Reaction: Texas Songwriter seeks advice from Nashville.
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- An Austin-based songwriter is looking for some advice on what to do with all his songs. So he sends one over for some consulting. I do my standard "reaction" thing: write a chart with guitar in hand, discuss some ideas, and play through some examples. Is it a hit? Does it need a ton of work? Or is it somewhere in between? Toward the end, I play along with the song, showing what I would play if this song were on one of my sessions here in town. Enjoy!
WB’s songs: wbjacobs.bandcamp.com/album/s...
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Chapters below, but first...
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 Welcome! Let's "react" to another song
1:07 We're here to be CONSTRUCTIVE
1:28 My rig for playing along
2:07 Here we go!
7:23 Initial thoughts-tempo, length of sections
10:03 Idea for the turnaround
11:08 A bit of how this works in Nashville...
12:07 Here's a tone I would dial up for a song like this
12:49 The intro acoustic could have a melodic pattern in it
13:19 From v2 out, we have no new melodic/harmonic/lyrical content
14:18 Idea off the top of my head for a possible bridge
15:24 This song reminds me of...
15:54 I want more lyric-a bridge for your road :)
16:23 What could you do with all your songs?
18:46 Get some solid demos of your favorite songs you've written
20:04 The Texas scene vs the Nashville scene
20:57 I take a pass and play along to the song
26:17 I tried to use one guitar track to create a BUNCH of dynamics
26:37 Here's what a slide part might sound like in the intro...
27:49 Recap! Thanks for watching, and please SUBSCRIBE! 
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This is becoming my favorite channel. Justin puts a lot of effort into these videos. The guy probably got a lot more than he expected.
Same! Very nice content and different than most everything else on YT. Glad it came across my feed and I hope he continues putting content up.
Yes!
I think his description of the song as a working track…a foundation is a wonderful insight. Not a bit insulting but a solid base for sage advice!
Vocal crescendo would nice. At least pushing his vocal phrasing to hire range at times!
Another free Master Class with Justin...man are we the lucky ones! Such a pro on so many levels. A pro player makes your song sound like a record...21:21 when the Pro starts playing.
This was a refreshing break from gear videos. Lol. Impressed by your generosity of knowledge. Keep up the great work!
Thanks!
You’re a good guy
You make the music industry feel safe
God bless you, sir
Glad to hear it! Thanks!
Wow! Not only are you a world class guitarist, but a world class person! Thank you for the wonderful music and your dedication to your fellow musicians. You really are an inspiration! Love the channel and keep up the brilliant work!
Love these constructive breakdowns- so much workable info and great to see how a pro goes about it. Gonna work on chart writing too. If you cant write a chart cleanly and clearly, how can you know what you are or not playing over🤷🏻great stuff.
I got the impression of that turn around, that songwriter lives in the mood of the song, he is imagining the story of the song, but the listener is not quite there yet so it feels "forever" like you said.
Just a thought that came to mind.
Many things to comment on: Justin - you have a great wisdom about you that obviously comes from your years of experience. You are an excellent teacher. I think these reaction type videos not only have an entertainment value (dare I say that) but more importantly, have tremendous educational value to those of us who aspire either as a player, songwriter or to work in the music industry. Your expert insights are spot on. The fact you performed the "session" version at the end (kind to do) - that made the song go for me - hence, your advice - get it fully recorded! To the artist: - nice job! When I first listened, I felt the emotional connection songs need. Admittedly the corduroy road reference threw me off - when Justin explained the concept of a corduroy road (which I did not know) - that helped me go deeper into the song. I heard Chris Isaacs in your vocals and the song feel. I actually watched the first half video - came back to it, and the song stood on more solid ground upon the second listen. To me, an artist that can perform a song solo acoustically (guitar or piano), and have it move me is the sign of a good - possibly great - song. I see the potential here. I certainly am not one to criticize word choice - I think Justin saying he wanted to hear more lyrically and paint with a few more colors - without taking away from the core aspects - rung true for me. I could hear slide, harmonies on the bridge, chorus (stretch it out a bit), but... I do like the sparseness of this song and feeling of melancholy. Recut it - and keep at it!!! (Justin- yes, please do the video on TX vs. Nashville session player! and perhaps also the explanation on the music publishing biz).
Thanks so much for the kind words, Mark, I really appreciate the feedback. I completely agree with you - Justin's analysis and suggestions are spot-on. And hearing him play over the song was just icing on the cake - amazing stuff!
@WBJacobsMusic I'm 17 minutes in and have only skimmed the comments, so apologies if this is totally covered. First, concur with the touch of Chris Isaak, which is an awesome thing to have. I think (fwiw) that the song would improve tremendously if the acoustic guitar part was fingerstyle with an alternating bass part. Would fit the mood and make the guitar part a lot more compelling.
As a drummer for 35 years, I’m truly just now finding the pocket which you, sir definitely have full command definitely my favorite channel
Thanks a ton!
This song gives me strong Street of Philadelphia vibes. Nice work.
great comment I felt the same thing !
Hello from North Carolina! Just found you today via Jonathan Robinson or Jonny Rob as Baxter calls him. Very cool video with some great advice for not only the "contactee" but for all of us writers who have been silently writing for years or even decades, polishing our craft but without pro inputs and connections. Thank you for this rather generous gift Justin.
Mate..
I want to be Justin Ostrander when I grow up.
This track was nice. Obviously great bones. But when you did the pass as if you were in the studio I can't believe the level lift..
You're harmony knowledge, the use of light and shade, the repeating phrases with slight variation, your tone and touch, and being able to bring so much emotion to a track without taking anything away. I'm honestly blown away and had to listen a few times. And the fact it was a throw away 'let's see what happens'..
I don't think I've ever heard such a incredible and dynamic first pass like this.
Like I said, I want to be Justin Ostrander when I grow up. Thank you so much for the inspiration, mate.
James Southwell (Canberra, Australia)
The first go I thought the song was too slow and I agree with all of your advice. In my songwriting I find I often get stuck looking for an interesting bridge to keep interest going. The second go through with your guitar on top really opened up the song for me and I found myself liking it. Props to the songwriter. Your show is great. Thank you for your service to this community
Thanks so much, Joey. Now I just need to go write a great bridge!
I would enjoy sitting in a dark coffee house listening to him. What you played over it was amazing, Justin. Damn!
I've played a lot of dark coffeehouses - if you're ever in Austin, keep an eye out!
From the first 3 notes you played on the play through the song got 100 percent more ineresting musically. Just beautiful work sir.
I completely agree with your analysis of his song. It has all the elements of a very good song....however, some production would definitely take this song to another level. Man, after you added your guitar parts...it totally breathed new life into his song. Just goes to show you what a talented studio musician can do to elevate a song. You and Tim Pierce are my two favorite session guys. Great job!!!
I like the song, it is bare and sung pretty well. All tunes start somewhere and this sounds like a first go at recording it to me. Just one guy and a guitar. Your advice is always great and your guitar playing was beautiful and really added to the atmosphere. If it was my song I would find it hard to listen to it again without your guitar on it so I would now have to book you to do it. Respect......
Holy smokes !! cool tune in the first place you run through really brought it to life. i agree about a bridge to really bring it to life great job to the song writer as well . i would really love to hear the finished product
These "Ask Justin" episodes are freakin gold. As for the Austin songwriter, you have the foundation of a fine song to build apon. Cheers Justin 👍
I love the direction your channel is going, these reaction videos are golden. It’s helping everyone that watches.
This video is everything I’ve wanted to see about how a demo goes to the next step. Loving this channel!
@JustinOstrander serving the song 🙌 Tasty
That was awesome. I’m a songwriter too and there was a lot of great info. One thing that really struck me is that you are a really kind person and very generous with your skill and time. God bless.
This was a great video. I really liked his vocal and the song vibe, and obviously Justin took it to another level with what he added. I felt like the vocal needed to go into a higher gear during the chorus and build a sense of tension to be released by the next verse. With the urgency peaking on the outro.
Very very cool! I gotta admit I didn’t watch the previous one bc I thought it was going to be a traditional reaction video. Don’t know anything about how RUclips and clicks work but maybe naming it something like ‘let’s workshop a song’ or something would be more appropriate? What you did here is gold and far more informative than a reaction video. Good stuff!
It's amazing to watch you breathe life into a song idea Justin!! Thanks for giving us this learning opportunity and thanks to the song submitter!!
I'm loving this series of song/demo evaluation. It's so informative to just hear you think out loud.
The layer of lead and fills you added here took this song a long way (and your tone on that jazzmaster is off the charts; I'm stealing that).
This channel is gold!
Justin, I think that your comments were right on. Yes, tighten up the form and give listeners something surprising/ refreshing by adding some new information - bridge, new chords, change in dynamics, etc. (Sometimes I write too much and have to kill some of my darlings.) Yes, this song has a cool concept.
Loved this one. Loved your additions to it. Made song more complete. Nice songwriting btw
So much talent out there writers ,composers , musicians,in general ..some dont have the production to really be able to show the great songs that they create ..with help/advice like what Justin gives and actually demonstrates is out of this world just leaves us (musician /writer) speechless 👍👏❤️
Wow, that was great! So cool that you offer such invaluable advice like this and bring attention to unknown songwriters!
I enjoyed the song and your playing over it takes it to a whole different place. Good stuff. 👍
Jesus Christ your guitar sounds good. Yowza. Keep up the excellent work, Justin! 👊
Thanks for your time Justin ….🎸from Nashville 👌from 🇬🇧
As others have said, this channel is great in many ways. I've been around since before the earth cooled yet I learn something from you in each video. It is not just in your playing, but in your thinking and your ideas. I really like the way you ingest a song's emotion then season it so tastefully on your instrument. I hesitate to say anything regarding the song other than I agree with what you heard and felt and this is what the songwriter asked for. I know there is a ton of difference between a demo and a finished product and I hope I get the opportunity of hearing this song when it becomes a final mix. Justin, thank you for being here and really glad Uncle Larry pointed me in your direction.
Thanks so much - I'll be posting updates on Bandcamp/RUclips as I make progress!
This is such a wonderful series. Thank you!
Song has solid bones to this listener and is giving me super Lucinda Williams vibes. Would love to hear the next cut of this after getting Justin's input.
Thanks Deb, I'm a big Lucinda fan. I'll be taking Justin's amazing advice and working on the song - stay tuned!
@@WBJacobsMusic Can't wait to hear it! Appreciate the comment. Best wishes and Believe to Achieve!!!
This is really helpful and explained masterfully, thanks!
Thanks for sharing this with us Justin. Great professional advice.
Hey man, your videos are so helpful and informative for the creative process. I’m really enjoying them. Thanks!
Just love what your channel is doing here Justin, keep them coming!!!
My hat's off to you Justin. This series is awesome. The guitar part you added really made the song come to life.
Great analysis Justin. I dig your phIlosophy. Keep up your excellent work.
Justin, thank you for sharing these ideas for parts to add lift to this song. I greatly appreciate your generosity.
great advice. thanks justin. great channel.😎
This is invaluable info. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and time. It is greatly appreciated.
Great great stuff! definitely my new favorite channel 👍🙏🏼
Thank you for this Justin. Cool song
Love this format especially when you play over at the end it gives us great ideas on what to play as a second guitar 🙂🎶👍 thank you
I appreciate what your doing here. Good job, Justin
Damn, you’re good. Great suggestions and very encouraging. 🙏🏻
outstanding playing, excellent episode!
Great advice. Gave me some ideas and also what it takes to fill out a song. Thank Justin.
Justin, you are so inspiring. Thank you for sharing this/your talent and experience. This is probably my favorite of the formats of your many videos. I have watched most of them. The song production was sparse and raw but that is where songs come from. By the time the rest of us hear them they have usually been touched up and produced to a level of energy and structure pleasing to a wider audience…my opinion but I think you understand. Your pass through the song did so much for the energy and mood that it gave it enough polish to shine. Keep sharing and I’ll keep watching and cheering you on.
Amazing channel...... thankyou Justin...inspirational for all of us who feel isolated at times...
These are fun Justin.
Excelente analysis Meastro.
Concur with ALL your findings. I especially like the way you shorten the turnaround to two bars and made the second one a split bar with both changes totally helped it get into the next verse. Many of the “connective” sections that felt too long were completely transformed by your playing. Nice werk.
Also, you finally mentioned the word I have been screaming most of the video. BRIDGE. That seemed to me a great opportunity to lighten things up, and possibly provide a little hope to the dirge.
As always, solid data and wisdom. Thanks for your time.
Man I got an encyclopedia of licks and ideas from your play along J.. Bless you and yours brother!
Loved the song, the playing at the end is 🔥 🔥 🔥 Awesome channel!
Thanks very much, Andy - really appreciate it.
geeeze man... goosebumps right off the bat!! is it just me or does this guy sound like he's spent a tonne of time listening to Rodney Crowell? WOW!! thnx again fer all the awesome insight and tunes and ways of thinking... ATB, From Vancouver island BC .ca
;0)
M
Hey Malcolm, thanks so much for the kind words. I actually haven't spent a ton of time listening to Rodney Crowell, but it sounds like I need to! I also grew up in Southeast Texas, about 40 miles from where Rodney grew up.
As soon as you mentioned having an episode where you interview a Texas session player, I subscribed. Do it!
Justin, another great video. As a home recording guitarist and songwriter (yet with lyrics) these videos are great.
Absolutely incredible! Just great how you can pull off an entire guitar track addition like that (just shows what years of working as a pro guitarist session player can do for you!). Very helpful for the songwriter/musician.
Thanks for the great video Justin. I didn’t know what a corduroy road was either, now you have explained I was kinda thinking that it could be used as an analogy for a troubled relationship. However, I’m no lyricist so what do I know! To the artist, keep writing and keep going. I wish you well. Just listening to Justin’s additions shows how it can transform the song.
Your additions in the first verse and chorus were subtle but added a TON! Just a little texture gave it that movement it really needed. I'm a long time cowboy chorder now learning electric and I think I just hit a stage where I can recognize some of your triad shapes and movement as you are playing and I get what you are doing! At least, conceptually. My fingers can't do it yet. This new camera view is great - keeps the coffee bags, shows the Ol' Sarge, the Pro-tools screen, and your guit.
I believe you've started something great here with the advice and constructive criticisms... this is such valuable information! So very helpful... and not just to the artist whose recording you're discussing, but great info for so many to take whatever advice may apply to them. Keep up the great work, Justin! Cheers from Canada -Glenn
My advice: Write the dumbest most juvenile lyrics you can think of and make it rap/hip hop style and it will be the next big "country" hit.
😂😂
So what you're saying is, cast the widest stylistic net possible and market it toward young people (the demographic of human beings who are the most excited about and obsessed with music)? That'll never work! Lol. 😉
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great job Justin, I must say I follow a few recording session guitarists. My first follow was Tim Pierce and he started doing something like this playing over real songs. He later changed his channel to more educational videos and techniques. Although that is nice and all there is a lot of that. What you do is incredible value for someone like me who loves recording with bands and aspire to be more session orientated. You give so many beautiful Melodic insights and finding hooks everywhere. I salute you, you are a real pro sir and you sum up what a session guitarist must be. Know every note on your fretboard and it is noticeable how you float seamlessly between the perfect notes in the Key. Maybe you can give a show on that as most guitarist gets a little stuck in what I call "boxes" of notes and it is quite clear that the pros seem to find the right notes anywhere they are playing. Thank you for this video and making the song beautiful. On the song, I love the vocals it has that real American feel almost country at times ( I am from the other side of the world so its very broadly used term here :) ) I would love you to come back to this song once its been fully produced I think it will be a smashing song.
This would sound great with lap steel. Reminds me of Jason Isbell. Great stuff and great channel.
You were spot on about your review and your opinion . Thank You
Another great video Justin , I agree with picking up tempo just a smidgen, it's a good song , more lyric would be nice in the back end of the song but I liked it . Loved the way you filled in the blanks on the play along dang you're good , thanks for your great info .
I love this song.
With the adjustments suggested and recorded with a full band, I feel this could be a hit.
Great, great vocals too.
Agree
Thanks so much, really appreciate it!
Hey WB-I’m a session guitarist/producer/composer in NYC. Your song really made me feel something, man. This is caused by your natural ability, & talent to convey deep human feeling in your writing & singing. The rest is tradecraft. Justin is super helpful, man. Can’t wait to hear what you’ve done w this since this post 10 months ago. This song w you singing it would be great in a motion picture. Very emotive…
Your on uncle Larry's heels.Follow your heart Justin
great look at it Justin with some good real world workable constructive ideas
Man, you are a cut above. Listening to the original, my first thought as well was that it really needs some dynamics. But even just one straight playthrough you bring music to life!
Thanks!
Love it!! I really like the vibe of this song. I noticed that the dynamics of the vocal did match the arrangement, but when Justin added some great dynamics, it was clear that the vokal needs more dynamics too. It kind of falled behind. If you record the vocals again after addin some dynamics Im sure it will lift it all. Would be really great to hear it again after you have done some work to it. It can be really great. Thanks for your courage to share 😀😀
Thanks so much for the feedback, I think you're exactly right. I'm going to keep at it!
Awesome info from an insider.Listen is my instinct.Thank you.
Good song......great advice
What a fantastic video have a good weekend 😊
Only took the RUclips algorithm 11 yrs to suggest your channel in my feed... Thanks YT for being so efficient!
To be fair to that algorithm, I’ve only been around on youtube the last few of those 11 years. 😊
Great Song idea Justin will tell you he is our Professor .
Great feedback.. 👌
Reminds me of Springsteen. Cool song.
Justin you’re on point and I really hope to have an opportunity to work with you at some point in the near future!
Thanks for sharing 😃 interesting and insightful...
New amp/equipment rack looks good 🙂
I liked it. It could stand on its own with your suggestions. To me it sounds like a look back to the civil war. For example, the reference to the “corduroy road”, wood or log road, and “63” or 1863 and “mama” pointed me to war, the civil war. Interesting.
I think you nailed it.
Ok love the episode that’s first thing. Second, I always knew that in a song having certain solo sections or certain instruments such as a slide or fiddle could really accentuate a lyric. But today I really realize just how much adding something like your take and playing on a song can change the dynamic. When you came in with that Drop d sound man!…. Just that sound made this song bloom into something I could honestly hear in a movie or on the radio. For me I don’t need anything else added just hit record and send me the single.😄 Superb performance with excellent advice I mean where else could one find that. Think I’ll hit repeat for one more run through of that section it was that good 💯. As for the writer, take this episode and run with it. Not everyday you get to hear the true potential of something you’ve wrote interpreted by others on such a high level of professionalism such as Justin. That alone would be super gratifying to me 💯. Keep doing your thing that break will come.🤙🏼
I think your take on this is spot-on, and I really appreciate the encouraging words! When I initially heard Justin's playing over the song, I had the exact same reaction.
Fast turnaround on videos this weekend. :)
I personally thought this song was pretty sweet . . . great vocals and a perfectly appropriate harmonic structure. It definitely wasn't a fully completed song, heck it didn't have drums/bass/other instruments like fiddle etc . . . plenty of room to grow the song for finished production. It could be a tad quicker, or it could be exactly the same tempo and still rock. I think of all the slow songs Neil Young put out there. Well said, JO. The folks here and I be learnin' from you.
Thanks for the feedback, Tom! I totally agree with ya, going to keep at it!
Reminds me of The River by Bruce Springsteen, Justin is amazing, I love the way he explains it all so clearly.
The thing about this song that is really good about this song is the idea we are tired of some stuff going on . The road title is cool !
Nice neat chart! Mine is always all up in the margins and runs out of room on the page. I also throw in tabs and it's a mess.
I really enjoyed it. Loved the tone of his voice. Reminded me of Springsteen.
I love these videos. I’d like to send you a song for some feedback but I’m not sure I could handle the inevitable roasting 😂
I agree with the comment about it being Springsteen-ish. Very nice 👍
@@fytakytemusic Thanks y'all, I'll take all the Springsteen comparisons I can get!
Nice song, I like the vibe. Now I'm West coast born of a dad from the black belt. That territory was bridged for me by Buck Owens. And dad would light up hearing say the Stones do Delta blues, or whatever little red rooster was. Or walking the dog. It was another time and he said the blacks used to sing that while he was growing up, he at times behind a mule. He had lived that. It was a way of life. He was born on a road. For him, to echo a song, for him, getting off that road was a long time coming. Born as he was in little shack on the Alabama river, amid troubles and change.
But I never had heard of a corduroy road, and once explained by Justin, I like the image. It's a long road you can't get off of easily and you have to go. That's my takeaway. And if I mull over that, such was my work career. a corduroy road. Then I think, well, that's like a cordoned down road. And universally, I do feel at times that we are all on a then corduroy or cordoned down road, and I can play with that image in my mind and match it to the tune readily. I know what it means right away. The downtrodden world! So I wonder. Roads are also put there as a means to an end. I can bring that meaning into the song. I'm not sure that meaning belongs explicitly in the song, or that any resolution would fit. But hey. I'm not the poet. That's not my road.
When I listened to you accompanying the song, Justin, it sounded like you had increased the tempo of the original recording…taking it from “nice, but slightly plodding in tempo” to gently nudging it to a more comfortable gait.
So I went back to the beginning of the video to verify my supposition. To my surprise, though, I didn’t find any obvious tempo change.
It’s interesting to me that the layer of guitar that you introduced to the original song had more of an impact than simply dressing it up.
You can help steer a track a lot with your parts. This is what I was talking about in the previous video-your parts are more powerful than you realize! 👍🏼
Really enjoyed it. Man, you hardly touched the strings while playing. Lotta dynamics. Thx
Great voice.
Mandolin, violins, and light percussion would be all that's needed. The "dry guitar" in background.
The verse could use a rise in the second half leading into the chorus.
A little more variation between the verse to chorus could be cool.
Have some girls with excellent harmonies add that haunting element.
Noticed there's what I would call a slight "hop" in the strumming pattern - perhaps play with that and make it more pronounced.
Could be slightly faster.
And excellent base to start with SO MANY different ways it can go.
Thanks so much, I totally agree. Really appreciate the feedback!
@@WBJacobsMusic Would love to hear the second cut!
Hey Justin, Those are some great song writing tips. In order to build some excitement going into the chorus, try this. The chorus starts on the relative minor. So you could build a pre-chorus that ends on the 5 chord. Eg 1 bar of first inversion 4 chord, 1 bar of the 5 dominant sus 4 chord, with a rest on beat 4. It will build some tension that gets resolved by the 6 minor. Justin mentioned how hard it is to break into that circle of song writers. Which is a gentle way of saying you're going to hear 'no' a lot, or nothing at all. You need a thick skin. Keep trying, yes, but also keep evaluating your material against successful material. Production not withstanding, what do you like about the successful song, and does your song have those qualities? Good luck, and all the best.
Thanks very much - this is fantastic advice, and I'll give it a shot and see how it sounds!