Writing Hit Songs

There are a lot of factors to writing a hit song. First, you should focus on writing a good song. Once you've done that, you are not far away from writing a hit.

Like most other things in life, it takes persistence, patience, drive, knowledge, belief and maybe some luck.

Stop and think about your favorite songs. Really analyze them and figure out what it is that you like about those songs.

Different factors may come to play here. Maybe it is the good beat, lyrics that hit home, a beautiful melody, something spiritual or patriotic, or maybe even that it is humorous.

If you include one of these elements in your songwriting you are well on your way. If you combine two or more of these elements, you may have yourself a hit.

A Good Beat

Rhythm is important in music. I have to laugh and think of Jerry Van Dyke on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" years ago trying to play the banjo and sing, "I've got rhy-rhy-thm, I've got mah-mah-music..."

But, unless you are very funny like Jerry Van Dyke, your audience is not very likely to stay with you.

Your music not only needs to have a good beat, but must fit the genre of music you are trying to write. A Metallica beat in a George Strait type song may not get you very far. A song with a good enough beat might be a hit even with no melody and no lyrics. Remember "Green Onions?"

Along with the beat is the tempo. Country music is easy to write (I did not say it is easy to write well) because it is about people's lives and everyday experiences. However, too often people write slow songs for country music, when in fact the industry is starving for upbeat country material like "Country Roads" and "Rocky Top." It is much harder to write a good up-tempo country song than it is a tear jerker.

Lyrics in popular music can range from broken relationships to political issues, and just about any point in between. Those that tend to be the most popular are about situations you and I may encounter in our everyday lives; "Workin' 9 To 5," "I Just Called To Say I Love You," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "God Bless The USA" (which ingeniously incorporates spiritual, political and patriotic views).

A beautiful or interesting melody can get you into the ranks of hit songwriter with no lyrics required. Going back in time to prove a point about beautiful melodies, you might consider songs like "Last Date" and "Sleepwalk."

Songs with great melody lines are very easy to be found in many hit TV show themes like "Peter Gunn," "Hawaii 5-0," along with many of the 60's surfer songs like "Wipe Out."

Well done humorous songs usually find an audience, such as Ray Stevens "The Streak," and Jerry Reeds "She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft." If you have a knack for both humor and music, you might make a fortune.

Spiritual and patriotic songs, if they are well done and come out at the right time, are easy hits. Every time the U.S. gets involved in any type of world conflict, the songwriters get their pens out.

Keep your ears and eyes open, and keep a shoe box to put your ideas for songs in. Every time you think of an idea for a song or a song title, write it down and drop it in the box. It could be your first, or your next, big hit.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

How To Write A Song

Did you ever wish that it was your song playing on the radio? It could be. It is not that hard once you know the formula. With a little creativity, a little knowledge, a little luck and a good formula to follow, your song could be one of the next biggest hits.

Songwriting comes easy for some, and is very difficult for others. I have actually written songs in my sleep, and immediately upon awaking, written it as quickly as I could get the words on down on paper.

What I want to discuss here is popular songwriting, like the songs you hear on the radio. A good pop song, whether rock, country, middle of the road, is composed of two things: a catchy tune and some good lyrics.

There is a formula that most great songwriters use to write great songs. It regards the structure used to write a song. Granted, it is music and it is art, so the rules are not hard and fast. But if you want to increase your chances of getting your song on the radio, it is a good starting point.

Here is the formula. Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus.

Write that down on paper leaving plenty of space between each word and this will be your script.

Verse

The verse is the part of the song that tells the story, the part that leads to the chorus. Each verse is usually different, telling a different part of, or adding to, the story. It usually explains how you got to the things you are singing about in the chorus.

Chorus.

The chorus is the part of the song that is repeated after each verse. The lyrics are usually the same each time the chorus comes around. The verse usually leads to the chorus, and the chorus is usually the pay off for listening to the verse. Does that make sense?

Here is a lame example (you did not think I would give you my best work, did you?):

(verse)
My dog is sick, he's got a tick
He's my best friend, don't let it end

(chorus)
Oh, woe is me, can't you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

(verse)
My car broke down, just out of town
It got towed in, but it's broke again

(chorus)
Oh, woe is me, can't you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

Now, if you would kindly stop laughing at my lame song for a minute, I want you to think about whether or not you understand my point. Songwriting is story telling. The verse tells the problems, the chorus expresses the results or the emotions.

All right, now that you have that mastered, let's tackle the bridge. Ah, yeah, there is more to the song than the pain and the release. We need the diversion. That is what the bridge is; it is the diversion from the verse and the chorus.

The bridge may have a slightly different melody to it, or it could even have a different rhythm or a different tempo (Elvis' "Suspicious Minds" did a great job on this technique).

Let's go back to the lame song and add a bridge:

(verse)
My dog is sick, he's got a tick
He's my best friend, don't let it end

(chorus)
Oh, woe is me, can't you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

(verse)
My car broke down, just out of town
It got towed in, but it's broke again

(chorus)
Oh, woe is me, can't you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

(bridge)
Tomorrow is a better day, I've got a new truck on the way
My dog just had a flea it seems, so once again I'll live my dreams

(chorus)
Oh, woe was me, can't you see
Woe was me, but now I'm free

The bridge offers a solution to the problems I was having. You don't want to leave your listener on the edge of suicide, you want to give them hope.

Notice, I also changed up the wording of the chorus. This was done to reflect my new found joy.

One more thing on formula. It can be anyway you want, but most verses and chorus come in lines of 4. So, instead of this:

(verse)
Oh, woe is me, can't you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

(verse)
My car broke down, just out of town
It got towed in, but it's broke again

it would be:

Oh, woe is me, can't you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free
My car broke down, just out of town
It got towed in, but it's broke again

The same goes for the chorus. Again, if you are creative, do it however you want. But for a new songwriter, this gives you some guidelines to scratch out and start carving out your new creation.

One more thing, do not make the notes to the melody so high that your fans cannot sing along. We are certainly all not Stevie Wonder.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Creating Music's Future

An unimaginable number of people across the country dream of a life in the music business. One only has to look at the droves of people who line up for the "American Idol" tryouts each year to see the public's excitement and interest in the music industry. Whether it's the soundtrack for a Hollywood movie, a workout or a night on the town, music is engrained in all aspects of American culture and is both an exciting and rewarding industry. But how often do most people stop to think about who is actually behind the music?

Many of today's best-known musical artists write and perform their own songs. But thousands of other music creators will rarely appear onstage. Most people associate a hit song with the person who sang it, while the composer or lyricist who wrote the music or lyrics stays behind the scenes. So, though Clay Aiken probably comes to mind whenever "Invisible" is played, few know that a songwriter named Desmond Child wrote the song and is one of the music industry's most prolific and creative forces.

Now, budding and established music creators have a chance to learn how to forge a successful career in today's marketplace and hear from some of the most successful music creators in the business. For the past two years, hit songwriters, composers and producers such as Desmond Child, "Dude, Looks Like a Lady"; Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, "No More Drama"; Linda Perry, "Beautiful"; John Rich, "Redneck Woman"; and Michael Giacchino, "Ratatouille" have participated in the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, where they have shared invaluable insights about the music creation process.

In 2008, ASCAP, the leading American performing rights organization, will host its third annual "I Create Music" EXPO. As the only national conference dedicated to songwriting and composing, this event will bring together the world's leading songwriters, composers, publishers and industry professionals with emerging music creators for networking and educational opportunities.

The three-day event, slated to begin on April 10 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, will cover all genres of music and will provide panels, workshops, master classes, keynotes, one-on-one sessions, song critiquing, product displays, technology demonstrations and even performances for attendees.

With some of the biggest names in music scheduled to show, this truly will be a place where music creators can come together and take their careers to the next level. For more information about the EXPO, visit www.ascap.com/expo.

(NewsUSA)

Roses at the Rose Parade Treated to Filtered Water

It's a stunning display of natural beauty that takes place annually to celebrate the paradise that is California -; the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

It's internationally televised New Year's Day Rose Parade celebration features more than 40 magnificent floats decorated with thousands of roses, plants, fruits, vegetables and exotic flowers.

Jacob Maarse Florist in Pasadena, Calif., the preferred florist of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, provides many of the roses that grace the floats in the Rose Parade -; an event that garners the attention of more than 150 million viewers worldwide. And since roses, like every other living organism, need clean water to thrive, the florists at Jacob Maarse Florist decided to research the best water for their roses.

They tested cut flowers in three types of water including: LifeSource water, city tap water and tap water with floral preservatives. When asked about the test, Hank Maarse, president of Jacob Maarse Florist said, "We've been testing the LifeSource water system in our Pasadena floral shop since March 2006, and we found that cut flowers keep their vibrant color better and last three to four days longer when kept in the fresh, filtered water."

Additionally, Phoenix Decorating Company, a float builder for the Rose Parade since 1956, has LifeSource water systems installed in float decorating facilities, flower tents and flower-prep areas. The filtered water keeps the flowers used in the decorating process, and those in vials of water on the floats, fresh and vibrant. Chris Lofthouse, president of Phoenix Decorating said, "Their water makes flowers not only grow better, but also helps them last longer."

Why does filtered water make such a difference? Water free of chlorine and chloramines gives flowers the boost they need to better withstand the sun and heat they endure during the two-day event. From their original unveiling during the parade to the special up-close viewings that follow the parade, the flowers remain softer and retain more moisture, just like our own skin, when treated to chlorine-free water.

For more information about tap-based, water filtration, visit www.LifeSourceWater.com.

(NewsUSA)