Have You Tried Converting Your Ballads Into Uptempo/Dance Songs?
Last week I wrote about the added value of uptempo songs. This week the news…
Comfort Zone Tempos & The Need For Uptempo Songs
I remember hearing songwriter/music publisher Eric Beall talk a few years ago about the value…
The Necessary Confusion of Getting Feedback
Getting feedback – comments, notes, praise, criticism – on your songs can be very confusing.…
Ask ‘What Am I Trying To Say?’… Then Say It
Years ago I was sitting with the great songwriter Doc Pomus at a New York…
It Doesn’t Have To Have Words To Be A Good Lyric
Shananana Nananana – Ba-oom – Yip yip yip yip Yip yip yip yip Boom boom…
Thou Shalt Not Borrow?… NOT a Songwriting Commandment
One of the things I hear most frequently from Songwriters, regarding their new songs, are…
The Spark That Starts Everything
I know some people who believe that if they have a good idea, they’ll remember…
In Football-and Songwriting-the last few yards can be the hardest
One of the things that I’ve heard the legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb say is that,…
A Good Melody Tells A Story – Without Words
A good melody tells a story – without the words. Of course I’m not saying…
What’s ‘It’ All About?
One of the most common problem areas in lyric writing is the use of the…
Bring The Pain – To Your Songs
It’s natural for a Songwriter to worry about things like, “when people hear my songs,…
The Great Leap (In Melodies)
Recently Frank Ocean, a singer and songwriter, has become very popular very fast. I read…
Avoiding Songwriting Predictability
We’ve all heard thousands, maybe tens of thousands of songs. Most of us now know,…
Getting Your Song Stolen
“If I play this song in public and it’s not copyrighted, isn’t there a good…
Build A (Songwriting) Container
I try to be open to ideas whenever they present themselves… I scribble things down…
John Lennon: The Underrated Melodist
People love to categorize, and people particularly like to categorize in dualities – yin/yang, Apollo/Dionysius… …
Is Your Song Happening In The Present Or The Past?
When writing and developing a lyric, a relatively simple yet powerful tool that’s often overlooked…
‘It’s Having A Good Idea For A Song That’s Hard’
Lyle Lovett recently said, “I’ve always thought that writing isn’t really that hard. It’s having…
Have You Tried Outlining Your Song?
If you have the basic idea for a song – the Chorus and/or the Title…
When Is A Song Finished?
Some songs get worked on for years, literally; some come together in a half hour. …
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