If you find that every song you write these days is leaving you feeling a bit disappointed, you may be on the verge of a significant leap forward in your songwriting abilities — if you approach that disappointment the right way. The problem with dissatisfaction is that it quickly leads to frustration. Frustration is a […]
Another year is coming to a close, and I sincerely hope that it was a good one for you. I’m not usually one for new year’s resolutions; I try to think positively about whatever is to come, simply striving to do my best on a daily basis. Sometimes I good at that, and at other […]
As a songwriter, it wouldn’t be unusual to devote a lot of time to thinking about how to make your audience happy. You’re probably opting for fast tempos, major chords, and lyrics with an upbeat message. But you might be missing something: the positive effect that writing sad music can have on your audience. In 2013 […]
We all get something different out of music. For some, music is beautiful sound that gets played quietly on the home stereo, never turned up: musical wallpaper. For others, music defines who they are and takes a central role. It gets turned up loud and listened to. And more than just listening to music because […]
The melody-chord relationship is one we talk about all the time. You can enhance a melody, and in particular its sense of direction and energy, by ensuring that you’re using chords that are functionally clear. The relationship we don’t talk about so much is the connection between lyrics and chords. How listeners react to chords […]
