Prolific songwriters

[jchitty]

I'm wondering....how many songs do you have to have to 'impress' a publisher if he's interested in your work? I've heard that good songwriters have written at least 250 songs or more.....some like Diane Warren or Jeffrey Steele have written over a thousand.I read where Big & Rich had written over 900 songs before Nashville came calling.....or is it just a matter of quality over quanity?And if you're prolific, is that a sign that you really have the potential to be successful in the biz? (provided your songs are fairly good)

[jchitty]

Not that I was saying Big & Rich don't write quality songs, I love their stuff.

[horacejesse]

Pretty interesting question. How do writers like Bob Dylan do it so often? He must go around at all times feeling like his wife just left him or worse, if all those songs are dependent on emotions he is presently feeling.I would say he probably has excellent access to all those feelings he has felt in the past. On the other side of the coin I would bet that, just like for many of us, getting songs finished is somewhat of an exercise in persistence for him also.All songwriters would not have the same batting average. Some write great songs often, some find them only occasionally. It is hard for us to know how many mediocre songs Dylan or Big & Rich write between the great ones. We are more aware of our own batting average.But if a songwriter has written what I call 5 great songs, I call that songwriter great. Three great songs is a topnotch writer but not yet in the highest league.

[jeffe]

I'd say quality.Look at a lot of the deals offered. 1 to 3 years on average. That's probably worth a few albums. So that's about 20 - 40 songs.

[jchitty]

Quote:Pretty interesting question. How do writers like Bob Dylan do it so often? He must go around at all times feeling like his wife just left him or worse, if all those songs are dependent on emotions he is presently feeling.I would say he probably has excellent access to all those feelings he has felt in the past. On the other side of the coin I would bet that, just like for many of us, getting songs finished is somewhat of an exercise in persistence for him also.All songwriters would not have the same batting average. Some write great songs often, some find them only occasionally. It is hard for us to know how many mediocre songs Dylan or Big & Rich write between the great ones. We are more aware of our own batting average.But if a songwriter has written what I call 5 great songs, I call that songwriter great. Three great songs is a topnotch writer but not yet in the highest league. I agree with you, Horace. I read somewhere that a songwriter might write as many as 100 songs, and maybe only 7 of those are 'good' or even 'great.' And I'm sure they're are great songwriters not even being heard, while the mediocre ones write songs like pulp fiction writers turn out novels, but yet, they are millionaires with commericial hits.One of my favorite songs is "Seminole Wind' by John Anderson.....I don't know if he could be considered a 'great writer', (maybe because he's still 'new' in some eyes) but he's one of my faves.....him, Merle, Loretta, Roger Miller, Jimmy Webb, Tom T. Hall, J. Cash, Waylon and Kris... all good ones.

[jchitty]

Quote:I'd say quality.Look at a lot of the deals offered. 1 to 3 years on average. That's probably worth a few albums. So that's about 20 - 40 songs.Duly noted. I can't get off this computer tonight....it's like eating peanuts.

[jchitty]

Quote:Quote:Pretty interesting question. How do writers like Bob Dylan do it so often? He must go around at all times feeling like his wife just left him or worse, if all those songs are dependent on emotions he is presently feeling.I would say he probably has excellent access to all those feelings he has felt in the past. On the other side of the coin I would bet that, just like for many of us, getting songs finished is somewhat of an exercise in persistence for him also.All songwriters would not have the same batting average. Some write great songs often, some find them only occasionally. It is hard for us to know how many mediocre songs Dylan or Big & Rich write between the great ones. We are more aware of our own batting average.But if a songwriter has written what I call 5 great songs, I call that songwriter great. Three great songs is a topnotch writer but not yet in the highest league. I agree with you, Horace. I read somewhere that a songwriter might write as many as 100 songs, and maybe only 7 of those are 'good' or even 'great.' And I'm sure they're are great songwriters not even being heard, while the mediocre ones write songs like pulp fiction writers turn out novels, but yet, they are millionaires with commericial hits.One of my favorite songs is "Seminole Wind' by John Anderson.....I don't know if he could be considered a 'great writer', (maybe because he's still 'new' in some eyes) but he's one of my faves.....him, Merle, Loretta, Roger Miller, Jimmy Webb, Tom T. Hall, J. Cash, Waylon and Kris... all good ones.Terrible editing, typos and spelling in my post, but I'm tired.

[Casey H]

HiI am very much non-prolific. That has always been a problem for me- I only crank out about 1 song a year sometimes! I wish I could grind them out like many other folks do. That's why I think co-writing is so important. One person might have an idea, and the other can expand on it, and it all grows by feeding off of each other's ideas.Now, for folks who are just breaking in to this biz... Many, many single song contracts are given out by music publishers. So, if you have one great song ("great" being backed by pro-feedback), you should be pitching the hell out of it! I have never heard of new writers not getting publishing contracts without having at least 3 really good songs. I am not talking here about singing with big-time publishers or staff writer deals. Most new folks won't get those opportunities for a long time anyway. Yes, it is good to have 3 really good ones on your demo CD, but don't hold back on pitching just one. In fact, sending a CD with only one song can even be a tool to get publishers to listen! Some really like getting CDs like that where they don't have to plow through to get to the "gem". cAsEy

[horacejesse]

I have a lot of respect for Rodney Crowell's songwriting. I was wild for Roseanne Cash, and some of that was due to the incredible songs Crowell wrote for her.Jimmy Webb always reaches high.I've spent a fair amont of time kicking around the ASCAP and BMI repetoire sites. It isn't unusual for some of the top writers to have 600 to a 1000 songs and up. Out of all those, only a handul (like six or fewer usually) are "award winning" songs.

[hummingbird]

Ralph Murphy said, at a s/w workship I attended, that a pro songwriter has to write 50 to 100 songs to find 1 or 2 really good ones. I took that to heart. I am pretty prolific... I try to write a little bit of something every day - a scrap of lyric, a motif, another line in something I'm working on. So far this year I've written somewhere around 22 pieces & I have about 5 unfinished at the moment. I think my cataloque is around 300 songs in the last 3.5 years. But only a few are really really good. So what's the point? To write. To exercise the muscle. To grow. I also write prose everyday... it keeps the inspiration flowing. I also believe in re-writing ... just get that idea out there down on paper and then worry about crafting it into something.H