Since 1995, Li'l Hank's
Guide For Songwriters has been one of the premiere resources for
songwriters and musicians all over the world. It doesn't matter if
you're into country, rock, hip-hop, blues, swing or any other style.
If you are a creator of lyrics or a composer of music then you've
come to an excellent place. Inside you will find all kinds of advice
and tips on lyric writing, song publishing, copyright information,
performing, music law, recording, live music, venues, books, and inspiration
for what you do. Of course, you are not
obligated to buy anything. Hopefully, though, you will bookmark this
site and visit often, because we want to improve your odds of success
in this crazy career you've chosen. A Word From HalI've always been an information junkie. Since I am a singer/songwriter myself, I have a natural tendency to ask all the same questions and have had many of the same experiences as you have or are about to have. I'm your psychic friend 'cause I've already been there in a lot of cases and I know what you're gonna want to know and I've gleaned a lot of information from both sides of the fence. I was a singing waiter for six years, I've attended expos, seminars, played every type of room possible, had airplay, worked off and on for five years as a volunteer at The National Academy of Songwriters, interned for Winston Music Publishers, and have hosted and performed in manyl open mics and showcases. But most importantly, I have kept my eyes and ears open, met a lot of people and continue to perform live and write and network. Below is a recent exchange I had with a young songwriter who signed my guestbook. For more Ask Li'l Hank, click the button at the bottom of the page. Enjoy and remember - It's what you learn after you "know it all" that counts. Hal's personal website: The
Hal Cohen Network |
Hal's Tip Jar Hal's column is always filled with valuable tips and information (and sometimes, he just gets on his soapbox and starts bitchin' about stuff). |
Ask Li'l HankI'm a singer/songwriter, and I've recently startedplaying around at local venues. So far the response has been pretty good. My problem is that many of my songs are intricate, and demand a listening audience. When I play a bar, or whenever the crowd is active, I juice my songs up a bit, leave off some of the picking and find a more groovy strumming pattern. But I'm not sure if, or how much, I should do this. I'm scared that if I play my songs the way I wrote them, I'll be making them harder to listen to, since they are emotionally powerful songs. At the same time, much of what I think makes my music unique and my songs memorable, and what gives them their emotional charge, is the intricacy. I have tried to take my cues from the artists I like to listen to, but while many of my favorite musicians, like Ani Difranco, Poe, and Dave Matthews (all of whom do generally what I do) have songs that you really have to just listen to, I only ever hear their cd's, so I don't know what they did when they were starting out as solo acts in their home cities. Can you offer any advice? Thanks, Mat --------------------------------------------- Hi Mat - ![]()
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