Joni Mitchell - Little Green

Great Songs Are the Best Teachers We Have

Recently the music world has been noting and celebrating the fifty-year anniversary of Joni Mitchell’s 1971 album “Blue.” If you know this album, you will know that many will tell you that the lyrics are its most powerful element. And I agree with that sentiment. There’s not a weak song on the album. When you […]

Writing About What You Don’t Know

You’ll hear people say that there’s a kind of honesty in songwriting that comes from writing about the things that you know and have experienced. When you write about things you don’t know, they say, there’s an insincerity problem that you need to overcome. I’m not sure I believe that. I like to take a […]

Joni Mitchell - Little Green

How Hidden Meaning Works: Joni Mitchell’s “Little Green”

A song where the meaning of the lyric isn’t immediately clear excites us. We’re usually intrigued by the fact that the words are so simple, the phrases and sentences so seemingly unambiguous, and yet… what does it all mean? We can usually tell when a songwriter is pouring out their soul to us, even if […]

Speak So Softly that Everyone Can Hear You

Quietness in music can be a powerful tool. Use it wisely. ____________ Struggling to build an audience base? “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” shows you every aspect of what makes a great song great. Read more.. ____________ I love quiet songs. I like when a songwriter can get their point across using transparent instrumentation and a quiet voice. […]

Building Song Energy is Usually an “Ebb and Flow” Thing

Musical energy should build and die away several times throughout a song’s length. __________________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle. Become the best songwriter you can be! __________________ There aren’t many musical compositions that start at a low energy level, and then build energy in a straight line to the end. For most songs, energy […]

The Role of Song Energy: It’s All Relative

Energy is what propels your song forward and keeps listeners interested. But it can be a subtle quality. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and increase your song’s HIT potential. _____________ It’s a basic principle of songwriting that energy should increase as your song progresses. The energy at the end of a song will usually exceed […]