After almost 8 years of doing a blog, I’ve decided to take the plunge and switch to a new self-hosted version. For many of you, you likely got to this page by being redirected from an old WordPress link. And if you’re new here, welcome! My new blog address is https://www.secretsofsongwriting.com. So if you have […]
I recently wrote an article for SongBay that discussed ways in which the chords you choose can work hand-in-hand with your lyrics, and actually enhance their meaning. Getting words and chords working together makes for a more meaningful experience for your audience. Along the same lines, there are things you can be doing as you […]
There’s one common characteristic that exists between the different music genres of pop, rock, country, folk and their related subgenres: they all usually use a singer. There are instrumental tunes, of course, but not that many. For most songwriters, it’s all about writing a melody that’s going to get sung. ________ What are you using […]
If you spend any time at all listening to or reading interviews from top-level singer-songwriters, you’ll find that they spend a lot of time talking about other songwriters. That’s because for the most successful artists in the business, it’s always about knowing what else is going on in their genre, and trying to stay ahead of […]
Ever try playing a good chord progression backwards? It doesn’t always work, but it’s worth the time to experiment. When you do something in songwriting the same way each time, it’s called using a formula, and it’s not usually the kind of thing a songwriter should be aspiring to do. But there is one exception, […]
An online friend (@uberkings) sent me the link to a New Yorker article from 2012, called “The Song Machine – The hitmakers behind Rihanna” (John Seabrook). Things change quickly in the music business, but I suspect that most of what this article is saying still holds true in 2015. And it’s depressing. And don’t get […]
