Don’t Stop At Self-Expression
In songwriting there’s a lot of emphasis on self-expression. That’s understandable, and certainly it’s hard…
Adapting To A Different World
I’ve been in the music business for decades and have acquired some skills at adapting…
‘If The World Was Ending’ – Inside A Great (and Timely) Modern Song
This post is about one of the most powerful songs I’ve heard in a long…
How They Wrote A Billie Eilish Song… That’s Also A Bond Song
I’m impressed by how Billie Eilish and her co-writer/brother Finneas O’Connell managed to craft a…
Why Song Titles Are Less Important Now
Songwriting immortal Irving Berlin said: “Make sure you repeat the Title as often as possible…
The ‘4Chords/4Bars’ Song Still Rules The Charts
Almost 3 years ago I wrote a blogpost about the development of a new variation…
The Jittery Rhythms And Constant Motion Of Modern Melodies
At Tony Conniff Songwriting Workshops we just began a new 5 week group, this one…
Lyrics: The Right Vowel Is Just As Important As The Right Word
One of the most critical aspects of writing a song is making it as singable…
How Your Mind Convinces You To Postpone Writing
I spoke recently with an old friend of mine; a longtime music person who has,…
When You’re Moved By Something In A Song… Break It Down
There’s a craft to doing anything really well. In songwriting, part of learning is doing…
Mistakes Can Be A Songwriter’s Best Friend
A lot of my songs have started from mistakes (and yes… I know there are…
The Key You’re In – Is It The Best Key For Writing Your Song?
I was producing someone whose song’s melody was considerably lower in the Chorus than it…
Songwriting: Solving The NYT Crossword During a Therapy Session?
“Songwriting is like attempting to solve the NYT crossword during a therapy session.” I came…
Let The Faucet Run – Bad Music and Lyrics Can Lead To A Good Song
In my recent songwriting, I’ve noticed something that I take to be a positive development…
For A Gratitude Reminder, Try One Of These Songs…
* ‘Thanks For The Memory’ by Bob Hope (Rainger/Robin) * ‘I Thank You’ by Sam…
The Early Genius of Brian Wilson
As time passes – in a few months it’ll officially be over 50 years since…
In A Good Song, Some Things Are More Important Than Others
In a good song everything is important, everything matters – every melody note, word, chord.…
How To Let The Listener Write Most Of Your Song’s Lyrics
It’s been said many times – creating lyrics is an extremely economical form of writing.…
Cinematic Storytelling In Song Lyrics
Two very different songwriters I’ve discussed before – Chuck Berry and Sam Beam (of Iron…
In Defense Of ‘Stupid’ Song Ideas
Sometimes when I get an idea for a new song I get excited and I’m…
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