Reinventing the Wheel

As innovative as The Beatles were, there wasn’t much new in their collective songwriting style. They brought ideas to pop music that had been around for years in other genres, and of course, they did it stunningly well. Their compositional technique gave us some real beauties, but much of what they did had been happening […]

Learning From the Greats: Rodney Crowell

Get “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, along with a FREE copy of “From Amateur to Ace: Writing Songs Like a Pro”. Read more.. _____________ There’s an article/interview in American Songwriter magazine with Rodney Crowell, country singer-songwriter, that was done back in 1989. It’s a reminder that not much changes in the world of hit songwriting, and […]

10 Tips for Increasing Your Audience Base

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 E-book Bundle. Become a top-level songwriter, starting now. _________ For most songwriters, especially ones who consider their art to be a potential money-making business, increasing listenership is crucial. It’s fine if your aim is to simply write songs for yourself and a small group of friends, and then sing […]

Listening Outside Your Genre Improves Songwriting Skills

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle, and kick-start your songwriting career right now! ____________ It’s understandable; you usually only want to listen to the music that you love, the music you grew up with, and the music that you write. If you’re into metal, you’re not likely going to cozy up with the […]

Using Plateau Pitches to Organize the Structure of Your Melody

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website Follow Gary on Twitter Jason Aldean’s latest hit on the Country charts, “Big Green Tractor,” demonstrates a great technique for building melodies that work: plateau pitches. It’s a way of structuring a melody to ensure that you get a controlled build through your song that […]