Tag: melody

Song Guide: “Heroes” & “Next Level” by Zayde Wolf

Songwriter and Music Producer Zayde Wolf.

Recently three different songwriters have mentioned the name Zayde Wolf to me. Now, I am a true believer in the “Rule of Three,” and therefore I made sure to check him out. (Ron Fair, former president of A&M records and a top A&R exec, once told me that if three people — any three people — told him about a band or artist, he would be certain to take a look at them.)

So, I spent some time listening to Zayde Wolf and reading his bio, and I’m glad I did. Here’s a guy who has very rapidly garnered hundreds of Film, TV, Advertising, Trailer, and Video Game placements. Naturally, I began to wonder: Who is he? Where did he come from? How many years of dues-paying has he put in? Turns out none of these questions really apply.

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Hit Song Guide: “Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw

Country superstar Tim McGraw.

“Highway Don’t Care” is a great example of Contemporary Country songwriting. The lyric paints a vibrant, detailed picture of the characters and situation, offering an original approach to a familiar theme. And even though we all know “lyrics are king” in Country music, the melody played an equally important role in sending this song to the No. 1 spot on the music charts.

“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw

Songwriters: Mark Irwin, Joshua Kear, Brad Warren, Brett Warren

TECHNIQUES TO HEAR AND TRY: 

  • Engage your listener with your opening line.      
  • Use images to express emotion.
  • Make your melody memorable with repetition and variation.
  • Learn to use your demo production “ears.”
Continue reading Hit Song Guide: “Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw

Hit Songwriting: “The Bones” by Maren Morris

As a songwriter in Nashville, Maren Morris has always expressed what was on her mind and never pulled punches. Her demand for honesty from other women in “Drunk Girls Don’t Cry” is forthright and refreshing. An edgy sense of humor and fresh Hip Hop-style rhymes light up the lyrics of “Rich.” And she successfully combines elements of the Rock and Blues genres in songs like “My Church” and ‘I Wish I Was.”

So it shouldn’t have come as a total surprise when Maren agreed to lend the power of her voice and attitude to Pop/Dance smash “The Middle,” helping to make that song a #1 Pop smash. Now here she is back in the Country genre with another big hit single.

 “The Bones” – Maren Morris

Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz

TECHNIQUES TO HEAR AND TRY: 

  • Give your singer plenty of character in the lyric. 
  • Add a fresh twist to a familiar lyric phrase or cliché. 
  • Change the beat emphasis in your melody to get attention.
  • Use a different phrase length in each song section.
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Hit Songwriting: “Believer” by Imagine Dragons

Learn hit songwriting. Study "Believer" by Imagine Dragons. Photo by Nolan Knight.

If you could ask Imagine Dragons a question, what would you want to know? You’d probably ask how they do write their hit songs. In fact, you can ask that question and get an answer… just by taking an in-depth look into their biggest hits.

“Believer” – Imagine Dragons

Songwriters: Daniel Wayne Sermon, Daniel Coulter Reynolds, Benjamin Arthur McKee, Daniel James Platzman, Robin Lennart Fredriksson, Mattias Per Larsson, Justin Drew Tranter

TECHNIQUES TO HEAR AND TRY: 

  • Find a fresh approach to your theme/core idea. 
  • Get listeners involved in your lyric with imagery. 
  • Use repetition to make your melody undeniable. 
  • Try a crossover genre like Pop/Rock
Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons is one of the most successful Alt Rock, Pop/Rock bands of recent times. They’ve topped the music charts with hit after hit, blowing way past the billion mark in sales and streams. They have consistently created bold, memorable melodies and emotionally authentic lyrics with themes that engage the listener’s emotions.

“Believer” was the band’s third top ten single and a worldwide hit with five times platinum sales. Its powerful lyric theme and emotion-driven chorus have been successfully featured in commercials, film trailers, and TV series.

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Hit Songwriting: “All On Me” – Devin Dawson

“All On Me” is the breakthrough debut single for Country artist Devin Dawson. It zoomed up to #2 on the Nielsen Radio charts, topping 19 million views on YouTube and 95 million listens on Spotify (and still climbing). A remarkable achievement for a single by a brand new artist.

I love digging into songs that propel a brand new artist up the charts. Those artists don’t have a billion fans breathlessly waiting for their next release, guaranteeing it shoots like a rocket straight into the Top Ten. Nope. Their releases have to make it on the strength of the song and performance. It takes an exceptional song with a lot of appeal to make that happen and that’s what makes these songs so much fun to pull apart.

SONG GUIDE

“All On Me” – Devin Dawson

Writers:  Devin Dawson, Jacob Robert Durrett, Austin Taylor Smith

TECHNIQUES TO HEAR AND TRY:

  • Use a lyric “measuring stick” to express emotion.
  • Fresh rhymes are happening in all mainstream genres.
  • Create a contemporary melody using phrase patterns.
  • Make your hook stand out with a rhythmic melody line.
Continue reading Hit Songwriting: “All On Me” – Devin Dawson