Forget My Name

Dec 1 / Chris Falson
Sometimes it’s the simplest arrangement that sets a song alight. There’s an old adage that a good song doesn’t need any help—and while “good” is always up for debate, in the case of my song Forget My Name, it proved true. A single acoustic guitar and vocal (recorded live together), with just a few moments of string quartet accompaniment, was all the song needed.

This kind of recording harkens back to The Beatles—think Yesterday. There’s so much we can learn from older hit songs, both in the writing and in the production.

With sparse production, we can’t hide a poorly written lyric, a clumsy guitar part, or a scratchy vocal. And that’s good for us as songwriters—it forces us to aim higher.

I want to encourage you to work through your lyrics as if every line mattered. No throwaways. Then, when you feel you’ve got something solid, try recording a simple guitar or piano and vocal track. If the song is strong, it will connect—even in its raw, unplugged form.

Check out my recording of Forget My Name. I hope it inspires you—both as a songwriter and a producer.

Cheers,

Chris
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