DBXXL WEEKLY MUSIC PRODUCTION/SONGWRITING TIP
“Jazze Pha quoted that he completed the instrumental in four minutes(for 1, 2 step). Pha said after feeling the others’ energy in the recording studio makes “the best ones come real quick, in like four to eight minutes.”
Piggybacking off of last week’s music production/songwriting tip, I am willing to bet that Pha did create this joint quickly but in 4 or 8 minutes? Nah.
“Jazze Pha quoted that he completed the instrumental in four minutes(for 1, 2 step). Pha said after feeling the others’ energy in the recording studio makes “the best ones come real quick, in like four to eight minutes.”
Piggybacking off of last week’s music production/songwriting tip, I am willing to bet that Pha did create this joint quickly but in 4 or 8 minutes? Nah.
The reason I say nah is sometimes the machines take that long to load, sync and work…lol But on the real I think the song shell aka main basis of the track may have came swiftly or he may even had the beat pre-programmed from another session but the subtle nuances to that song such as orchestration, effects, etc. to finish out the track always have to be worked out & take time I don’t care who you are. Now in his position as a music producer he most likely has others who can come in and handle those additional duties. Granted, I wasn’t there to see & know for sure Pha’s statement is true or not but in my experience one can make the dopest track quickly but when it comes to the nuances to sweeten the track & make it even doper or to make it a more finished commercial song, it just will take much longer than a few minutes. I respect Pha but conventional understanding of this industry just leads me to another conclusion when it comes to songwriting and music production. No matter whether you separate the process of writing a song & the production or have it involved in the process. Just my thoughts.
The main misconception of today’s music is that you make platinum records in minutes. A million and one websites are promoting how you can make platinum beats for the low and little effort…smh Technology has made it easier for hobbyist, as well as, professional musicians to create music but let’s not trade swiftness for quality in the process. I say to all those who perpetrate such falsity on these website, in my Cee-Lo voice “Well, Fugg uuuuuu!!! cause’ your destroying this art.
Without a doubt some songs will come as free flowing as water but songwriting is a craft no different than being an attorney, mechanic, actor, etc. It requires a steady and regular development. The only way this can be done is to create daily. Creation daily still does not guarantee you will make a hit everytime you write or that you will be able to write songs faster and faster though usually regular songwriting does increase these aspects.
Billy Joel perhaps one of the greatest American songwriters in this and the past era was known for his long, dry and tough droughts with songwriting. So would anyone say he is not a professional because he is slow? You better not that dude is in the Hall of Fame. Or if he isn’t he will be.
In fact, this idea that music creation these days takes little or no effort is the main cause to why hip hop and other styles music production are not valued in the manner it should. Though the music industry is littered with hobbyist competing with professionals for slots the reality is in many respects hip hop/rnb production has played itsself out by braggadoccio techniques no different than the crack game did for street CEOS. At some point, the execessive braggadoccio nature of hip hop, misinformation, and the lowering of the standards required for hit records would come back to bite this genre in the butt. The worse thing it has bitten the entire urban sector of music in the butt. If you think I am being too tough on hip hop/rnb just check out the top 50 records and see that unlike the early 2000’s, 1990’s, and 80’s there is very little if no diversity in the recordings. Sometimes, I can’t even tell the difference between one artist to the next because so many of the recordings have the same beat, same drum sounds, same recycling of the same formula.
But even with all that being said I believe that hip hop & rnb are going to make a comeback in the next year or so, why? Because there has to be a new direction to replace all the great the musicians we have lost in the past several years. I’m seeing signs in the RNB sector by the release of Brandy & Monica’s new song. I try to liken this era to the late 70’s era where it was switching between disco/funk to pop-techno. You know what I can’t even compare it because even that era has classics that folks still bump. Bottom line: I view this music thing with hope because I am the future even though I was a part of its past and hopefully more musicians who love this art will view it the same way.
check out this link on Diane Warren’s thoughts of the songwriting process and my Professor who taught me how to write better songs, Jack Perricone, Berklee College of Music professor and hit songwriter:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127988439
DBXXL:
THE HARDEST WORKING MUSIC PRODUCER AND ALL AROUND ENTREPRENEUR IN THE GAME!
FUTURE SHIIII!!!!!!!!!!
SONGWRITING QUOTES:
“As with anything, experience and practice make your skills more proficient. I’ve worked at songwriting for many years and I hope that with each song I write I get better and better at my skill.” ~ Diane Warren, Multi Hit Songwriter
“A songwriter’s supreme challenge is being complex and simple at the same time.” ~Paul Simon
“If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.” ~ Billy Joel, Songwriter
“There’s a saying, ‘It’s easy to write songs, but very difficult to write great songs.’ I’m going through that right now.” ~ Bryan Adams
“You should listen to songs and listen to what works. Listen to why a song is a hit. Check it out—not to imitate it, but there are certain things that work - hooks and melodies. Hear what works through the ages” ~ Diane Warren
”I don’t recommend analyzing a market or particular artist too much. Write the best song you can and let the professionals figure out what to do with it” ~ Billy Steinberg, songwriter of #1 Hits “Like a Virgin”, “True Colors”, “Eternal Flame”, “Alone”, etc.
“Don’t fall in love with everything you write, many of the times it can be improved” ~ Ken Hirsch, Hit Songwriter of songs such as: “I’ve Never Been To Me”, “If I Could”, etc and First Prize winner of 15thAnnual USA Songwriting Competition
The main misconception of today’s music is that you make platinum records in minutes. A million and one websites are promoting how you can make platinum beats for the low and little effort…smh Technology has made it easier for hobbyist, as well as, professional musicians to create music but let’s not trade swiftness for quality in the process. I say to all those who perpetrate such falsity on these website, in my Cee-Lo voice “Well, Fugg uuuuuu!!! cause’ your destroying this art.
Without a doubt some songs will come as free flowing as water but songwriting is a craft no different than being an attorney, mechanic, actor, etc. It requires a steady and regular development. The only way this can be done is to create daily. Creation daily still does not guarantee you will make a hit everytime you write or that you will be able to write songs faster and faster though usually regular songwriting does increase these aspects.
Billy Joel perhaps one of the greatest American songwriters in this and the past era was known for his long, dry and tough droughts with songwriting. So would anyone say he is not a professional because he is slow? You better not that dude is in the Hall of Fame. Or if he isn’t he will be.
In fact, this idea that music creation these days takes little or no effort is the main cause to why hip hop and other styles music production are not valued in the manner it should. Though the music industry is littered with hobbyist competing with professionals for slots the reality is in many respects hip hop/rnb production has played itsself out by braggadoccio techniques no different than the crack game did for street CEOS. At some point, the execessive braggadoccio nature of hip hop, misinformation, and the lowering of the standards required for hit records would come back to bite this genre in the butt. The worse thing it has bitten the entire urban sector of music in the butt. If you think I am being too tough on hip hop/rnb just check out the top 50 records and see that unlike the early 2000’s, 1990’s, and 80’s there is very little if no diversity in the recordings. Sometimes, I can’t even tell the difference between one artist to the next because so many of the recordings have the same beat, same drum sounds, same recycling of the same formula.
But even with all that being said I believe that hip hop & rnb are going to make a comeback in the next year or so, why? Because there has to be a new direction to replace all the great the musicians we have lost in the past several years. I’m seeing signs in the RNB sector by the release of Brandy & Monica’s new song. I try to liken this era to the late 70’s era where it was switching between disco/funk to pop-techno. You know what I can’t even compare it because even that era has classics that folks still bump. Bottom line: I view this music thing with hope because I am the future even though I was a part of its past and hopefully more musicians who love this art will view it the same way.
check out this link on Diane Warren’s thoughts of the songwriting process and my Professor who taught me how to write better songs, Jack Perricone, Berklee College of Music professor and hit songwriter:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127988439
DBXXL:
THE HARDEST WORKING MUSIC PRODUCER AND ALL AROUND ENTREPRENEUR IN THE GAME!
FUTURE SHIIII!!!!!!!!!!
SONGWRITING QUOTES:
“As with anything, experience and practice make your skills more proficient. I’ve worked at songwriting for many years and I hope that with each song I write I get better and better at my skill.” ~ Diane Warren, Multi Hit Songwriter
“A songwriter’s supreme challenge is being complex and simple at the same time.” ~Paul Simon
“If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.” ~ Billy Joel, Songwriter
“There’s a saying, ‘It’s easy to write songs, but very difficult to write great songs.’ I’m going through that right now.” ~ Bryan Adams
“You should listen to songs and listen to what works. Listen to why a song is a hit. Check it out—not to imitate it, but there are certain things that work - hooks and melodies. Hear what works through the ages” ~ Diane Warren
”I don’t recommend analyzing a market or particular artist too much. Write the best song you can and let the professionals figure out what to do with it” ~ Billy Steinberg, songwriter of #1 Hits “Like a Virgin”, “True Colors”, “Eternal Flame”, “Alone”, etc.
“Don’t fall in love with everything you write, many of the times it can be improved” ~ Ken Hirsch, Hit Songwriter of songs such as: “I’ve Never Been To Me”, “If I Could”, etc and First Prize winner of 15thAnnual USA Songwriting Competition
- dbxxl posted this