“This whole art endeavor that we’re involved with as songwriters is an amazing combination of your whole life. Bring all that you are to your songs”
In episode 68, John wraps up a 5 part series on “Writing Hit Hooks” with one of the most important, yet difficult to master keys to songwriting. Simplicity is found in every great song or hook. John shares multiple examples of famous songs that have some of the simplest and memorable hooks of all time. Often times, as songwriters we tend to overcomplicate our thoughts and try to fit 20 ideas into one song. John’s insight on simplicity in this episode with transform the way you think about writing songs and, if you apply them, will take you from being a good songwriter to becoming a great one.
“A great idea + a great hook + a great melody = a GREAT song”
This entire series will equip you with everything you need to write great hooks in your songs. At the core of songwriting, a great idea is the essence of what makes a song great. It’s nearly impossible to write great hooks without first having a great idea. Add in a great melody and you have all of the ingredients necessary to having a great song.
“If you’re struggling with hooks, you probably haven’t spent enough time developing the idea first”
As Christian songwriters, our goal is to effectively communicate the truth of God’s word in our songs. If we learn how to master the art of simplicity, our songs will connect in a much greater way. It’s not a matter of watering down your content or not being deep, rather it’s about learning to communicate a deep idea in the most effective way to the greatest number of people.
“The greatest songs share one thing – Simplicity”
Some topics we talk about in this episode:
- Introduction // John Chisum – 1:26
- Writing HIt Hooks Part 5: Simplicity – 7:25
- The Myth about Tips, Tricks, and Hacks – 9:28
- Equation for Songwriting Success – 12:15
- Capturing Better Ideas and Becoming a Better Lyricist – 19:50
- Recapping Parts 1-4 – 25:12
- The Key to Simplicity – 33:45
- Examples of Simplicity in Modern Christian Music – 37:00
- Becoming an Editor – 40:30
- Wrap Up – 43:58
How to get involved
- Join the Successful Christian Songwriters Group on Facebook and continue the discussion! https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuccessfulChristianSongwriters/
- Check out all of the resources for you to become the songwriter you were meant to be at www.nashvillechristiansongwriters.com
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