How To Make A Monotonous Melody Work
Regarding melodies, motion and variety are In most cases a good thing. A melody tells…
How I Learned To Call Myself A Writer
As regular readers of this blog know, I came late to taking my songwriting –…
When It’s Good To Not Know What A Lyric Means
Something that comes up frequently in songwriting discussions is the idea that it’s important for…
Your Song’s Title Is Not An Afterthought
Something I’ve encountered frequently with songwriters I’ve worked with, one of the most common songwriting…
Singability
Musicality and Sound are parts of lyric writing that can be easy to neglect, but…
Lennon… or McCartney…?
It’s happened to me before. I fall into the trap of comparing the relative value…
Get Some Words In There!
Having written the main pieces of a song (say the words and music for a…
‘The Paragraph On The Wall’ Can Focus Your Song
Robert Caro is one of the greatest non-fiction writers of our time, or any time.…
When There’s No Easy Way To Finish Your Song
Recently I was reminded of a sobering truth about songwriting. A truth I forget on…
Does Your Song Need A Bridge?
As beautiful as they can sometimes be, and as much as they can add to…
One Way To Make Sure Your Songwriting Sucks
Writing is a habit, a routine. Like all habits and routines, it’s much easier to…
Don’t Be Afraid To Change Your Phrasing
Before I commit myself to a musical phrase, especially when it contains a Title, it’s…
Having Confidence in Your Imagination
There’s imagination… then there’s believing in one’s imagination, having a certain confidence that you can…
The Bee Gees and the Power of Repetition
I was listening to Rick Rubin’s podcast, Broken Record. He was interviewing Barry Gibb of…
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…
Alfred Hitchcock’s Advice To Songwriters
‘An audience wondering is not an audience emoting.’ – Alfred Hitchcock The British master director…
The Benefits Of A Songwriting Practice
Songwriters, all writers, get their work done in many ways. But it’s hard to get…
The DNA of Your Song’s Lyric Is In The Title
For some reason, the more songs I write, the less frequently I start with a title. When I…
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…
Watch the ‘Ask Tony’ Videos
