How to Choose the Key for Your Song

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. Open your mind to all the possibilities. Check out Gary’s songwriting materials. __________ The most obvious factor that determines good key choice is range of the voice that’s going to sing it. But it’s rather surprising that most singer/songwriters stick with the key they […]

The Seven Most Common Songwriting Errors

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. The seven problems listed in this blog are easily solvable. Let “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” suite of e-books turn your songs into winners. ______________ Why do some songs make a strong connection to the audience, while other seemingly great songs just sit there? […]

The Basics of the Melody- Verse, Pre-chorus, Chorus and Beyond

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. The difference between a hit song and a failing song is usually one small snag. Turn your songs into winners with these songwriter’s instructional e-books. Get them now! _________ A great melody is hard to define; no melody operates independently of the lyric or […]

How to Use Symmetry to Make a Song More Memorable

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. ____________ Symmetry occurs when matching items either face each other, or if they are placed equally distant on opposite sides of a midpoint. For songwriters, symmetry occurs when elements of a song repeat, especially applying to aspects of melody, lyric or form that occur […]

How a Bridge Melody Differs from Verse and Chorus

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website __________ The bridge of your song is usually the section that builds energy beyond what the chorus can do for you. Not all songs have bridges, and actually, whether your song needs one or not is more an issue of lyrical development than it […]

Imogen Heap's "Tidal": Using a Melodic Shape as a Formal Map

Written by Gary Ewer, from The Essential Secrets of Songwriting website. ___________ How do we identify a good song to someone else? Generally it’s by the melody. You don’t usually go to a friend and say, “Hey, I just heard this great new song…”, and then tap out the prominent rhythmic motifs, or recite the […]