Songwriting & Composing

These days, it would be hard to imagine life without games, and anyone who’s ever played a game will know that the music is an essential part of the whole experience. But how do you ‘score’ the soundtrack of a whole video game? What does the process look like? And is it any different from writing an album or a movie soundtrack? Guestblogger and composer Jonathan van den Wijngaarden gives us a look behind the scenes of this relatively new branch of the music industry.

Infusing pop songs with chunks of classical music requires knowledge of music theory as well as knowledge about certain do’s and don’ts. For example, did you know that just three notes carefully picked from a concerto are enough to successfully mash up pop and classical music? Of course, you can also use an existing composition or integrate other elements into your pop songs, like the four movements that make up a symphony. Read on and get inspired!

Virtually all TV adverts feature music to help evoke emotion, emphasise the most important bits and bring the viewer along on a short journey. For musicians, the songs that are used in commercials as well as film score can be a great way to discover ways to grab people’s attention. Composer Jurriaan Balhuizen is a creative virtuoso who already knows what it takes and is willing to reveal the secrets behind ear-catching ad music.

Evergreens: those songs that everyone knows and can sing along to – those enduring super-hits. Are they still being written? This is the question we put to trend-watcher Thimon de Jong, who, after extensive research has uncovered the sad news that the Evergreen library is in serious need of a restock – and for multiple reasons.

Want to write catchier songs? Then you’ll need to come up with a hook: a catchy, recurring part that makes your song instantly recognisable.

While the composer shapes the contours of the central melody and chords, it’s the arranger who, using countless tricks, colours everything in. What kind of technical colours does the arranger have in their tool box and what can you do to make even the most beautiful song even more beautiful?

Hans Zimmer is one of the most well-known film composers of our time. The Lion King, Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean are just three films that thank their extremely recognisable soundtracks to Zimmer who, believe it or not, actually tends to keep the core of his compositions very basic. In this article, I’ll show you how you can easily recognise Hans Zimmer’s style and apply it to your own productions or film score.

As we approach the end of the year, the radio starts to light up with all of the classic festive treats, penned by the likes of Mariah Carey, Paul McCartney, Wham and Slade. If you think you can do any better than these jolly-holly Christmas giants, then read on to find how Christmas pop and Christmas carols work and how you can start making your very own Christmas music!

It’s always a great excuse when composers and songwriters are struggling to put pen to paper: writer’s block! Within the space of a short blog, I want to show you that writer’s block might just be a choice, not an affliction, and that you’re actually capable of inspiring yourself to force out ideas and unclogging your own creativity. We’ll just cover five simple tips. Try them all out and I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Just to be clear, this blog is about traditional music composition, meaning it’s not going to deal with modern EDM-style workflows involving arpeggiators, drum loops, Ableton tools, and so on. So, if you know your way around a piano and want to start writing your own pieces, by all means, dig in!

Nothing is more boring and unappealing than a song that doesn’t go anywhere, which is why any successful song needs to build tension and make sure that the listener is kept curious about what will happen next. So what can you do to keep a song fresh and surprising? How do you make a song instantly recognizable but a pleasure to listen to? Songwriting teacher, Peter van Vleuten offers some handy tips and tricks.

If you want to make a living from music – partly or entirely – then it’s worth having a good think about where exactly the money is going to come from. Almost every professional musician and music-maker has multiple sources of income, which in business-speak is referred to as a ‘revenue model’. To help you build yours, Guestblogger, Maaike lines up ten possible money-making options for your consideration.