How Problems With Your Song Can Fix Themselves
I heard a great quote recently from songwriter Dan Wilson (Adele) about not worrying too…
Why Imitation Is The Sincerest Way To Get Better
I started out playing music on electric guitar and soon enough found a more congenial…
Why Does It Take 7 People To Write A Song?
This is a question I get asked pretty frequently these days. Especially by songwriters who…
Why Good Titles Are More Valuable Than Ever
The component parts of contemporary songwriting are going in many directions at once. While some…
9 Ways To Start A Song
The beginnings of songs are varied and often mysterious. In this blogpost I’ll go through…
4 Ways To Listen To Modern Songs… If You’re Used To Listening To 20th Century Songs
Many areas of modern pop songwriting are extremely innovative, historically speaking. A lot of songwriting…
3 Ways To Finish Songs
There are all kinds of ways to work on and finish songs. No one process…
Modern Songwriting’s Freedom From Traditional ‘Continuity’
Recently a friend of mine directed me to a song by The Neighbourhood – ‘Daddy…
The ‘Simple Chorus, Complicated Verse’ Song
There is evidence throughout pop songwriting history – at least its Verse/Chorus song part –…
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…
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