Melodies That Sit on One Note Belong in the Verse

It’s possible to make static melodies work. You just need to make sure you don’t do it all the time. __________________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle. Become the best songwriter you can be! __________________ The conventional wisdom in music composition is that you should be always trying to give your melodies […]

More About Instrumental Music

____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and build your audience base. _____________ I’m on a short road trip at the moment, so I won’t be able to give a full blog post today. But I thought I’d mention one thing that came up in conversation with other musicians regarding MIDI orchestration. I’ve written on […]

5 Songwriting Ideas That Create Tension-Release

Tension and release –  it’s what keeps people listening. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and increase your song’s HIT potential. _____________ The “tension and release” concept in songwriting is one of those things that most listeners aren’t overtly aware of. Because it’s not as simple as, for example, music getting louder, though that can be […]

Creating Chord Progressions That Always Work, in Any Key

Noodling with chords can help create songwriting ideas. But how do you do this effectively? ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and build your audience base. _____________ If  your songs are all sounding the same, you may find that you’re starting them all the same way. Generally speaking, how you start a song will often determine […]

An Important Rule About Rules: There Are No Rules

It’s a real shame if your need to follow rules just cramps your creativity. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and build your audience base. _____________ Every once in a while even I use the word “rules” when it comes to music, though I try not to. I prefer words like “guidelines”, “formulas”, and […]

U2- With or Without You

3 Great Song Hook Types, and How to Write Them

“Hooks and Riffs: How They Grab Attention, Make Songs Memorable, and Build Your Fan Base“, is part of “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” Deluxe 10-eBook Bundle. Get the manuals that thousands of songwriters use to improve their songwriting technique. Read more.. When we talk about creating a hook for a song, there’s a tendency to think […]