Songwriters,Write Songs For Free And Prosper!!

Most Songwriters write songs for the wrong reason. I said wrong reason, in the singular. They think that every song they write has to be part of an album of their band, or one of their so called signature songs in order to make money. Then when they aren't successful at first they get frustrated and don't write as much. Then if an album isn't successful or they get bad reviews they literally give up, because media or other musicians don't like their songs. You have to think differently than that.

Or you could take up Shark Petting in the Indian Ocean. Tough choice I know, it's a head scratcher.


Write songs to gain experience and offer to write songs for free on your band website. Don't even try to sell them as Mp3's. That's defeating the purpose of songwriting when you first start writing songs. Do it mainly to learn as you go along in your career as a songwriting musician. If you really are a dedicated writer you won't be able to stop writing songs. As Canadian Bass Player Mike Nelson said about Pete Denomme...

"Pete's a Songwriting Machine!"



Thinking Differently About Marketing Your Songs By Pushing The Free Line:

What I mean by that is offer your songs for free on your band website to your fans and other musicians. You'll develop fans more willingly and organically if you offer your songs for free at first, and fans won't think you're just trying to sell them something. As well, offer to write songs for other bands for free. What? You're probably seething and frothing at the mouth now, especially the musicians who actually make money as songwriters. Yes, offer to write songs for free.

Don't worry if a band actually uses it and makes money from a song you wrote for them. So what. The more artists you help by writing free songs for them the more experience and songwriting chops you'll gain as a result. Start approaching record labels and songwriting groups to learn what is involved in writing or marketing song.

Eventually, become part of Songwriting societies that protect your songs like The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and The Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (SOCAN) in Canada. Keeping on pushing the free line offering to write free songs for studios who need song writers.


But songs on your band's CD's are keepers and should be protected. Learn all you can about royalties, protecting your songs and keep pushing the free line.


Mark Grove

Warren Haynes Tech Brian Farmer Talks About Challenges In Getting That Sweet Sound From Warren and Derek Trucks Amps--And How Band's With 2 Axemen Can Benefit

Brian Farmer,Tech for Warren Haynes talks about getting both Warren's and Derek's amps to gel together for a better tone. And why even though both players have played and composed music that is similar, that playing even in different band's can sometimes make it difficult to get dual guitarist's sound to get to the Sweet Spot". As well Brian talks about amps and the fact that you can sometimes get the right sound without even realizing it, and without tweaking it much.

Brian also stated that Warren likes to keep things simple with amp settings and not have to crank it like many players. Brian refers to two things specifically on the amp that players can tweak to get amps to mould together for better tone. Don't constantly tweak everything thinking that somehow magically your sound will be kick ass.

I guarantee yor band will learn a lot and they should all watch it together. Much success in creating your band's original sound.

Robert Plant Gives Out Marketing Advice Today's Players Should Heed From an Interview in 1975

This is a repost from early last year that I felt today's players should listen to. Little did Robert know how revolutionary his words would be, especially in the modern era of recorded music and being an independent musician and business person in today's music industry. It's a short video guys and you should listen closely
to it.

Robert Plant talks about why full albums are the true mark of a band, and that singles don't hold any weight. As well that real fans were buying albums in Europe in 1975 and in North America we were buying singles that Atlantic Records put out. Your band could turn around that marketing and use singles to market a band. But a true sign is it's creativity and original work in a full album, not  singles.

I think every band out there should watch this short interview with Plant and gain some insight on how to market like a true band. As well I'm doing some research on some old Jimmy Page interviews, and I'll have some gold nuggets on how Page used his recording studio wizardry in the age of Analog to his band's and other band's benefit.

Mark G

Why Guitar Players Have To Develop Their Own Tone And Playing Style--And Not Relying On Effects Or Modeling Amps--Arggh!!

I see too many musicians use effects pedals and stomps to color or add texture and tone to their playing, in essence ruining their original intentions. Then what happens is they don't learn to develop their own tone or feel using an axe and amp only.Then the effects become a crutch if you will to dial up some effect that does nothing to enhance your own tone or playing. You might think it will but you'll end up using it constantly never developing any original tone or feel in your playing. So here is what to do you all. Leave your effects pedals at home the next time your band practices or jams. And don't use any effects from your amps either.

Now, just using your volume and treble and bass setting on your axe along with the distortion and volume on your amp rig, tweak these settings so they coincide with the type of music you play, and variate it a little as well. And you don't need to cranl your amp either. by doing all this it will be like recording or playing Analog style. But better yet, record it and see what great elements of your sound and style shine through when playing using just the axe and amp.

A lot of players who use effects and rack units have a tough time getting a handle on analog settings in this age of digital BS. That's why it's best to go back to the stone ages of rock n' roll where all the great sounds emanated from, recording riffs and chords using more bass distortion off your amp and playing riffs like a bass player, not a lead guitarist.

By playing lead guitar like a bass player you'll become more creative as well when using just your axe and amp to modify your tone. If you're creative enough, and I know at least some of you are, you'll come up with tones,textures and riffs that will astound you, your band and your fans.

By using less technology and more basic or Analog based equipment, it will force you to become creative when playing and recording, to develop your own original tone. But if you're hell bent on using effects and digital technology to the detriment of your sound--then this article is useless to you and you better get out of music. Some of music's best players learned how to create their own original tone using their guitar,amp and recording it to 4 track cassette players at the most.

I know I'd be impressed if you did. I always love seeing an old Tascam 4 track tape recorder in a player's home studio. Makes me feel good knowing they use the old hat technology to get really creative with. So get started today using your axe, amp and maybe a 4 track player or even a ghetto blaster with a dual tape deck.

Then get a little Jiggy using just analog equipment and really get creative. I think a lot of blues cats from the 30's and on would be proud of you if you did and did it with flair, not digital crap.

Mark Grove

Bottom Feeder Series--Basic Bass Playing Bassline Tip

"I Like To Say, "The Sky Belonged To Jimi and the Earth Belonged To Me" (Billy Cox) Jimi Hendrix Bass Player for The Band Of Gypsys 

First of all,I have to say I can't read music and nor do I know what a note is or the chorus of a song is for that matter. Some of you are probably thinking, how can this guy call himself a music journalist?

Yeah, I'm kind of a dunce in that regard and I don't worry much about it.

But how many musicians do you know that can't read music? Probably more than you think. But I digress. Lets get back to what this bass playing tips article is about. Okay, I was reading an old article

in Bass Guitar Mag by one of metal's ultimate bottom feeders'--that being Shadows Fall Paul Romanko.

He talked about the give and take between Bass, drums and what's involved in effectively playing a solid bassline without playing over the drums, and giving the bassline what it needs. This in effect means 2 things. First knowing when to work around lead guitar and drums without stepping on the basic chord and riff progression. Also, using differing chords and riffs when fretting to change it up a bit as well.

But here's the rub bottom feeders,when anyone kicks the playing up a notch keep the bottom down and don't play above the fray so to speak. Meaning keep the bottom down and don't play above every one chord or tempo wise. Got it?

But when someone else lays back a bit or you see their phrasing has textural spacing in-between, that is your cue to either noodle around their chording or step on the bassline just slightly in between their phrasing to give it a different feel. Basically your bassline should serve the song and comp the tune in a way that benefits everyone. In some respect giving a good bassline what it needs for everyone else. It's kind of like doing session work. What I mean is if you're an old pro at creating a great bassline you will know almost to the note when to complement the song with your bass stylings and go above the fold just slightly and when to lay back and hold down the fort.

But a pro bass player can put in his style of playing at sessions whether live or in the studio and it serve the song in a way that makes it better. You won't always do it in a way everyone likes,but if you're a straight ahead player who listens and studies like a bastard you'll do well as an in demand bottom Dweller!

Maybe I'm talking friggin' jibberish and don't know shit. I think if you practice your ass off with your band and learn all you can you'll do well as a bass player and be served well holding down the earth like Paul Romanko and Billy Cox.

Mark Grove

How To Promote Other Bands Create Value For Them--And Get A Cut Of The Profits to Boot!

By Mark Grove

Some players asked for this article again as well as more audios and even a video of me talking about how to make a Press Kit for their band. Or doing the same for other bands and creating Joint Ventures with them that work. But for now this article will do. But later in the new year I'm actually going to do more audios and some videos so you can learn and implement these strategies more efficiently for your band.

I know you guys need this type of "How To" info for your band and other ones who I know have it in them to succeed wildly! Start off with this article and get creating a solid press pack and helping local bands. Then make some cash you deserve.  Really smart bands out there are going the DIY way. With the advent of the Internet it’s been even easier to get your “stuff” online. But most can’t drive the traffic they need to generate any sales or interest. Going the major label route or even using an indie label is more risky than it appears.

You’re probably thinking, that’s bullshit Mark! Why should I take all the risk when someone else can do it for me.Yeah, that may well be. But they usually end up taking half the profits and ask that you give their producers points on projects. Does that make logical sense guys and gals?

Any bands with a lot of drive and determination will do it the DIY way. That’s the only way your band should be going. I talk about doing it yourself and you should be. You can set up a Myspace or Word press blog and start plugging your band’s Mp3’s for free at first with questions for fans to answer. Have band interviews done by other band members. Have a lot of how to stuff for other musicians and even get some rabid fans with a lot of drive to interview your band. Even set up a press conference at your gigs. Forget mainstream media. Remember what I said about mainstream media. Basically, Fuck them!

Look at college Radio and college papers and magazines. Part of that can be creating value for other bands by doing interviews with them and putting them on your blog. Going back to College Media. They can create the real fans of music that really understand your music, and chances are they'll be rabid fans who buy your CDS and go to your gigs.

But the concentration should be helping your band and helping other bands as well. In two other articles that can really help your band help others is starting an A& R consultancy service for bands, and your own online label. If you don’t know what A& R is,it's called Artist and Repetoire and it's bands send you their CD’s for a critique and what they need to do to tighten up the work or edit certain areas of their recordings. These bands are hoping to get a deal as well. Interview the bands who are good enough and put their MP3’s on your blog.

One thing I always tell bands to do as well is record a 4 song EP on Analog Cassette. An old Tascam       off Ebay if you can find one. The reason I say to do this is it will force your band to be creative  recording without using digital technology. Then when you do record with digital technology you can infuse warm, natural sounding Analog feel to your recordings. A lot more fans love analog, not just  us oldtimers.

Ask your fans what they want in that regard. Now going back to working with other bands. You can write articles for them, record them and making extra cash selling their material. This can lead to producing and selling that band’s CD’s at their gigs. Once other bands see what you're doing they'll want your help as  well. Even making 10 percent off bookings as well as CD sales.

Always create value for bands, don't just be all business. it's a relationship guys.

Focus on playing gigs, joint ventures with other bands and selling CDs at gigs as well. Besides making extra cash with your own band you can help out local and regional bands and make a lot of extra cash in off the beaten path ways.

Forget selling rock band merch as well. Keep your money in your pocket. But if you want to work with independent labels, offer to write articles for their musicians and do promotions for their bands. But ask for a cut of the profits of the bands you work with. At least 5 to 10 percent. This way your hand is in their cookie jar without having to do a deal with them in a way that has your band lose 50% of their income. They might have a modern studio with Pro tools or top of the line recording equipment and that could help your band and others you work with.

By offering them free services writing and promo of their bands can get you more than you think, and eventually a cut of other band’s profits, not your band. Like I said do it your way. This is the only way a band should go.

Email me with your questions on this subject, or want your band interviewed in a DIY way.

email me for more info at: mdgrove@rock.com

Keith Richards Interview 1974: Why Playing Live Is The Pulse Of A Band and Doing Rythm Guitar Session Work Can Fuel Your Leads

This 1974 interview with Keith Richards was when The Stones were in England at the time and contemplating doing some US Shows. Keith was doing a lot of Sessions and was working with Ronnie Wood as well in some rythm work.

Richards talks about why bands need to focus on doing shows and to keep on doing what you love as a musician in your own band.

Your band and you as a musician can learn a lot from interviews with the top players from the 60's and 70's like Keith.

Mark