Songwriting Software Express, Issue # 8 -- Lyricist 3 In Beta Test

Helping you write your best songs with a focus on the benefits of innovative songwriting software, tools, resources and programs.

1. Lyricist 3 Major Upgrade - Entering Final Beta Testing
2. This Month's Notable Quote

Yes, this is the August issue out late but hopefully no less timely, had some software problems :-)

In a much longer than expected release target (Microsoft issues thank you) Lyricist 3 is now being readied for launch this Fall as it goes to beta testing next week (the week of September 8th) for about a month's worth of final debugging and overall tightening up.

I'll be monitoring and testing the new program myself. The feature article below reviews the main benefits of Lyricist and notes the coming changes. I've trimmed a prior article to refresh the features and benefits focus on Lyricist and spotlighted the coming new additions.

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New developments are coming down the pike for the Lyricist program targeting for a Fall launch.

The new version will aptly be given a new version number, Version 3, as the changes coming into the program are significant.

Lyricist 3 will include such features as Song Key Transposition, Piano Chords (non-guitar glyphs), and support for the Nashville Number System.

Let's talk more about this and how all of this can soon impact your songwriting.

The Lyricist 3 program will allow you to put piano chords above your lyric lines as an alternative to the guitar fingering templates that are available now in the current Lyricist version.

Having the option of piano or guitar chording above your lyrics not only gives you the choice for your own preference but also allows you the flexibility to prepare a piano or guitar oriented lead sheet for your collaborators or players while you're recording.

Plus the piano chording format should work as a standard chord based lead sheet for virtually any instrument.

If you want a short cut way to prepare a lead sheet that quickly lends itself to key changes on the spot then having your lead sheet coded with the Nashville Number System will make that happen.

Let's say you've prepared a lead sheet for a demo session and your demo singer cancels at the last minute, I hate when that happens, and you were all set with that singer to do the song in the key of F using the I, IV, V and VI chords.

Next, it's your lucky day, another stellar singer happens to be available but sings the best in Bb. If your lead sheet is coded with the Nashville Number System, in other words with the chord numbers of the chord progression written out (similar to what I noted in the paragraph before) instead of individual chords written out like F and A and so on, then all the musicians can readily make the adjustment to another key. Boom, key change problem solved.

Taking this key issue further with Lyricist 3 you'll also be able to change the key of your song instantly and keep written out chords and that will allow you to quickly implement some cool things.

First, if you or your collaborators are not that familiar with the Nashville Number System then you'll be able to print out the song in whatever key you chose with the chords written out above your lyrics.

Additionally, you'll be able to switch readily from piano chords to guitar chords to the Nashville Number System if you want to.

Also, just for creativity purposes while you're writing your song, trying it in different keys can help to stretch you musically if you're always writing in one key and this may give you some different ideas about how the song works best..

Lastly, if you demo your songs with other singers, you'll be able to prepare lead sheets with the chords written out in the key best for your demo singer to sing in and to even prepare a couple deferent keys as your singer might actually like to try a couple different keys to get the best feel for the song.

Lyricist continues to be the premiere lyric writing software program and with these new features it again will move the bar higher.

Lyricist already incorporates chord charting, chord editing, a chord wizard to help you determine chords, song arrangement, a spell checker, thesaurus, rhyming dictionary, a media file launch, plus the ability to organize songs into album categories, and the capability to email your songs. Also you can now copyright your songs online directly from Lyricist.

Lyricist gives songwriters a centralized secure archive for their creative endeavors and provides them with all the essential tools of the trade for writing and polishing lyrics.

If you purchase Lyricist 2 now of course you'll get the upgrade for free when it's shortly released.

Thomas J. Watson, Sr. 1874-1956; US businessman, founder of International Business Machines (IBM)

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