First off good on you for putting your first song up here at such a young age. Here’s what I’ve learned in 25 years of writing and playing my music.

1 first and foremost learn to take and appreciate criticism and critiques. Criticism and critiques aren’t people being ignorant to you, they’re just telling you what you may need to work on to better yourself.

2 save some coin and order a mic Shure ball mic

3 keep writing, and then write some more. Then when you think you’re done, sit down and write more. Then read over what you’ve written and fix things that don’t work.

4 read about other songwriters and poets. Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits etc.etc. These people have made a living and surpassed anything we will ever do, but they can help you along the way in discovering what you’re good at writing wise.

5 don’t give up. If music is what you’re passionate about find your voice and use your mind to write about things that mean something to you. It means so much more to a crowd, when the songs you’re singing mean something to you.

So I have this other song called excited that uses open G tuning. The bass player in my band (who is also a guitarist) wrote the chord progression/riff and I came up with the vocal melody while he played the chord progression. I came up with the first few lines of the song on the spot and spent the next week coming up with lyrics after I had the melody in my head. I have a tiny moleskine notebook that fits in my backpocket so I was carrying that around coming up with lyrics randomly throughout my day.

I should start off by saying that songwriting is a different experience for everyone - everyone writes songs differently. I'll share my process and some other ideas.

The way I write songs is by using a program called Musescore. This makes things a bit easier and allows me to hear all the instruments in the piece together before I go ahead and record. Usually pre-Musescore I have ideas already thrown around in my head and I staple them in there and contribute other instruments. Musescore, personally I think, is also a good way to learn music theory if you're interested in that.

If you want to begin recording, and if you have an Apple device, go mess around in GarageBand. When you want to get more serious about recording, look into things like Studio One or Pro Tools or Abeleton, etc.

Songs begin with an idea of a lyric or musical riff or head and you just layer other things on and just mess around and see what sounds good. Start writing lyrics, start thinking of riffs, just whatever sounds good to you. The only way to become a good songwriter is to write, write, write, and write what you know and what sounds good to you. Write for yourself, not other people. Good luck, and welcome to the world of songwriting!

totally agree. I like putting subtle references and hidden meanings behind lyrics so they are more than what they appear. This way its more of a personal work of art that shows your understanding and background of a topic.

Example- my song https://soundcloud.com/davidbatchelor-3/follow-the-rivers - is about a breakup that I couldnt stop. It also has a La Dispute ref, running theme/character of 'The King' and a ref to the fall of the Soviet Union.

I'm a fan of Pat Pattison's book "Writing better lyrics". He has some nice organizational techniques for rhyme scheme and what types of words can convey better emotion/meaning. It's fairly cheap on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779

A few books I've read that deal with the subject(and helped me get passed my blocks) were "The Artist's Way" and "The War of Art", 2 really great books.

The best overall advice I can give you is to first to show up at the page. If you want to write, you have to sit down with your guitar and transcription device(computer or notepad, whatevs) and start getting ideas down. Some of them are gonna be bad ideas but don't judge them until it's ready. And it won't be ready to after it's done, and you've let it soak for a few days. Only then should you judge it.

Another thing that really helped me is journalling every morning. Just stream of consciousness writing for about 3 pages. I will just write down the exact thoughts that are going through my mind at the time. That way, I just get it out there.

Lastly, when you start to get a song worked out. Try listening more than you try to write. I find that if I'm getting stuck on a part, it's usually because I'm thinking to hard. I'll shut up my internal voice for a second, actually listen to the song, and often times it will just show up in my head. I can't tell you how many songs I've written that I was listening to what the song wanted more than I wanted to write about. Check out those books, at least the Artist's Way.. you'll never be blocked again.

Well, lets work this out. We need a vocal melody? Start my looping the main part. I just play it over and over on a guitar... feels more organic that way. And sing. Sing something. Sing anything (well not other peoples's songs) Keep singing until something sticks. Now make yourself sing words over it. Embarrassed? Find a place to be alone and sing louder. Think less and sing more. You want to spend your mental energy processing what you just sang not thinking of what comes next. You're going to be your own listener. Words not coming out? Make your self sing words. No La la la's. words. They don't have to make sense. Just sing and listen till something feels right.

Now you've got a phrase or two and can start figuring out what the song is about. What emotions are you evoking? Who are your characters? How does it make you feel? How do you want the audience to feel? Unhappy? Sing more.

The way you fight writer's block is by hitting it with a bulldozer. Make yourself sing longer and louder. Reach deeper. Writer's block is for people that don't know how to push themselves that much harder.

Still a problem? get the book "On Writing" by Stephen King. Read it. Take the advice and apply it to songs. Work hard. Your first efforts are going to suck. That's just the way it is. You want to finish those first two.... ten... two hundred songs to get the crappy ones out of the way. You'll hit some gems in there but quality is going to come from quantity (so long as you always push yourself to be better).

So go get a melody and some words and bring them back. We'll work at it till you have something and you can start the next one.

We'll be here to help you get a chorus or a bridge when it gets that far. Feel free to ask me or any of us anything. If you want a co-writer I'm sure someone would help. But what you need to do right now is go find a melody and at least a phrase or two to frame the song. Bring that back and we'll move on.

Well what's your story? Tell that. Also you can tone things down at different venues. I play totally different at a music venue as to a Sunday afternoon at a winery, even if it's the same songs.

"Hi, I'm a singer songwriter from xxxxx. With 2 hours of mostly original songs and a few carefully chosen covers, I'd love to come entertain your guests.

I can provide my own PA and adjust my performance to suit both your venue and audience. As well as performing I can also provide you with a poster so you can publicize the event before hand. I will do the same on my social media networks.

I look forward to having the opportunity to play and entertaining your guests."

​

No mention of money. When they ask, ask them what they usually pay their musicians. Once you have that number you're set. If it's lower than $200 for 2 hours, you can say. I usually charge $200 but I can do it for xxx, so you're flexible and also making it seem like they're getting a deal. Some places throw in meals and drinks. Don't drink if it affects how you play until after. I never did.

Does that work?
Do you have a PA? If not get one something like this works great https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-PPA250BT-BEHRINGER-EUROPORT/dp/B00OVAXR50 I have this and a Fishman as a spare.

Wow, really? Thank you very much! :D I'm actually kind of embarrassed about some of the lyrics I wrote (like the usage of "just" to fill in space and the "murdered by my selfish stem" part; I don't really know what I was thinking there), but I'd be happy to give you the chords and lyrics anyways. I'm glad you enjoyed the song.

You can find the chords here, and the lyrics should be with them.

Hey there, I think you should check out Steemit.com

It's a blockchain based social platform, similar to reddit, but users get compensated for the quality of the content they share. the more upvotes and engagement something gets, the more you earn.

I know it sounds kind of crazy, or too good to be true, but check out some posts I've made money on:

$120 on a song post
https://steemit.com/music/@californicajun/original-music-on-firecracker-hill-acoustic-fingerstyle

$265 on an open mic submission (weekly contest with additional prize money)
https://steemit.com/music/@californicajun/steemit-open-mic-week-36-submission-echoes-of-regret-original-loop-improv

It's a small and growing community. I recommend checking it out.

MuseScore is life! Just got to plug it because it's such an amazing open source project. Definitely download it and mess around some time if you're bored! Also this kind of ties in to your question, sometimes I have a melody that I like and I'll write it out in MuseScore so I can mess around with different ways to harmonize it.

From a creative standpoint, you did good with what you have. There are people with lots of money and great equipment and still sound bad:) I think you should keep pursuing song writing. You will only get better with time and practice. You literally have your whole life ahead of you. If you like, download Vocal Ease on android. It has vocal warm-ups and exercises to help your voice. Just keep it consistent every other day, but don't over practice and strain your voice. For guitar, check out this dude
I wish you the best man! Keep at it:)

Another alt country writer here. I like what you're working with. Like someone already said, you'll gain more confidence in your vocals by practicing pitch matching. Match the notes on your guitar and even try working out full melodies on the guitar (which will end up being the leads in your songs).

I would make a couple suggestions. First and most important keep writing. If it's what you want to make money off of, you gotta treat it like a job and do it every day. I would also work on your storytelling. In this song I'm not clear on what the story of it is. All the normal things they teach in writing class like setting, characters, and plot all apply to songwriting. Also, pay attention to your climax and payoff. To me this song feels like it has a couple little climaxes when the chorus speeds up. Which is fine but it's less effective than building tension throughout the song and giving the payoff at the end.

You have a really good start and I want to hear you again in like 3 years after you have a couple hundred songs under your belt. The normal books I recommend to help out(and that help me) are: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, and (probably more directed) "The Craft of Lyric Writing" by Sheila Davis

I'm just glad I can help out were I can.

I do write a lot and writing helps you get better. However I think the most noticeable improvements in my writing have come from editing other people's work.

The first time I every really thought about what every word on the page meant was when I was playing editor for my brother. It's so much easier to pinpoint what you don't like in someone else's song than your own. I saw things in his writing that I really didn't like.. Then I figured out how to tell him what I didn't like and why. Turns out I was just as guilty of doing those things in my songs. I just didn't realize it. It made me much more aware of my own writing. Look that songs form strong opinions and try to put them into words. You will learn so much that way.

As far as things to study? The best thing I've read is Stephen King's "On Writing." It's not about songwriting but a lot of it applies to this craft.

Study your favorite songwriters and study some of the masters. I think any could learn something from Bob Dylan, John Prine, Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt no matter what genre you are writing for or normally listen to. There's an uncommon level of craftsmanship in their songs.

How I write? I get some chords and a melody then I sing things till something sticks... I get a line that I like and I ask myself who would sing that line. Who would they sing it to. Why are they singing it. If I can define my characters the story will write itself as i answer those questions. Then I just have to make sure it evokes the emotions I'm aiming for (which tend to me implied by the chords and melody) and make it rhyme. That's editing. That's what I practice on here.

Good luck!

It is not a per se formal course, but I trust Joseph Vadala’s advice. See if this helps: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/songwriter-theory-learn-songwriting-and-write/id1446684931?i=1000549483281

I also swear by Andrea Stolpe’s BEGINNING SONGWRITING as great step-by-step instructions with relevant exercises : https://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Songwriting-Writing-Lyrics-Melodies/dp/0876391633

Lyrics:

V1 Could you go and find that girl, in a very crowded place She's got stories in her eyes, and a most unnecessary frown on her face She'll be easy to find, I promise. She wears her heart on her sleeve Looks like she's got a lot to learn, but not enough to read oh-oh oh oh, oh-oh oh oh, ooooh

V2 Give her this letter, and tell her I'm wishing her better days ahead Just to let you know, she'll probably laugh and then she'll shake her head And she'll ask you where I am Tell her in that easy chair, in the room that's always cold Tell her that's where I am and that she doesn't need To be out there on her own Could you tell her, Could you tell her To come home

V3 Don't you even think I'm joking, I've got more to tell than you would care to hear About her laugh, her smile, the way that everything's become so clear I know what she needs, she needs a shoulder to rest her soul She needs me to pick up the pieces of her heart and make it whole

V4 And if she loves me like she said she did, she'll come running back to my arms Cause I still love her like I said I did, and I'm tired of being so far apart But if she's moved on, wish her well But if in your heart you should feel so compelled- Tell her he loves you, Tell her he loves you And he always will, he always will.

Here's a link to a recorded studio version of the song, it has bass added and a few words here and there were changed.

https://soundcloud.com/mosesandtheisraelite

Here's a baseline for my vocal quality/range (if you truly need to get an idea)
Pros: Don't have a ton of shame (willing, oh so...), moderate flexibility between styles
Cons: Little dry vocally (could be considered whiny), 'character' vocalist in the long-term
I do worry about the esthetic qualities of recording over lines about the atomic bombs dropping, being that I am an American-based artician and all. Seems like the work could use a little guidance in being transformative on the source material (presumably it appears clouded by the 1940's wars or whatever), to draw better from this font of sadness (careful you don't drown yourself, good sir). Am willing to negotiate the project, provided I have something your looking for, of course .)

Sign up for a free music course from Berklee - you can take as many as you want. Great learning resource. Your song lacks tension, and most songs rely on the building of tension through using the chord progression or the melody.

If you don't currently know how to play a musical instrument, start as soon as possible. Learning to play an instrument and writing your own chords/songs helps solidify your understand of the relationship between sounds and chords. If you wish to write effectively, learn music theory. After a while you won't even think about what chord you should use next when writing, you'll try a couple and it will just feel or sound right.

https://www.coursera.org/berklee

Thank you ALL for the amazing feedback! New version does piano sounds/diagrams, loops, allows you replace/delete any chord, and a bunch of other stuff. Oh, and we even have a video on the site now. You might learn of a new feature there. Also,we are on product hunt, would love feedback there too if you feel so inclined. Of course still 100% free! (I'm just having fun)

Wow thanks for all the interest. I'll look through all these in a second. A lot of you asked for an example of my drawing style. Music by Trent Reznor. (Used totally without his blessings of course.)

https://vimeo.com/47787209

I'm eclectic as hell and still call myself "folk-rock". I think if you listen hard to your music you can find enough commonalities that show you're not totally schizophrenic as an artist. Try and focus on using big influences as the base of your songs and use smaller ones for colour.

It's worth noting that some really great artists just have huge pallets that they draw inspiration from: Paul Simon, Regina Spektor, The Clash, Elvis Costello, Eels, The Weepies.

Here's mine so you can hear where I come from: http://www.reverbnation.com/thejontourage

It's a great track.
Very happy and relaxed.
What are you imagining in terms of vox? My facebook is family-locked, and I don't use skype much, but if you want to check out my work you can take a look at this :).

If you want to write better lyrics, may I suggest you become a disciple of Pat Pattison, professor of songwriting at Berklee, and start with his book "Writing Better Lyrics". He also travels and does seminars/workshops. I have attended two and came away with a lot of insight on why some of my lyrics are great while others fall flat.

His "sense writing" exercises are well worth the effort as well.

This book was immensely helpful to me as I was learning how to write better lyrics. It gives practical tips and exercises:

https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779

If I had to take one book with me and my guitar to a deserted island, I would take this rhyming dictionary:

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Rhyming-Dictionary-Including-Poets/dp/0440212057

>The song embodies portions of Johnny Guitar Watson's 1957 tune, Gangster of Love

Source

Hope this helps!

Thanks - I was thinking of where the leads ought to go.

So, I did record an album and you can hear the whole thing at my reverbnation page if you're interested.

Corrected link:

http://www.reverbnation.com/cowboyspencer

I think this is a great place to ask this question - a lot of songwriters are interested in finding places to perform.

Your music sounds great. I'm not a huge country fan, but I can appreciate good stuff! Production is great. Your voice reminds me of "Man of Constant Sorrow" from the "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" sound track - I mean that as a compliment (I love that song!)

I don't know anything about the music scene in Waco or Austin (I'm in LA), but here are some thoughts about playing:

1) Talk to acts who are playing and see how they did it... obvious I know but thought I'd mention it.

2) Perhaps you can offer to open for them? In my experience getting gigs has a lot to do with who you know

3) Organize your own gigs - it's not that hard! Maybe team up with some other bands, approach a venue with a package deal, and create your own thing. Invite all your friends, you take the door, the venue takes keeps the bar tab, something like that.

4) Often people want music at fairs, farmer's markets, things like that.

I like to write lyrics and working on my voice. What is the best way or safest way to sell my lyrics? I came across songbay.com, do you recommended sites like this ?

​

https://www.bandlab.com/**johnnyb1985**

There are lots of ways to go about writing songs. There are lots of elements to a song like lyrics, melody (the tune), harmony (the chords), rhythm and instrumentation.

Any one of these can be the starting point for a song. That doesn't mean you write ALL the lyrics first, but you might think of a lyric for a chorus or hook and then you can experiment with fitting a melody to that, either by signing what comes to mind or by playing/sampling something and then trying to sing your lyrics over it. If you're starting out, maybe just try to write a small piece of a song this way and then build from there.

It obviously helps if you can play an instrument, but you can learn this or learn how to sequence (check out https://www.audiotool.com/) or sample. To begin with, if you need backing you could just build something in Garage Band from clips and loops in their library.

Intellectual property depends on the country you're in. Here in the UK, your music is copyright as soon as you write it, so you do not need to register it as you may do in the US. You do still have to be able to prove that it is your intellectual property however (send it recorded delivery to yourself and not open it).

As for publishing, you can either be solely a published songwriter and sell your music to artists and performers or, if you are an artist, find a publisher to collect your royalties and license your music (films, tv etc.) when you are making money.

If you yourself are not a singer or a performer, perhaps consider finding a writing partner who can add music to your lyrics.

The best way around this for me is to just sit down and do it. Lately, I've been using museScore to get the main idea down. This is helpful because I can work a melody until it becomes something useable. If there is no melody present, I'll just pick notes that work well within the key. I'll usually focus on a single motif with variations.

Hope this helps :)

> I'll make it a point to listen to each track < Poor bugger! Here's my list (the most recent are at the top): http://www.soundclick.com/members/default.cfm?member=berndharmsen&amp;content=station&amp;id=1116657

> SAMSUNG GALAXY S8

Try this.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flavionet.android.cinema.lite&amp;hl=en

When recording any type of music audio is the most important part.

People will forgive shaky grainy video as long audio is not distracting.

What You are after are these "Audio levels" >> You need a visual feedback to see what is happening with the audio so You can either lower the levels (if app allows it) or position instrument/Yourself at the right distance so You dont hit the limiter that is messing with the audio.

Each phone has build in audio gain control that is usually override by the app You use (Instagram/TikTok).

Naturally phone is not ideal device to record any audio period but hey...we use what we have at hand.

Next step would be to use voice recorder for audio >> record video with the phone and merge audio in the software.

After that You are in Audio interface realm + proper studio mic combo.

That's interesting. I've always been able to tap out melodies on a keyboard because I can see and visualize the pitches. Maybe that's related to playing by ear.

I don't recognize exact notes that I hear or imagine, but I recognize their relative positions on a scale so I can type a melody (in the key of C Major) that I hear, such as

5887998

Looking at that I can hear the music. If I type rests in there, I hear different music patterns depending on where the rests go.

As far as actual notes, I don't know what that might translate to on a piano. But I could play it on a piano once I was in front of a real or digital keyboard.

Maybe a Play Store Ear Training app can help you recognize pitches and intervals. If so, perhaps after training, you could speak or write pitches that you hear in your head.

Perfect Ear App

After over 62,000 ratings, that app still has a 4.8 rating on a 0-5 scale. Here are some features ..

>Melodic dictation exercises
>
>Ear training exercises: practice intervals, scales, chords
>
>Absolute pitch trainer

That absolute pitch trainer might be very useful for you. As noted, I don't know the absolute pitches of pitches I hear in reality or in my head. I only know pitch intervals and relationships between pitches. That means I can type out a melody using relative numbers. But until I get to a keyboard, I don't know what the actual absolute pitches of those notes are unless I know what one of them is - which I don't.

On the other hand, there are people who can tell you that a G is a G when they hear it because they can recognize absolute pitches.

Try composing counter melodies over your harmony using Melody Engineer app - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gyokovsolutions.melodyengineer

Here is a demo video - https://youtu.be/2XkAq0uqeDc

I took a course through Berklee school of music and loved it. The teacher Pat Pattinson has written a book on his process and it's a simple read and easy to put into practice. Here is a link to the $12 book on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779 And here is a link to the $10 masterclass he does with videos. It's totally worth it: https://online.berklee.edu/songwriting-master-class-with-pat-pattison

Thank you for the feedback. Yeah I definitely need a real interface, currently going direct from guitar and bass to iPad with one of these cables . It loses a ton of low end from the bass

https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1541606392&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=write+better+lyrics

This is one of the best things I've done to enhance my lyric writing. If you follow the exercises in this book, you will surely see quick improvement. It will not be all you need, however. You still need to put in hard work before you will be able to write songs you really feel proud of. Good luck mate.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRNFN0V/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xv63Bb42HMQZN

This is a typical mic for people just starting out. It won’t sound amazing, but it’ll sound much better than the built in computer mic. It also comes as a bundle with a pop filter for $60 all together. Hope this helps!

You're quite welcome. Need any more, let me know. A friend of mine writes song parodies, if you need any of those. Examples: "Grandma Got Bent Over By A Reindeer, "I Snort The Line," "Jenny, Take My Meal," "Butt Scootin' Boogie," "Stalking After Midnight," "Wokkin' The Dog," "Big Bad Con," "He Stopped Wearing His Toupee," etc.

Also, check out this book if you want to "MacGyver" ideas yourself: https://www.amazon.com/MacGyver-Secret-Connect-Inner-Anything-ebook/dp/B01MXHCC5Z You can Google for a pdf of the main part of it and find several YouTube vids on it. Cool stuff.

Well if you don't have a lot of money to spend on equipment, an example of something you could get for pretty cheap that would drastically improve the recording is...

this mic: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AQRSU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

and this audio interface: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZCR6P4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

So $200 total. I'm not sure if you could get good enough recording for much cheaper, but maybe you can.

/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers knows much more than I do though

What did you record this with?

Ah I joined that thread when I first started posting music videos online but I had waaaaay too many questions because I had little to no experience, but now I have a bit of xp I can ask more specific questions :D.

Before this video I was recording audio straight from the camera, but I used this microphone (https://www.amazon.com/MXL-MXLTEMPOSK-Analog-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B004OC5WMG/) and a pop filter for this one.

I'm not familiar with audio interfaces but it looks like it could be useful. What does it do?

This is going to sound like a novel idea, but sit down and write.

Don't post on reddit about it, don't distract yourself, just write. Clear everything else that's non-essential(seeing shows, hanging with the significant other, dinner dates) off the calendar. Take at least a few hours each day to write. Preferably in the morning if you can. And do nothing else. The Gods reward hard work.

After you meet your deadline, write some more and read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and The War of Art by David Pressfield, you'll never be blocked again.

“I only write when I'm inspired, and I make sure I'm inspired every morning at 9 a.m." - Peter DeVries

I never wait for "inspiration" to find me. I put my pencil on the paper and write my inspiration. And I do it daily so I don't get the excuses I used to. I didn't have this mentality until I read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield, it's a quick read and great for any struggling writer. Another is "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron which tells you to free journal daily to stave off blocks.

I mean, do those things if you want to be on the road to getting paid for your work. I'm not there yet and not to sound pretentious but all the people who do get paid, write daily. And I'll be there soon. But there's certainly a difference in a "Songwriter" and "someone who writes songs"

Journal daily. Just write 3 pages of exactly what you're thinking right when you wake up. Whatever it is. (I journal a bunch on top of that but you don't necessarily need to). Do that for a few weeks and you'll start noticing you can move past resistance easier.. Read "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron and "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield.

You can also get windcovers think they're more for shotguns/video mics though.

You're making it too hard.

If it sounds good, it is good. Theory is helpful as it gives you more options (especially with regard to substitutions which you can use to "surprise" the listener and sound a little more sophisticated and "fresh").

There's two parts to writing a song. There's the music, and there's the story you want to tell. Songwriting is about telling stories. If you just want to do instrumentals - maybe you'd prefer composition or /r/musictheory

The hardest thing for any songwriter is to say a universal truth in a way that has never been said before. Your first songs will likely be filled with cliches and what we call "throwaway" lines. Lines that take up space but aren't new or clever. A major trap new writers fall into is to try to be clever by being very very vague. If the listener can't put himself in your song he's not gonna dig it.

Your first song will probably suck. So will your second and your tenth and maybe your hundredth. But every song will lead to a better song next time.

I personally have no trouble writing music but struggle to come up with lyrics. I want to recommend Pat Pattison's book "Writing Better Lyrics". Its a classic. John Mayer has credited this work with helping him improve. Pattison is professor of songwriting at Berklee School of Music. I've attended a couple clinics with him. He really knows his stuff.

A book that really helped me was "Home Recording for Musicians for Dummies". Learning how to mix and produce songs can be pretty complex at first but this book taught me some good things.

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Recording-Musicians-Dummies-5th/dp/1118968018

This book has helped me immensely. It's written by a Berklee music prof and has great examples of how structure, and rhyming can liven up a song that seems to drag on. It even has a section on clichés. I couldn't recommend this book more.

Should I get two microphones, one for the guitar and the voice, or should our instruments plug directly into the audio interface? His is not electric-acoustic, and mine is. And then also, as an audio interface, how does this one look? It says it has 2 inputs but (1 mic pre) which I assume means one input is specifically geared towards microphones. If we do that version it's only ~$100.

Read everything you can get your hands on by Pat Pattison (Professor of songwriting at Berklee). Specifically I would start with Writing Better Lyrics which is a good start.

His Songwriting Without Boundaries is a collection of writing exercises that builds on the first book - its a practice manual. Writing is like a muscle - you have to write often to write well. You do not have to show other people your early rough stuff though. :-)

This could be really great stuff for a video game or TV spot. The mixing/recording is a bit muffled and you could be tighter in spots though.

For more info about writing for TV check out: http://www.amazon.com/Demystifying-The-Cue-strategies-competitive-ebook/dp/B00MR2MPBG

http://www.amazon.com/Shortcuts-Songwriting-Film-TV-Recording/dp/0982004028/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1422544072&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=robin+frederick