Jingle Writing !! 161If the tessitura (the predominant pitch range) of a piece is too high or
low, ask the singer(s) if he or she can sing comfortably within the written
range. Most singers have difficulty singing in the top of their range for
long periods of time. The best vocal range is where the vocalist feels most
comfortable. (It is often wise to experiment with several keys.)
Conclusion
Singing and writing jingles is lucrative. The fees are higher than under-
scores, as are the residual payments. Jingle singing and writing is a highly
competitive and profitable business. Successful jingle writers usually
devote their careers to only writing jingles. It is an unusual skill and takes
a long time to master.
The following is my interview with Marshall Grantham, creative direc-
tor and composer for Russo/Grantham Productions, a commercial music
house in New York City:
MZ: What is the difference between composing for radio and com-
posing for television [commercials]?
Marshall: Jingles for television and radio are similar because the
song is the same. Radio is much more about creating the right
mood to sit under the voice. I find radio easier because you can
be more musical; there are less hit points to worry about. It’s
more a matter of hitting the target of the mood that they’re
shooting for.
MZ: How often are you asked to write the lyric for a jingle?
Marshall: Twenty percent of the time we are asked to write the lyr-
ics, and 30 percent of the time we are asked to smooth out the
lyrics. A good copywriter overwrites and asks you to edit it and
run it by me. [Marshall said it is wise to ask the copywriters
which ‘‘lyrics are in stone.’’ What are the salient points? For
example, how often should the product be mentioned in the
lyric? Ask specific questions.]
MZ: Do you have a procedure for writing a jingle?
Marshall: I’m a writer in my head. I already have the melody, the
chorus, the verse before I even sit down at the keyboard.
MZ: When writing an underscore, where are potential problems
with picture changes occurring on odd beats?
Marshall: I try not to give too many strange measures. [He tries to
keep the meter the same and work around the hits that occur on
odd beats. For example, he will sometimes have each new
melodic section begin on the second beat rather than change the
meter so that it occurs on the first beat.]
MZ: Before you record a demo, do you play the composition for
the creative people?