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…
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…
Sometimes Your Story Doesn’t Belong In Your Song’s Story
Most if not all of us songwriters, also known as people, have our go-to stories…
Paul McCartney Reveals A Songwriting Secret
I was watching Paul McCartney on Steven Colbert’s show. They were discussing the fact that…
When Writing A Song Is Like Writing A Joke
Jokes may be the purest form of writing and performance. There’s a setup… then a…
Lyrics Aren’t Just Words
Lyrics on a page or a screen can be deceptive. They can ‘read well’, they…
It’s 2019. Does The F-Bomb Still Have Explosive Power?
In a Senate hearing this week, televised live, Lindsay Graham said the words, “Donald Trump…
‘Just My Imagination’ – An Appreciation Of A Great Song
I recently was invited to see the new Broadway show about The Temptations, ‘Ain’t Too…
Is Your Chorus Really A Pre-Chorus?
A while back I attended a Songwriters Hall Of Fame Masters Session @ NYU that…
Why The Beatles Didn’t Write As Many Great Choruses As You Think
In discussing great Choruses, The Beatles usually come up; no discussion of superior songwriting is…
When To Write A Song Using Less Than 20 Words
Sometimes songs with very few words can be really effective. I’m not talking here about…
Take This Step Before Recording Or Performing A New Song
I recently wrote a song call ‘Rise To Your Love’. Given the feel of the…
Unblocking The Songwriting Channel – A Lesson From Carole King
“Another thing I do is I might play someone else’s material that I really like…
Songwriting Patience & Persistence – A Lesson From Tom Petty
One of my favorite songwriting lessons comes by way of the late great Tom Petty…
Why Are Some Songs Easy To Write? And Some A Slog?
Some songs take weeks, months, even years to write… and even then they might not…
Working Backwards From The Rhyme Can Unlock Your Song
Instead of working from the beginning of the line and discovering the rhyme at the…
Inside ‘We Are The Champions’
Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’ (written by Freddie Mercury) consistently intrigued me. I’ve always been…
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