John Newman

Using a typical Verse to Help Write a Bridge Section

In pop songwriting, a bridge (also called a middle-eight) usually occurs after the second chorus, or, in songs that don’t use a chorus, after the second verse. For songs in verse-chorus formats, this is the common position of a song’s bridge: Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus – BRIDGE – Verse – Chorus – […]

Band in rehearsal

Controlling the Energy Level of a Song

Musical energy is a subtle element. Most of the time people will think you’re talking about either loudness or rhythmic activity when you’re talking about energy. And while that’s often true, there’s a lot more to it. If you like starting songs by working out chord progressions, you need this eBook: “Writing a Song From […]

guitar and music paper

Tips for Writing Two or More Songs at the Same Time

Most songwriters I know are well able to keep two, and often more, songs on the front burner at any one time. Working on several songs simultaneously isn’t really all that hard to do, as long as you follow a few basic tips. “Hooks and Riffs: How They Grab Attention, Make Songs Memorable, and Build […]

Worrying about writer's block

Are You Dealing With Writer’s Block — Or Is It Just Normal Downtime?

Writer’s block is lousy when it happens, but most of the time it’s either mild or moderate, and given time, it will usually solve itself. Severe writer’s block is a more worrying creative block, because it can sometimes be very long term, or even permanent. But you likely don’t have that, so don’t worry about it. […]

chord progressions

My Guest Article at Songwriting.net: Chord Progressions

I was asked by the folks over at Songwriting.net to write an article for their website. They posted it yesterday, entitled “7 Ideas for Creating Chord Progressions.” I hope you’ll take a look. I’ve put a short excerpt below: There are basic principles about the way chords work that aren’t much affected by genre. What […]

Peter Gabriel

The Best Songs Fluctuate Between Fragile and Strong Moments

I talk a lot about the concept of “fragile” versus “strong” in songwriting, and particularly when I’m talking about chord progressions. In that regard, “strong” means “clearly indicating the key with a short, unambiguous set of chord changes.” With chords, “fragile” means the opposite: making the key less clear — less obvious, by creating a […]