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…
Don’t Let The SOUND Put You Off Current Pop Songs
Some people born in 1990 listen to certain current pop recordings and can’t relate to…
Great Songs With Titles That Are Questions?
There have been many great songs whose Titles are a Question. Why does this work…
5 Ways To Evaluate Your Songwriting
Why evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your songwriting, an exercise that can be somewhat…
The World’s Best Songwriting Tool
There are many elements that make up a good or great song. Music: melody, harmony,…
Two Ways To Improve A Melody
1) Play or sing the melody, accompanied by only the bass notes (no chords). You…
How To Find Your Intro
They’re important. They’re the first thing people hear. But Intros – aka the part before…
Who Should Win The Argument In Your Song?
When you have a team working together, especially a talented one, not everyone’s going to…
Staying Open To Last Minute Changes In A Song
Once I get a new song rolling I usually have some idea of where it’s…
Under The Hood Of An Exceptional Song, part 3 (production)
This Max Martin/Ali Payami production sounds very full but, relatively speaking, there aren’t as many…
Under The Hood Of An Exceptional Song, part 2 (lyrics)
The lyrics of ‘Chained To The Rhythm’ celebrate the surface qualities of the song (dance,…
Under The Hood Of An Exceptional Song, part 1 (music)
Katy Perry’s ‘Chained To The Rhythm’ (written by Perry, Max Martin, Sia Furler, Ali Payami,…
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