Sia - Chandelier

Songwriting: What You Need to Know About Song Form

When we talk about form in songwriting, we might be referring to the various sections of a song: verse, chorus, bridge, etc. Or we might be talking about something like the rhyme scheme of the lyrics: ABAB, for example. Or we might be talking about some aspect of the design of the melody… ascending figures contrasting with […]

Cream -Sunshine Of Your Love

Changing Key to Keep a Great Melody Going

Let’s say that you’ve got a verse that consists of a short melody and chord progression that repeats several times before it reaches the chorus. That might start to sound boring to you, and I want to suggest a way to alleviate that boring sense of repetition. How much a short melody can or should repeat before moving […]

What To Do With Verse 2 Lyrics

If your song isn’t telling a story as such, what should a verse 2 lyric look like? _____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and solve your songwriting problems TODAY. _____________ Because songs represent a musical journey, every moment along the 4-5 minute timeline needs to represent something new. Since verse 1 and 2 will usually […]

Why Are Verse Lyrics So Hard to Write?

The trick to writing verse lyrics: verse 2 just rewords verse 1. ___________________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-ebook bundle, and start building your audience base. ___________________ Most songwriters will tell you that chorus lyrics often happen rather easily, but it’s the cursed verse lyrics that take forever. And for some, even after spending days, […]

Downward Key Changes Might “Brighten” a Song – Here’s How

If you’re looking for ways to brighten the feel of a song, moving the key downward might (paradoxically) work. Read on.. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and increase your song’s HIT potential. _____________ I’ve written about the matter of changing key within a song before, and most of the time I talk about ways to […]

Video Melodic Analysis: Sia's "Soon We'll Be Found"

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-ebook bundle, and learn how to write great songs! ________________ A while back I did a blog post that examined Sia’s “Soon We’ll Be Found”, from her “Some People Have Real Problems” recording. The main point of that article was to look at the way she used alternating minor-to-major […]