Guitar and Piano - Creating a Melody and Bass Line

Five Quick Chord Progression Tips

One thing that brings a smile to my face is thinking about the fact that chord progressions work pretty much the same way today (in a pop song) as they did more than 300 years ago (in a Bach aria). If you’ve written a melody and you want to explore the many ways there are […]

Songwriter and guitar

Producing Your Own Songs: Making the Tough Choices

I was told once by someone that there are two kinds of people near the top of any successful company: ideas people and doers. I’m not a business specialist, so I have no idea if this is really true, but it makes sense. You need people who can come up with some great ideas, and […]

ROOMFUL OF TEETH

Adding Colours to Your Musical Palette: Roomful of Teeth

Trying to get a handle on writing song lyrics? Discover the benefits of making a lyrics-first method your new go-to process with”Use Your Words! Developing a Lyrics-First Songwriting Process. It’s FREE right now when you purchase the 10-eBook Bundle. Hopefully you don’t need to be convinced, as a songwriter, of the importance of daily listening […]

Singer-Songwriter

The Snapshot That Represents Your Song

I’ve got several analogies I like to use to represent what’s going on when we write songs. Sometimes I find it useful to compare it to going for a walk or a short journey. That’s a useful comparison because it emphasizes the fact that, like taking a walk, we are aware that songs have a […]

Music Studio Sound Board

Coming Up With Ideas to Take You From Writing a Song to Recording It

Once your song is written and you’re ready to record it, you’ll hopefully still find opportunities to to make it even better. Most of the time, rehearsing your song with bandmates gives you that opportunity. For most good songs in the pop genres, getting a hook working properly is vital. “Hooks and Riffs: How They […]

Guitarist - songwriter

Songwriting: Creating Instant Gratification

One thing all pop music subgenres have in common, with the possible exception of progressive rock, is that the songs are short. Most of the time you need to offer your audience a complete work of artistic expression that lasts four minutes or less. In the creative arts, that’s not very long. Back in the […]