I always avoid doing the “old man rant” on this blog, but this may stray into that category… forgive me! One of the biggest problems I have with top-rated Billboard Hot 100 songs these days is that the chords are usually pretty simple and, frankly, uninspiring. Don’t get me wrong, a simple progression that works […]
Many songs will use the same chord progression throughout, and with such songs, the implied key isn’t going to change. So if the progression you’re using is C-G-Am-F, the key is C major, throughout the entirety of the song. Trying to get the chords-first songwriting process working? Your main concern with chords-first songwriting will usually […]
Writing songs is not always easy. Some would argue that it’s never easy, but you get such a great feeling from completing one that it makes the task worth it, and you want to do it again. That makes sense, because when something gives you a challenge, and you finally succeed, you get what might […]
If you look at the number of different notes that any one good melody uses, you might be surprised by how few there are. For many songs, most of the notes will be from one octave, and often less. In a song like “Hound Dog”, most of the song is comprised of 3 or 4 […]
We live in an era when checking online for advice and opinions is second nature. Want to buy a new toaster? You’ll probably not do that unless you’ve read the reviews. And for most people, reading the customer reviews often feels more relevant than the professionally-written ones. This need to see what others think extends […]
You can spend a lot of time worrying about the song you’ve just written, wondering if it accidentally sounds like someone else’s song. Unintentional plagiarism does happen. But what’s the best way to deal with it? I’m talking about those times that the song you’ve written is striking you as sounding uncomfortably familiar, whether it’s […]
