Finding the Right Chords, Part 2

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:   Any melody you come up with will be able to be harmonized in a variety of different ways. And that’s a good thing. It would be a very boring exercise if there was only one possibility for matching chords with melody notes. In the previous article we came […]

Finding the Right Chords

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:   In the previous article, I discussed strong and fragile chord progressions, and the need to have both in your songs. But how do you actually choose the chords? How do you know which chords go with the key of your song? And how to you get them […]

Making Chord Changes Work

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • Good songs sell! Check out “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle – available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ A good chord progression is like a piece of land that you’re planning to build your house […]

Canadian Radio Star – National Songwriting Competition

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:   Canadian Radio Star has announced their National Songwriting Competition for unpublished or self-published aspiring songwriters. The deadline for submissions is December 12, 2008. Applicants should send a CD with 1 to 3 songs with a typed lead sheet and contact info. The Grand Prize is $10,000, along […]

What Key Should My Song Be In?

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website: The key you choose for your song depends on several factors. Of course, the most important consideration is the range of your voice; that’s obvious. But beyond that, there are other factors to keep in mind. Singers use the term tessitura to refer to the basic range of […]

Be Slow to Fall in Love With Your New Song

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:   It’s a common predicament with songwriters: you start writing a new song, and as it progresses, you become less and less inclined to change anything you’ve written. You get “locked in” to how the song is unfolding, and unwilling to make what may be some crucial changes […]