You’ve just written your new song, but it’s got problems. What’s worse, you can’t really tell what the problem is, you just know that something doesn’t sound right. What do you do? A few years back I designed a checklist for songwriters to use in such a case, and you can download that free checklist […]
When we think about a song’s energy level, particularly as it pertains to the instrumental choices, we often think about how much energy we can generate by adding instruments into the mix. That’s a pretty instinctive approach, and it has worked in almost every genre, in any era. Eighties’ power ballads took this to extremes. […]
Give your songwriting talents their best shot – Check out “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” eBooks. There are many causes of songwriter’s block, but regardless of its origins, it all manifests itself as being a fear of failure. It’s an unpleasant mix of distress and panic. As you pick up your guitar to get to work […]
Because classical and pop music usually sound so completely different, you might wonder if there’s anything from classical music a pop songwriter could apply to their songs. There are some obvious things that transfer easily from classical to pop: Chord progressions work the same way. There may be progressions that are more popular in pop than classical, but how […]
Songs, especially in the pop genres, normally end in the same key they start in. But every once in a while you’ll come across songs that feature key changes in various spots. This is called modulation in music theory circles. One of the most common key changes happens in the final chorus repeats, when the key […]
As a songwriter, you no doubt come across musicians that are passionately opinionated with regard to some musical subject, to the point where it gets under your skin and drives you crazy. You know the arguments I’m talking about: Gibson or Fender? Digital or vinyl? And then what would seem like countless other unanswerables: the best lyricist? […]
