Reinventing the Wheel, the Facebook music group, has one solid rule – you have to review three other songs before you post one of your own for review. Most comments are supportive and mixed with some down to earth suggestions. This group has built up a musical community second to none as far as I can see. I love this site!
When reviewing others, I’m aware of some suggestions that I have, that might work with almost everyone’s songs. So instead of adding them to each review, I’d like to list them here. They are general, and are no more than suggestions for consideration!
1. Breathe like a singer, not a talker. Take the two hours to learn how to sing from the diaphragm. This will strengthen your voice, combat pitch problems, and even extend your singing range.
2. Don’t be afraid to use the ride cymbal – for some reason neither drummers or those programming a drum machine use this symbol anymore – it’s a great buzzing joy!
3. Double track the lead voice on the chorus or to emphasize any important words, lines, etc.
4. Double track, or triple track, every background vocal. This improves the song 90%.
5. Don’t play the same arrangement on every verse. That sounds like karaoke! Vary each verse and allow those changes to build up some drama in the song and keep the listener interested.
6. Lyrics should make sense, not on some lines but all of them. OR you can go the Dylan route and make some assorted moody phrases, and string them together in a musical surrealism. Either way its best to commit to one or the other. Hybrids of half clear and half fog, don’t work!
7. Consider two minutes for fast songs, and three minutes for ballads. Stop playing before the audience stops listening. Edit out the unnecessary repeats. Excess repeats are like telling a punch line to a joke over and over.
8. Best to sing like you talk. Make your voice direct like you are talking to the listener. Some singers are melodramatic, over the top like bad opera, and other singers whisper like a bad actor! Be honest in how you sing, and the audience will pick up on that immediately.
9. Don’t try to put everything in one song. Each song has limits. You only have a few verses to tell all. Keep it to one subject, one mood, one situation.
10 Join the music revolution!!! You don’t have a music career now, you don’t have fair compensation for your talent, and you never will; UNLESS we band together to change this once in history – The Big 3 Labels control all – mess, that we have now. Do this one thing for all of us. Share the news that music should be beyond greed, and a marketing ploy for 3 labels. Music is too important to be owned by so few.
That’s the list. Comments welcome, and once again each of you are different, and many of these may not apply for you! Play on!
Musea Zine 