Tag: robin frederick

Write a song like “Driver’s License” – Olivia Rodrigo

WHY THIS SONG?
“Driver’s License” is the debut single by Olivia Rodrigo. It got a lot of attention for the way it raced up the music charts and piled up millions of listens on stream-on-demand sites like Spotify and Apple Music. It quickly rose to #1 on the Pop music charts in the U.S and U.K with double platinum sales.

Rodrigo already had a throng of fans from her roles in successful Disney TV series like High School Musical, and there was a strong marketing push for the song from the record label as well (which is one reason artists still sign record deals).

But all of that does not take away from the fact that the song has a ton of appeal and is extremely well crafted. So, let’s pull it apart to see what makes it work and get some ideas for songs of your own.

Continue reading Write a song like “Driver’s License” – Olivia Rodrigo

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

Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting: Revised and Updated

Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting Revised and Updated at Amazon now.

The new edition of Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting is finally a reality. All the Shortcuts from the first edition are expanded and updated with the latest hit song examples, plus new Shortcuts covering today’s must-have songwriting tools. 

There’s so much information, I needed three e-books to cover all 178 song crafting techniques. Read a book from beginning to end or bounce around looking for just the tool you need to turn your new chorus into a hit. You can put every Shortcut to use the minute you start working on a song. Check out all three books on Amazon where you can see the complete Table of Contents and download a free sample.

At just $9.99 each, pick one up right now and get started. If you don’t have an eReader, no problem! Download the free Kindle app and read across all your devices. Print books are in the works for spring, 2020.