John Lennon: Underrated Melodist
I write this on what would have been John Lennon’s 85th birthday – October 9.…
Does My Song Need A Bridge?
As beautiful as they can sometimes be, and as much as they can add to…
The Master of Melody
Billy Joel’s been around for a long time, and I’ve had mixed feelings about his…
The 5 Essential Elements of a Good Song
Though we try to get everything right, some aspects of a song have a higher…
The Early Genius of Brian Wilson
As time has passed – it’s been 55 years since ‘the ‘60s’ ended – it’s…
You Don’t Need More Than Two Chords If…
Witness Bob Marley and the Wailers’ ‘Waiting In Vain’, written by one of the 20th…
Songwriting Is Hard… Except When It’s Not
Let’s face it. To get a song ‘right’… usually it’s hard. Hard in the sense…
A Good Melody Tells A Story – Without Words
A good melody tells a story – without the words. You may think it’s the…
Your Next Song May Only Need 20 Words
Sometimes songs with very few words can be really effective. I’m not talking here about…
The Brilliance of Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘How Much A Dollar Cost’ is a harrowing story of an encounter in…
Songwriting: Why Does Skill Matter?
Skill is a big part of the difference between an amateur and a professional. Just because…
Getting Your Song Stolen… Do You Need To Worry?
“If I play this song in public and it’s not copyrighted, isn’t there a good…
Why You Need More Uptempo Songs
Some years back I heard songwriter/music publisher Eric Beall talk about the value of uptempo…
Why Your Musicians Don’t Know Your Lyrics
A big part of my preparation and education, if you want to call it that,…
The Temptation: Produce & Record instead of Writing a Song
It’s more useful and important than ever for songwriters to be fluent with recording and…
Got a Great Songwriting Idea? It’s OK To Forget It.
There are probably two main ways songs start. One is having an idea, a musical…
Why Lyrics Are Harder To Write Than Music
Some songwriters don’t do music; they just write lyrics. Some just write music; no words.…
Why Your Lyrics Don’t Match Your Song
We all have an ongoing internal monologue. It changes as we move through our day…
The Best Way To Complete Your Song
When asked which came first, the music or the words, the great lyricist Sammy Cahn…
Where Should Your Song’s Title Go?
What’s a Title-based song? I’d say one in which the Title phrase – of words…
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