The Importance of Writing At Different Tempos
I had a gig with my band and some special guests Monday night. It went…
What Makes A Song Sound ‘Beatle-esque’?
A lot of Lennon & McCartney’s early songs were what you might call ‘genre’ songs.…
Does It Matter What Key Your Song Is In?
There’s no question in my mind that, when writing a song, an awareness of what…
How To Use the ‘Tender Notes’ In Your Melodies
This week I make a pitch for the use in melodies of what I call…
‘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…
What To Do When “I’ve Used These Same Chords Too Many Times!”
I think most songwriters (who write music) feel at times that they go to the…
Inside ‘We Are The Champions’
Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’ (written by Freddie Mercury) consistently intrigued me. I’ve always been…
Staying Open To Songwriting Influence and Inspiration
Sometimes a songwriter is inspired – excited creatively and/or financially – to use a chunk…
Has Your Songwriting Routine Become A Rut?
There is of course no correct way to write a song; no right way to…
Don’t Let The Listener Get Ahead Of Your Song
It’s not a good sign, to put it mildly, when I get the feeling that…
The Spectrum Of Great Songwriters
Philosopher Isaiah Berlin famously separated writers and thinkers into two basic categories – Hedgehogs and…
Aretha Franklin, Songwriter: An Appreciation
Aretha Franklin’s stature as a songwriter will never equal her monumental accomplishments as a singer.…
Stevie Wonder’s ‘Overjoyed’ – Under The Hood
I think Stevie Wonder’s ‘Overjoyed’ is one of the best songs of the last 50…
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