Why Is A Song Like A Set Of Directions?
The human mind instinctively looks for patterns. It will even make up patterns when none…
7 Reasons Why It’s Great To Be A Songwriter Right NOW. (Can You Add Another?)
There are a lot of reasons – particularly on the business side – why it’s…
Creative Destruction in Songwriting
“Creative destruction is a process through which something new brings about the demise of whatever…
How Do You Organize Your Song? Around The Title?
Almost all of my songs are Title-based songs. Even though I don’t usually ‘write from…
A Question About Stevie Nicks’ ‘Dreams’
Nothing great that humans make is ever perfect, even if anyone could figure out what…
In Songwriting, You’ve Got To Crawl Before You Walk
It’s not too hard for me to get sick of my own songwriting. Sometimes it…
Stuck In Lyric Paralysis? Just Say It.
Many of us find completing a lyric to be difficult at times. There can be…
Sia, Christina, And The Modern Torch Song
I’ve gotten interested in the Australian songwriter/artist Sia (Sia Furler) lately, especially her way with…
Getting Beyond Right And Wrong In Song
Even when I’m officially ‘teaching Songwriting’, I shy away from the idea that I’m ‘teaching’…
Using The Title To Write The Verses
When writing a Verse/Chorus song, say I’ve got the Title and Chorus. When it comes…
Songwriting Feelings Aren’t Facts
When writing songs lately, I’ve felt… listless. Uninspired. My ideas seem ‘weary, stale, flat, and…
‘The Elements Of Style’ – In Songwriting
The Elements Of Style, Strunk and White’s classic and still magisterial book about written English…
Joni Mitchell: The Power Of Subtlety And Restraint
Joni Mitchell’s song ‘For Free’ is a superb example of storytelling in a song. It…
Creative Harmonization – Radiohead’s ‘Karma Police’
In a previous post, I explored making a simple melody more interesting by creatively harmonizing…
Right Now This Song Is A Mess… And That’s Fine
Life is a seesaw between chaos and order. Why should Songwriting be any different? There’s…
When THAT Is In Your Song’s Title
If you’re going to use the word ‘that’ in a song’s Title, it’s usually a…
Are You Giving Your Song The Steady Groove It Deserves?
Pardon the oversimplification, but people tend to respond to songs three ways – emotionally, intellectually,…
In Praise Of Songwriting ‘Mistakes’
Things sound ‘right’ to us when they’re familiar – when we hear what we expect…
On Doing Something 100 Times In A Row
The only claim I make for my weekly Songwriting blog is factual: this is my…
What’s the REAL Title Of Your Song?
You can call your song anything you want. You can use a word or phrase…
Watch the ‘Ask Tony’ Videos
