruments online because I want to play them before I buy. Every guitar has a personality of its own, even if they are the same model from the same company as one you have played before. After you get a guitar, you can make it unique. Have some custom inlays made for the fretboard. Their not too expensive and a good luthier can router out the fretboard and install them in a short time. You can also get a custom design for the pick guard and for around the sound hole. There are a lot of ways to make whatever guitar you choose unique. Plus, the wear you get with the hours of playing it along with "road wear" from packing it around will give it character. Just my 2 cents.... max

To me it's all a bit confusing in the previous posts with all the extra theory added, mixed with the different ways of saying the same things. Below is basically a lot of information stripped down. It is how I learned when I started playing in the studio (Where I had to learn a totally different way of looking at how to make music). I got this particular single sheet of information from somewhere, I don't remember where, and it basically explains what I never sat down and committed to writing. I don't remember where it came from but I typed it up from a hand written page I got a long time ago, longer than I care to elaborate on anyway, to give to the few students I take on so they would have something to take home with them as a study guide. Its pretty basic. I learned this way of looking at it when I was learning the Nashville Number System. I don't think it's anything different than above it's only laid out different. I don't know where your at musically on your instrument, but it sounds like your relatively new to it. Learn the 1, 4, and 5 of the major scale in every root position that starts on the 5th and 6th strings. From there, using the major scale, you can work out most any chord progression to any song you hear and use the same scale to add chords to your songwriting. The 2, 3, 6, and 7 positions are usually, though not always, minor chords. If it sounds good, play it. If not, throw it out of the chord progression for the song. Good luck! max Look at chords in the key of their root. For a C chord, use the C scale with C as 1. CDEFGABC=12345671 Each chord has a root, third, and fifth or a simply 1, 3, 5. Major chord ……………………..1 3 5 Minor chord ……………………..1 b3 5 Diminished chord …………..1 b3 b5 Augmented chord …………… 1 3 5# Chord: C major is CEG. C minor is CEbG. C diminished is CEbGb. C augmented is CEG#. The notes can appear in any order and be repeated. Basically the notes CEGCEG played together is still a C major chord even though the notes are repeated. Look at a C major chord at the nut or "open". 6-E, 5-C, 4-E, 3-G, 2-C, 1-E. Though the sequence is all jumbled up, it's a C major chord. Seventh chords: Simply add a seventh to the root, third and fifth. Major seventh chord (Maj7)………………..1 3 5 7 Seventh chord (7) (regular 7th)………....1 3 5 b7 Half Diminished (minor seventh or flat five (m7b5)…………………….1 b3 b5 b7 Augmented seventh (seventh augmented fifth (7+5)……………… 1 3 #5 b7 Fully diminished seventh ( o ). ……………1 b3 b5 bb7 A fully diminished seventh chord repeats its intervals perfectly and any note in the fully diminished seventh chord can be the root. Chords are basically built on every other note in the scale. So continue up the scale attaching the beginning of the scale at the end of the first section and you get: Ninth chord: ………………………………….... 1 3 5 b7 9(2) Minor 9th: …………………………………………….1 b3 6 b7 9(2) Eleventh is: ……………………………………….. 1 3 5 b7 9(2) 11(4) Thirteenth is: ……………………………………..1 3 5 b7 9(2) 11(4) 13(6) The thirteenth chord uses every note in the diatonic scale. Suspended chords substitute either a four or a two for the three or flat three. 1 2 5 or 1 4 5 Add9 chord: ………………… 1 3 5 9 Drone chords. A drone chord consists of a root and a fifth. Being neither major nor minor it allows a melody to move from the b3 to the 3 and has kind of a bluesy sound.

BigBubbaBrown: Without knowing what kind of guitar it is (Make, Model, Serial Number, and etc) it is difficult to attempt a diagnosis. If I am understanding correctly, the pickups are passive and not active. It is unlikely that the guitar leaned against the amplifier, even with the pickups directly in front of it reversed the polarity of the pickups. The magnetic filed, while strong when very close to the magnet on the speaker, has a limited sphere when there is no electricity applied to it. When plugged in, the field intensifies and its sphere gets bigger. All of the difficulties mentioned in your post can have a wide range of possible causes. It could all very well be in the pots. They could be dirty or fried inside. (Common) It could be that someone has previously re-wired the pickups incorrectly and created the problem. (Common with used instruments) And yes, it could be the pickups themselves. (Not Common) You need to start with an understanding of how it is supposed to be wired and function then move to testing each component individually with a meter. The pickups themselves are likely coil pickups, in which the polarity of the pickup is determined by the flow of the small amount of current through the circuit from the amplifier. I am sure folks here would be glad to help if some additional info about the guitar and configuration was available. max

> Are there songwriters here that have managed to sell songs to other artists? Sell no... Pitch and have them recorded? Yes... > I recently had a brief contact with a music business veteran, and he told me my music was singer/songwriter. He said my songs were good and well written, but my music demands me to be the artist. That means the lyrical content and stylistic approach is not generic enough for someone else to capture the emotional content of the song. It is personal to YOU and not others. That doesn't mean that people don't like to listen to them, just that other artist would find it difficult to present them in a believable manner. > I love to write my songs in my own style, but I also have a dream of being able to sell songs to other artists. That's great, because without the dream you'll never make it through the low parts of pitching songs. > I would like to here about your opinions and experiences regarding the difference between "generic pop" and singer/songwriter songs. I write mostly in the Country Genre, which is an extremely competitive market. It is also written in a different manner than other genre's. While I have written some pop and "crossover" style stuff, it tends to lean Country, which tends to be more "conversational" lyrically. Pop lyrics tend to be more abstract in the way the lyrics come together. They lean more toward allowing interpretation by the listener and less toward directing them in a "specific" direction. Country tends to direct a listener into a specific line of thought. Each genre, for the good or bad, have their little lyrical "quirks". Bottom line, a great song is a great song and can cross genre's, irregardless the genre it was written for. > If you have actually sold [pitched] songs to other artists: - How do you think about lyrics to make it less personal and more "generic pop"? I would actually start out by studying the songs that are charting currently. Looking for lyrical and melodic structure. Once you can figure out what makes the songs appealing to the music listening masses, you can begin to form your own idea's about how generic that particular genre will allow your lyrics to be. - Did you have a specific target artist when writing the song? I have before, but, unless you are very well connected, you need to aim toward the up and coming artists. Those who are already contracted by a label usually utilize songs written by well known writers that have proven track records and are very well connected. They are also songwriters who typically reserve their songs for artist who are at a higher level in the business. Up and coming artists, ones not "owned" by a label yet, are looking for that one song that will set them apart from the herd and move their career forward. They don't care who wrote it if it will provide them with what they need to get where they want to go. - How much effort did you put in the demo? Always make the best demo you can afford to make. Period! - Marketing, self promotion and contacts with "the industry"? I think that goes without saying. The industry is built on networking with those who have already made the necessary contacts. - Are you constantly in contact with record companies to find out what artists are shopping for songs at the moment? No.... I sometimes get "tip" sheets and such, but, even those without the connections to get it to the person who actually makes the decision basically don't provide but a one in a million shot. You have to make the connections to get your song heard.... Don't get discouraged! If you love to write and work to hone your craft, anything is possible! Brad... maxtor2290

As for what to say, I don't know anything about your album so I can't tell you that. Just be vivid in your choice of words and don't try to put too much into it. Shorter more vivid and actionable type words is better than a lot of them that don't say anything but try and create hype. And yes, I know your wanting to create a "buzz" with the ad, you just don't want to sound like it. Keep the BS to a minimum and just describe the album and contents in a visual way. It's like writing a song. Say it but in a different way than it has been said before and you will get a response. I wish you ALL the best with this endeavor! Brad... maxtor2290

I'm not an expert either, but, I have done some successful radio promotions. At least, we met the goals we set, so I will call them successful. This is also in the U.S., so, take what you need out of what I say and apply it. Throw the rest away. Start the ad out with the coolest part of the best song you got. The first 10 seconds is crucial in a radio ad. This will probably last about 7 seconds before a fade to a lower level. Then mix pieces of the other songs together and play them "lightly" in the back ground. Make sure to not disrupt your voice message in any way. It needs to be clear and extremely understandable. The listener will hear the music, even if it is at what sounds like a low level. Then, say what you have to say and finish off with a fade-in back to original level with the last few seconds of the song you started with. Make sure the end is at about the 29:20-30 second mark. Your only going to have a few seconds of each song, so, make the transitions smooth and make each piece count by delivering the parts that fit together and not the parts you necessarily want everyone to hear. Fade the ones you can in and out over the top of each other. 30 seconds is a long time in radio. If you end it the way above, you won't have the radio guys cutting your ad off in places you really don't want it cut and your message will get out. And, sometimes they will fill dead air space with an ad that matches their time criteria. It's like a bonus. Most of the radio folks, here any way, time the ad's out right down to the last fraction of a second and the cut it off. If it's not completed at the mark, they just cut the ad short. Anyway, my 2 cents. Brad... maxtor2290

Well, I know this is a little old, but, since there has been a recent reply I'll chime in. The best thing that any songwriter can do is study the lyrics of songs in the genre they are writing in. Not just one, but several songs. Song Craft is a constant journey. I would think studying lyrics in your genre written in English would be especially important for someone whose native language isn't English. Songwriting has simmered and cooked over the years with every genre changing in form and language patterns to one degree or another. Start with songs you like, then move to songs that are considered great hits, then move to songs you don't like but which appeal to the masses who listen to that genre. You will learn as much or more from the ones you don't like as you can from the ones you do. The books are nice and have a lot of techniques and exercises that will help you think about how your putting a song together and how to say it, but, most are generic and don't really hit enough on the realities of songwriting. I would read some, but digest their information for a while and filter out the non-sense. If you are only writing for yourself, then you really don't need to do much of anything but write, but, if your wanting to write commercially or so the masses will want to hear your songs, you have to see what the masses like and try to move to where they are going. Great songs are all in the re-writes, unless your a prodigy. Keep working on a song idea you've committed to until it is finished. Make sure that all lyrics are written in a way that matches your genre. The type of conversational lyric commonly associated with Country Music isn't the same type of conversational lyric associated with POP music, for instance. POP lyrics tend to be more vague with a tendency to lead the listener in a more whimsical fashion than Country lyrics, which tend to move more towards a direct association with something, though that something may not be something tangible. Sometimes the lines are a little blurred and in the end a great song is a great song which is a great song! And lastly, at least for now, be true to yourself. If you are wanting to write commercially, then do it! But also write the songs that YOU want to write in whatever manner you want to write them. Not every song is a hit, but, every song ever written means something to someone. Just my 2 Cents.... Good luck! Brad ~maxtor2290~