Harmonizing a Melody in Two Ways: First Major, Then Minor

Harmonizing a melody in minor if the original key is major helps breathe new life into a song. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ Part of starting the songwriting process is choosing a key for your song. The main factor you’ll consider, of […]

Classic Song Analysis: “Like a Rolling Stone” (Dylan)

Sitting atop The Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” is arguably one of the most influential pop songs ever written. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ There was much about “Like a Rolling Stone” that would […]

Comparing Rhythmic Activity of the Verse and Chorus Lyric

Longer note values work better in the chorus, as a way of enhancing emotional impact. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ There’s nothing like a song that allows the listener a powerful emotional release. It’s got to be done right, though, because songs […]

5 Steps to Writing an Effective Countermelody

A countermelody gives the listener two melodies at once, and considerably boosts melodic interest. Here’s how to write one. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ A countermelody is a second melody that is sung or played at the same time as the main […]

Coaxing the Listener to Keep Listening

The most important effect of a properly-written song is that people who start listening to it want to keep listening through to the end. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ When you analyze hit songs from the past several decades, you learn important […]

Improvisation As a Cure For Writer’s Block

Improvising activities bring your creative mind front and center. It can spell the end of writer’s block. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ The best musical performances in the world have the innate sound of improvisation at their core. Perhaps that’s why great […]