If you’ve been writing songs for a while, you’ll know that lyrics change in character as a song progresses. To generalize, you’ll notice the following: VERSE LYRICS: Verse lyrics set the stage, recount details of a story, describe characters, etc. It lays out the narrative, the storyline or general song topic. “Hooks and Riffs: How They […]
Because classical and pop music usually sound so completely different, you might wonder if there’s anything from classical music a pop songwriter could apply to their songs. There are some obvious things that transfer easily from classical to pop: Chord progressions work the same way. There may be progressions that are more popular in pop than classical, but how […]
Songs, especially in the pop genres, normally end in the same key they start in. But every once in a while you’ll come across songs that feature key changes in various spots. This is called modulation in music theory circles. One of the most common key changes happens in the final chorus repeats, when the key […]
Sorry it’s taken a while to get this done… As you may know, recent purchasers of “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 10-eBook Deluxe Bundle have been given the 12-lesson Songwriter’s Edition of my Easy Music Theory video-based course. I had said that I would create a discount for those who wanted the eBooks along with a full […]
As a songwriter, you no doubt come across musicians that are passionately opinionated with regard to some musical subject, to the point where it gets under your skin and drives you crazy. You know the arguments I’m talking about: Gibson or Fender? Digital or vinyl? And then what would seem like countless other unanswerables: the best lyricist? […]
It’s an important principle in songwriting that all elements of a song — lyrics, chords, melodies, even instrumentation — act as partners within a song. In other words, lyrics, for example, will be at their best when the chords seem to communicate the mood and meaning of the words. Similarly, the melodies will bring the […]
