Video blogpost: Why Do I Sometimes Like Songs With Bad Lyrics?
Thank you for reading my weekly blogposts! This is the next in a series of…
The Whys & The Ways To Improve A Melody
This is a followup to my last post about being willing to rewrite to get…
To Get Past The Cliches, You’ve Got To Explore
Many of us writers get very discouraged when our first version of an idea comes…
How To Change Your Lyric’s P.O.V. from Verse to Chorus
Generally speaking, to change the point of view in the lyric of a song, it’s…
How Contemporary Songs Are Different; Part 2: Melody
I gave a talk at our Songwriting Day event in 2016 about the ways in…
NEW Video blogpost: ‘Why Are Songs Different Today?’
Thank you for reading my weekly blogposts! I’m starting something different this week: a series…
Creating Your Habit of Songwriting
It’s hard for most of us songwriters to write a bunch of good songs unless…
When To Start Your Song With The Chorus
Most commonly, Verse/Chorus songs start with the Verse and build into the Chorus. This allows…
Christmas – It’s That Time Of Year… To Hear Everything
Going to various places in New York City during this holiday season, Christmas songs of…
Can You Write A One-Chord Song?
Have you ever tried writing a song with just one chord? This is an assignment…
Jay-Z and Bruce Mythologize Themselves In Their Songs… You Can Try It Too
I recently finished one of the best books on Songwriting I’ve ever read: ‘Decoded’ by…
Improve Your Recordings By Using Contrast
One of my occasional posts about recording and producing songs: Recordings that are great but…
For Bob Dylan, Songwriter, the Nobel Prize for Literature Is Not A Promotion
I love to read; I read compulsively. I get anxious at the thought of having…
What A Difference A Note Makes (In A Chord)
In a song I’m currently working on, there’s an 8 bar section where I started…
Songwriting Is Looking Inside… And Looking Outside
In terms of writing over a longer period of time, if one just writes autobiographically…
How To Make A Song Written In A Classic Style Sound Contemporary
Unless you’re a very strong performer, it’s difficult to make a dent as a songwriter…
How To Use A Minor Chord… When The Ear Expects Major
I’ve been listening to a couple of songs I really like that use the same…
How To Set Up A Song’s Title
Titles are one of the most powerful tools in songwriting. They don’t just help listeners…
Ways To Learn From The Songs You Love
Recently I came across a quote from artist/songwriter Aloe Blacc. What he said seemed almost…
Learn About Songwriting… Then Don’t Think About It
As weird as it may seem to some who’ve read a post or two of…
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