songwriter - guitarist

Does Your Sense of Creativity Ebb and Flow? That’s Normal.

Some songwriters seem to be able to come up with something singable practically every time they sit down to write, while for others, it feels more like hard work, and it can take many sessions to finish a song. Both of those scenarios are normal, in the sense that there is no particular “normal”. But […]

Songwriting Excellence

Improving On Your Songwriting Instincts

In practically any human activity you can name, having an “instinct” — what we might otherwise call a natural ability — is an important starting point. For example, you can teach someone the essential skills involved in hitting a baseball, but it’s far better to work with someone who just seems to have a natural […]

Keyboard, mixer and headphones

Heightening Your Sense of Musical Curiosity

The best songwriters are the ones who are the most curious. Curiosity makes you wonder. When you hear something amazing or unusual, curiosity is that drive inside your musical mind that makes you ask, “How in the world did they do that??” By being curious, you develop the ability to take other musicians’ ideas and modify […]

Songwriting - Form

Unguided Practice in Songwriting Might Be Your Biggest Problem

Like starting the songwriting process by working out the chords first? There are benefits and dangers. Read “Writing a Song From a Chord Progression” to get this process working properly for you. Let’s say you’re a guitarist and you want to improve. It makes sense that your best way forward is to practice. But if that’s all […]

guitar - songwriting

5 Tips for Editing Songs That Practically Always Work

“The Essential Secrets of Songwriting 10-eBook Bundle” covers every aspect of how to write great songs. Contains a Study Guide that keeps you focused on becoming a consistently better songwriter. Get today’s FREE DEAL when you make your purchase. Click below for details. Here’s the scenario: You’ve just written a song, but you know that it’s not […]

John Legend

The Rhythm of the Chorus Hook: It Matters

Even if a song’s chorus hook happens by pure musical instinct, there are several characteristics that are usually present in most of them: They’re rhythmically interesting. It’s usually a short, catchy melodic idea that’s easy for a listener to remember. The chords are simple and tonally strong (they strongly imply the key of the chorus). […]