Martin is a musician who has spent 15 years playing in heavy metal bands like Anathema, My Dying Bride and Cradle of Filth. Since leaving Cradle of Filth, Martin has studied for a degree in music at The University of Sheffield (for which he won The Phillip John Lord Composition Prize) and completed a PhD in music composition in 2013. In this video, Martin discusses his evolving approach to songwriting including some of the pros and cons of writing collaboratively.
Here are some key things to take away from this video:
- Songs can often begin with a simple idea. Martin talks about starting with a riff - a short musical phrase often played on the guitar which will repeat throughout the song - and layering different sounds on top of this.
- In songs where there is no vocal melody it is even more important that there is an instrumental ‘hook’ - a part of the melody or harmony that makes the song memorable
- Find your own voice and don’t force the creative process, ideas will often creep in when you’re doing something else.
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