Inside A Classic Christmas Song
Around this time of year I like to take a look at one of the…
7 Steps To Your Brand New Song
Stuck? Lacking inspiration? Here’s a great way into a new song. The recipe: 1) Pick…
You Can’t Trust Your Memory When You’re Writing a Song
There are times when I treat every beginning-of-a-song idea for what it is – the…
At What Point Does It Become A Co-Write?
When I work with songwriters as a producer or musician, in a workshop or class, or…
How To Surprise Your Listener
Working on a new song recently I was faced with a typical songwriting problem. One…
The Evolution Of Rhyme
When I heard Taylor Swift’s single ‘Gorgeous’ (video below) the first thing I noticed was…
4 Tips For Making Your Recordings ‘Broadcast Quality’
I’ve had many songwriters come to me saying they need to make the recordings of…
Melody: Keep The Shape, Change The Inversion
Sometimes I get the shape of the melody right, but not the register. Let’s say…
Why Your Musicians Don’t Know Your Lyrics… And Why It May Not Matter
A big part of my preparation and education, if you want to call it that,…
3 Ways To Take A Break From Songwriting
Looking over the last six or seven years, I can see I’ve been a relatively…
The Greatness Of Becker & Fagen (Steely Dan)
I join the world of popular music and beyond in mourning the death this week…
The Chords of ‘Wichita Lineman’ Blew Me Away
The recent loss of Glen Campbell – a music business legend if there ever was…
Who Says You Can’t Rhyme ‘Orange’?
Rhymes are perfect, or ‘true’, when they have the exact same sound at the end…
When I Stopped Using My Song’s 1st Verse To Clear My Throat
When beginning a conversation, especially with someone you don’t know well, it’s normal to spend…
What Happens When You Discover Your Title? Focus Happens.
Irving Berlin’s classic songwriting advice to “repeat the Title as often as possible so people…
Is Writing A Song A Hero’s Journey?
Recently I was watching a video in which author David Mamet talked about writing drama…
Developing Songwriting Mindfulness
What does it mean to be a Songwriter? Well… if you write songs, you’re a…
Where To Place Your Title
If you’re writing a Title-based song – where the Title is the most important lyric…
How To Use Every Chord In The Book and Still Have A Hit Song
One of the things most current hit songs have in common, other than non-stop melody…
Songwriting Tools Are Not Rules
There are a lot of truisms in songwriting – old school rules of thumb that…
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