Contributed Post
If the songs we made sounded as good to an audience as they did in our head, then we’d all be superstars. Alas, that’s a message that often fails to get through to the listeners of our music. If you’re finding that people aren’t engaged in your music, then it might be time to take your songs to strange new places. All the greatest bands in history pushed the boat out, and if it was good enough for them, it’s good enough for you! Below, we take a look at how you make your existing and future songs more noteworthy.
Source: Pexels.com
Mix up the Tempo
There have been a great song made (and a few lost) just because the songwriter finally stumbled upon the right tempo for a track. Indeed, you can listen to some demo versions of famous songs that have a much slower/faster tempo; you’ll soon see just how important it is. If your song isn’t getting as much love as you’d like, consider speeding the track up or down. It’s easy enough to test out, and when you have the right tempo, you can lay the track down again.
Switch out Your Instruments
If you’re in a band, then you probably rely pretty heavily on guitars, bass, and drums. And there’s nothing wrong with them: practically every great rock song has been used on this awesome foursome! However, if that’s all you’re using, then your music could end up a bit boring. So why not switch out one of the instruments for something else? Add some strings or another instrument that would normally be considered offbeat for your music. Remember, The Beatles turned to George for a few sitar openings, and those songs sound fresh – even for The Beatles!
Take it to New Places
You might have stumbled upon a killer guitar piece for your song, but as the adage says, sometimes you have to kill your darlings. No matter how good it sounds, by the end of a four-minute track, the sound will have become repetitive and boring. Add a dominant seventh chord, or applied dominant chord; they serve a similar function. It’ll cause a modulation, which will give the song variety and a bit of color.
Work on the Lyrics
Listen, we know that lyrics can be difficult. They don’t just come from thin air. However, many songwriters try to let their music do all the talking, and instead blurt out words that have value, but not to the songwriter in particular; they’re too generic. Even if they don’t catch them the first time around, your song will have greater long-term appeal if the lyrics have some depth. If they’re worthy of a second listen, effectively.
Listen to the Audience!
Finally, remember that if you want your audience to like your music, it might be worth listening to what they say about your songs. If they’re saying they’re too long, or not interesting enough; then you have something to work with. Make the people happy!
