You've Got a Chord Progression- How Do You Create a Melody?

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle is available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ Many songwriters start with chords, then create a melody as they strum on those changes. But most texts that teach […]

Add Melodic Interest with a Countermelody

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle is available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ A countermelody is a type of melody that not only harmonizes a main melody, but could, if needed, act as […]

6 Tips For Protecting Your Songs Before Shopping Them Around

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle is available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ Judging by the emails I get, many of you are worried about how to shop your songs around without worrying […]

Four Suggestions for Dealing With Writer's Block

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle is available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ As you likely know if you’ve read my blog or my e-books, I am a big fan of not waiting […]

Chord Progression Dilemma: When Roots Move By Step

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle is available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ If you’re looking for chord progressions that really work well, you’ll discover that the strongest ones feature a majority […]

A Good Hook: Keep it Short, Make it Catchy

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • Write great songs consistently with “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle ________________________________ There are a lot of myths surrounding the role and importance of the hook in a song. There’s sometimes a belief that all […]