Whats Next?...
What next? It is entirely understandable and laudable that as a hit writer your primary focus will be writing and recording music that you can be proud of. Sadly, it’s not realistic and it never has been possible that talent alone is all you need to be successful in the music industry. Even if you a
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Tips for a terrific track
TIPS FOR A TERRIFIC TRACK We’ve dealt with so many topics on this course; you might think that there can’t possibly be any more subjects to discuss. But song writing is a little like mathematics, you can grasp the basics very quickly but there is no end to the detail. Each discipline stretches on in
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20895-2
TIPS FOR A TERRIFIC TRACK We’ve dealt with so many topics on this course; you might think that there can’t possibly be any more subjects to discuss. But song writing is a little like mathematics, you can grasp the basics very quickly but there is no end to the detail. Each discipline stretches on in
Read →
20895
TIPS FOR A TERRIFIC TRACK We’ve dealt with so many topics on this course; you might think that there can’t possibly be any more subjects to discuss. But song writing is a little like mathematics, you can grasp the basics very quickly but there is no end to the detail. Each discipline stretches on in
Read →20895-28
TIPS FOR A TERRIFIC TRACK We’ve dealt with so many topics on this course; you might think that there can’t possibly be any more subjects to discuss. But song writing is a little like mathematics, you can grasp the basics very quickly but there is no end to the detail. Each discipline stretches on in
Read →20895-3
TIPS FOR A TERRIFIC TRACK We’ve dealt with so many topics on this course; you might think that there can’t possibly be any more subjects to discuss. But song writing is a little like mathematics, you can grasp the basics very quickly but there is no end to the detail. Each discipline stretches on in
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Vocalists
Hit writers and Studios: First considerations Congratulations! You’ve come a long way, from that first moment of inspiration to your completed song. What started as a blank sheet and frustration has blossomed into your completed contender for an Ivor Novello award. Very well done. But before you can
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Lyrics
An Introduction to Lyric Writing In these days of computers, dance beats and ring tones, it would be easy to think that the words of our songs don’t really matter as much as, say, back in the 1950s. No-ones listening, who cares what you say? Well, I’m afraid that nothing could be further from the tr
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Melodies
An Introduction to Melody Every song has a melody, just as every song has to be sung. But just what exactly is a melody? Here’s a definition that I found on the Internet: ‘the perception of pleasant arrangements of musical notes’ Great, but once again, not very helpful. Well, my definition is this;
Read →Pads and Strings
Filling in the Blanks Part Two: Pads Of all the parts in your arrangement, the importance of a pad is often the one most overlooked. And what a shame, as the right pad part can bring a track alive, increase its poignancy and emotional impact, make the track feel a million Euros. Conversely, the wron
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Supporting Rhythmic Parts
So far, we’ve taken a look at the most important set of rhythmical instruments in modern pop music; the drum kit. The kick, snare and hi-hats form the basis of almost every groove you’ll hear. But there are many other instruments available to us that can play rhythmical parts and can add an extra di
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Basslines
Filling in the Blanks Part 1: Bass Lines First considerations Many of us who have been in bands remember quite clearly the clichés associated with each member. You know the sort of thing; the singer is a rampant egotist (and usually a little thick), the guitarist is always trying to hog the limeligh
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Scales, Chords, Keys and Harmony
What’s a scale? We can define a scale as a progression of notes in an ascending or descending order. If you play the note C on a keyboard, and ascend through the next seven white notes to the right of it you have just played the scale of C Major. If you played the note A and then the next seven whit
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Rhythm!
Rhythm! The rhythmic basis of a song has never been more important than it is today, but you might be fooled into thinking that this importance is a modern phenomenon. Nothing could be further from the truth! We could trace the role of rhythm in hit writing through the ages to the dawn of civilizati
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What is a hook?
What is a Hook? Quite literally, these are the aspects of a song that ‘hook’ themselves in the listeners mind. It’s quite easy to recognise what makes a good hook, but slightly more difficult to define it. Here are some examples: Musical hooks: 50 Cent; ‘In Da Club’ The very first thing we hear is t
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Song Structure
Song Structure Structure is a way of describing how something is put together. Everything has structure, from a tree: roots, trunk branches, leaves, to a house: foundations, walls, roof. Every romantic Hollywood movie you’ve seen follows a structure: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl aga
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Music Composition - Intro
Introduction: Welcome to Point Blank’s hit writing course, your introduction to success in the music industry. At the end of each session you will be given a set of course notes which expands on the subjects discussed during the day, and allows you to listen and participate during the session rather
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