Composers sometimes get the “I think I’ve heard this before” fear. It’s a very real issue because successful songs are a mix of innovative ideas with established songwriting practice. And with the balance firmly toward predictable, songwriting can present you with the nagging fear that you might have accidentally plagiarized your new song.
Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. ___________ A song works best when all elements work together. No lyric, chord progression, or melody exist in a vacuum; they are like partners that complement each other. That means that all good songs are better than the sum of their parts. Your job […]
Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website: ____________ Anyone who runs a website knows that if you don’t give the visitor something close to what they’re looking for within the first five to seven seconds, they’re going to be clicking away from your site and looking elsewhere. And that sense of […]
Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. _________________ Good songs usually present a balance of unique ideas with tried and true techniques. Usually, you’ll want that balanced in favour of the predictability that tried and true offers. A song that is too unique will often leave listeners confused, and boredom quickly […]
by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website: _____________ In general, the energy near the end of your song should be more than the energy at the beginning. That rising energy is not a constant; it ebbs and flows in a generally-upward direction, much like a successful stock market chart. The latter part […]
by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website; __________ Every songwriter goes through a rough patch, when writing the next tune seems all but impossible. Despite our best efforts, it happens. And even though you may do the things most people – including me – will offer as solutions (setting a regular time […]
