How to Use Symmetry to Make a Song More Memorable

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. ____________ Symmetry occurs when matching items either face each other, or if they are placed equally distant on opposite sides of a midpoint. For songwriters, symmetry occurs when elements of a song repeat, especially applying to aspects of melody, lyric or form that occur […]

How Melodic Shape Can Determine a Song's Success

by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website: ______________ You would think that a beautiful melody is what we’re all after when we write songs. But you could make the case quite easily that the world’s most successful songs over the past five decades do not necessarily have melodies you’d call “beautiful.” Like […]

What Your Song’s Bridge Needs to Do

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • Good songs sell! Check out “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle – available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ When I adjudicate performers at festivals, I love pointing out that good music is often more about […]

Balancing all the Elements of a Song

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. Gary is the author of six songwriting e-books designed to get you thinking about how you write music. Click here to read about those e-books. ____________________ Someone recently drew my attention to a great article that Suzanne Vega wrote several months ago for the […]

The Role of Inspiration in Songwriting

by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. When I pick up a pencil and try to draw a face, it looks grotesque. I get the perspective wrong, the shading looks haphazard, and the dimensions are simply off! Because I am untrained, I can’t really finish any drawing I start. As I progress […]

Songwriting, and the Contrast Principle

Gary Ewer’s songwriting e-books show you every aspect of how great songs work, and why bad songs flop. If you’re stuck and can’t seem to finish anything you start, it may be time to take a step back and look at songwriting from a different perspective. __________________________________ If you compare music from different genres, it […]