The Lyric Is Not What Your Song Is ‘About’
It’s not uncommon for songwriters to be asked, “What’s this song about?” The question is…
The Necessity of Songwriting Craft… And How To Get It
Ever have this happen to you? You get an idea for a song that really…
You Write All Your Songs On This Instrument… And It Breaks
I have a guitar at home – it almost never leaves my apartment – on…
When Great Melodies Don’t Have Motion
Most great melodies are filled with movement. They roll up and down, with steps and…
Better To Get Your Song Right Than Get It Perfect
I spend a lot of time, with my own songs, and with others’ in songwriting…
Fast Songwriting vs. Slow Songwriting
It’s a truism that the best way to finish a piece of writing is to…
The Musically Underestimated Songwriting of Neil Young
Neil Young’s musical sophistication is underestimated. Many people love his songs, of course. He’s an…
‘I’m A Loser’: When Music & Lyrics Disagree
Will Lee recently did a great (almost) solo version of John Lennon’s ‘I’m A Loser’…
Beware The Repeated Melody Note
The first time we hear a song we take in the big picture, we notice…
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…
‘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…
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…
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…
The Early Genius of Brian Wilson
As time passes – in a few months it’ll officially be over 50 years since…
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