Guest Blogs

Noise gate pedals are especially popular with metal guitarists. A noise gate is really handy for removing that typical buzz, unwanted noise and other background sounds from your signal chain, while still playing with high gain. Guest blogger Alexousky explains exactly what a noise gate does and how to set one up.

Forget the image of the traditional songwriter, who builds a song from scratch and – with or without a co-writer – delivers the full package of vocal line, accompaniment and lyrics. In the vast majority of industrial music productions today, especially in pop, hip hop, EDM and commercials, an important role is reserved for ‘topliners’. Guest blogger Peter van Vleuten from the Songwriterschool explains what topliners do and what they need to be able to do.

Playing on This Morning, in the BBC Radio 1 studio, or as the support act for a well-known artist? As an ambitious artist, you’d never say no to that. But sometimes you actually should, advises guest blogger Jim Kreeftenberg, aka De Muziekindustriecoach. Because your gig might unintentionally attract the ‘wrong’ audience. With these six questions, you’ll work out who your target audience is and how to reach that ideal fan.

As long as musical instruments have existed, sound has been used to influence our state of mind. Guest blogger Viënna explains how she uses sound herself in her Sharana practice. Her clients report a wide range of remarkable effects.

We all know the struggle: no inspiration! Or maybe even worse: plenty of inspiration, but no idea how to turn it into a solid result. Since version 12, Ableton Live has included a brilliant set of tools to help with exactly that. In Ableton Live they’re called MIDI Generative tools and MIDI Transformation tools.

Finding a good, interesting, fun or distinctive subject for song lyrics always takes time and energy. Not only because the subject needs to be ‘describable’ and singable, but also because you’ll eventually need a complete set of lyrics on paper — not just a promising first line.

In his previous article, guest blogger and songwriting teacher Lex Hakker explained how to get your first ideas for lyrics down on paper. Now it’s time to give the text more structure. We’ll be working on the build-up of your ‘story’. We’ll cover perspective, verse, chorus, prep/pre-chorus and contrast/bridge.

What do others think of me? What if I sing out of tune? With performance-focused hobbies like singing, we tend to put all our focus on how well we’re doing, says guest blogger and VocalFeedback coach Nandy Mannaert. But fixating on perfection leads to tension. And it holds back your progress and your enjoyment of singing, says Nandy.

“It’s completely human to feel nervous before a performance,” says guest blogger and VocalFeedback coach Nandy Mannaert. She works with many singers who feel insecure about their voice. They struggle with nerves, self-criticism and the fear of failing in front of an audience. In the Bax Music blog series ‘Singing with Confidence’, Nandy explains this time how creating an alter ego helps you sing with confidence.

An empty hall, over-lit with fluorescent lights: not the greatest spot for the party to end all parties, right? Even with just a little understanding of how atmospheric lighting works, you can create the right wedding party vibe. Here, guest blogger and wedding DJ Sebastian (also known as NightArchitect) lets us in on some trade secrets when it comes to what kind of lighting and effects can work and how they work.

Guest blogger and songwriter Jemy Gijsman takes us through the next step on your journey to success: recording a demo. Once the song is written, the lyrics are finalised and you’ve got the chords down on paper, you want to go further, so you need to get out there and start hustling. Since you don’t have your own studio and only have minimal knowledge about the production and mixing process, you need to do some research and find a studio that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and can help you record your demo. Once you’ve found the right studio, what do you need to prepare? And how can you find the right musicians to help you get the job done?

Wouldn’t it be great if you could generate a predictable monthly income with your music? With a subscription-based business model where fans support you in exchange for special perks, you could do just that. Guest-blogger and musician Mirjam Sieben is here to tell you how it works.