Where Do Songs Come From? How Do You Start A Song?
The beginnings of songs are varied and often mysterious. In this blogpost I’ll go through…
Lyrics: Connecting The Dots – Part 3 (David Byrne)
Continuing to think about the many different ways songwriters connect the dots in their lyrics,…
Lyrics: Connecting The Dots – Part 2 (Frank Ocean)
Super Rich Kids by Frank Ocean has been my favorite for a few months now. …
The ‘Problem’ Is Not Really A Problem
When I’m working on a song, I try to write down everything that comes to…
What A Difference A Note Makes
Recently I was listening to the great film composer Nino Rota’s music from The Godfather…
The ‘List’ Song – Part 1
The ‘List Song” – not quite as ubiquitous as it used it to be, but…
You Don’t Need An ‘Idea’ To Start A Song
I’ve worked with many songwriters who’ve said to me, “I’m not writing because I just…
On Christmas Songs – It’s That Time Of Year
This time of year, it’s amazing to me that everywhere I hear mostly the same…
Lyrics: Connecting The Dots – part 1
With a lyric, you can’t fit everything in. Where would you put it? You’ve usually…
The March of Time… Signatures – and Changing Them
Lately I’ve been exporing the idea of changing the presentation of songs already written. I’ve…
Have You Tried Converting Your Ballads Into Uptempo/Dance Songs?
Last week I wrote about the added value of uptempo songs. This week the news…
Comfort Zone Tempos & The Need For Uptempo Songs
I remember hearing songwriter/music publisher Eric Beall talk a few years ago about the value…
The Necessary Confusion of Getting Feedback
Getting feedback – comments, notes, praise, criticism – on your songs can be very confusing.…
Ask ‘What Am I Trying To Say?’… Then Say It
Years ago I was sitting with the great songwriter Doc Pomus at a New York…
It Doesn’t Have To Have Words To Be A Good Lyric
Shananana Nananana – Ba-oom – Yip yip yip yip Yip yip yip yip Boom boom…
Thou Shalt Not Borrow?… NOT a Songwriting Commandment
One of the things I hear most frequently from Songwriters, regarding their new songs, are…
The Spark That Starts Everything
I know some people who believe that if they have a good idea, they’ll remember…
In Football-and Songwriting-the last few yards can be the hardest
One of the things that I’ve heard the legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb say is that,…
A Good Melody Tells A Story – Without Words
A good melody tells a story – without the words. Of course I’m not saying…
What’s ‘It’ All About?
One of the most common problem areas in lyric writing is the use of the…
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