Clever Instrumentation Can Really Class Up a Song

Bon Iver’s Grammy-nominated “Holocene” shows that a sparse guitar-based instrumentation can be enough to generate a captivating sound. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ It’s easy to overlook the value of instrumentation to the success of a song, and think of it not […]

How Time Signatures and Chord Progressions Relate

Adding chords to a melody has as much to do with time signatures and beats as it does about notes. Here’s how it all connects. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ Creating chord progressions that fit that melody that’s been rolling around in […]

Switching from Chords-First to Melody-First Songwriting

There are good reasons why so many songwriters like starting the songwriting process by developing a chord progression first. Chief among those reasons is that one good progression gives you the foundation to develop many potential melodies. The problem is that by focusing solely on chords, melodies can sound a bit aimless. If you’re always starting your […]

Chord Progressions: Changing the Starting Point

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 E-book Bundle. Become a top-level songwriter, starting now. _________ There are lots of ways to breathe new life into an old chord progression. We know, for example, that inverting a chord (i.e., putting a chord tone other than the letter name of the chord in the bass) can give an […]

How Song Intros Can Make or Break Your Song

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 E-book Bundle. Become a top-level songwriter, starting now. _________ Done badly, a song intro says, “If you wait for a while, someone’s going to start singing, but not until I’ve strummed these two chords a bit longer.” Done well, a song intro entices the listener by presenting captivating musical motifs, […]

Are You Relying Too Heavily on the Hook?

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 E-book Bundle. Become a top-level songwriter, starting now. _________ If all you do is listen to top 40 hits, you’re missing out on a ton of good music. More to the point, if you’re working at honing your songwriting craft, you really mustn’t limit yourself to just the music that […]