Joni Mitchell

Some Quick Fixes for Common Problems With Song Melodies

Not every song will have a notable melody. In general terms, the slower the song, the more important the melody becomes. Perhaps that’s because slower songs use melodies that use longer notes, making them more noticeable. With fast songs, melody notes typically fly by, and the basic groove of the song is probably more important. […]

Folk singer-songwriter

When You Lack Family Support For Your Songwriting

If you write purely by instincts, it’s time to guide those instincts with songwriting knowledge. “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 10-eBook Bundle shows you, with sound samples and other examples, why great songs sound great. Comes with a Study Guide. When I was just finishing university back in the 80s, I got a dream project: […]

Tom Petty

Making Verse 2 Stand Out From Verse 1

For songs that use one of the verse-chorus formats, you’ll know that verses usually use the same melody but different lyrics. Occasionally you’ll find a song that uses different melodies in the verses — “I Know What I like (In Your Wardrobe)“, by Genesis for example, or a song with the same lyrics in subsequent […]

Songwriter - Pianist

There’s No One Best Songwriting Process, But…

“The Essential Secrets of Songwriting”Lyrics become all the more powerful when they’re properly paired with a good melody. That’s what Chapter 5 is all about in the eBook “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting.” Polish your songwriting technique with the 10-eBook Bundle. When you hear a great song, probably the last thing audiences are aware of […]

Guitar - altered chords

Minor Key Chord Progressions, With 15 Examples

If you’ve written a melody and you want to explore the many ways there are to add chords to it, you need to get “How to Harmonize a Melody.” It shows you step by step, with sound samples, how to create the chords that will bring your melodies to life. There are two ways to […]

What Are You Doing To Make Your Songs Stand Out From the Rest?

I’ve often said that if you’re not doing something unique in your songwriting/performing, you’re missing the opportunity to add something remarkable to the music world. Being unique does not need to mean being strange, or at least certainly not overly strange. Most of the time, what you feel comfortable doing as a songwriter will be constrained […]