A Good Title Needs A Specific POV In The Lyric
It is a truth universally accepted (sorry, Jane) that a song with a good Title/Chorus…
You Can Start With A Bass Line… Here Are Some Who Did
With some songs all you need, musically, is a melody and a bass line. The…
It’s Blues – Even When You Don’t Realize It
By now there must be millions of songs that use the incredibly durable and adaptable…
Can You Teach Someone To Write A Song?
Even when I’m ‘teaching songwriting’, I never think of it this way. I believe you…
Cutting What’s Not Essential Strengthens What’s Left
‘If it can be cut, then CUT IT OUT. Everything non-essential that you can eliminate…
Songs, Like Pixar Movies, Have To Be MADE Good
Over the last few years I’ve listened to more than a few podcast interviews with…
In Songs, ‘I’ Is Usually Better Than ‘We’
Even more than most of these posts, this is just an opinion. But my opinion…
Singing Helps Get The Lyric Right
In preparing for a recent gig I was, as usual before a show, singing my…
6 Tips On How To ‘Finish Your Song’
I recently wrapped up, with seven songwriters, the first “Finish Your Songs’ workshop I’ve held.…
What I Forgot To Remember… About Being Productive
Back when playing the bass guitar was my main obsession, I’d sometimes get depressed about…
When To Add A Bridge… Or Not
The question often comes up: Should I add a Bridge to my song? There’s definitely…
Bridges Are All About Momentum
In a Verse/Chorus song, Bridges usually happen a minute and a half to two minutes…
How To Keep Your Focus In A Lyric… Or Not
Recently I heard some talented students record a song that I’ve always liked, and still…
A Big Part Of A Lyric’s ‘Meaning’ Is Its Sound
Two very different lines from very different songs recently caught my attention for the same…
Work On Your Songs AND Your Skills
Every song I write is an opportunity. Not just an opportunity to write a good…
A Simple Way To Make Lyrics and Melodies More Musical
Songs with sections – Verses, Choruses, Bridges – in which every line has a similar…
What Do Nas, Sting, and Metallica Have In Common?
It’s a practical and sensible songwriting convention that, in a Verse/Chorus song, the Chorus will…
Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’: Getting Inside A Great Song
What makes Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ a great song, maybe one of the great songs? Greatness…
Amy Winehouse, Meet Irving Berlin: Modulations, Part 2
In last week’s post I covered two of the five general categories I laid out…
How To Use Modulations In Pop Songs
Modulations in pop songs… Some people love ’em. Some people can’t stand the sound of…
Watch the ‘Ask Tony’ Videos
