Song melodies need to have a direction, a goal. Otherwise they’re just aimless wanderings that bore listeners. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ Recently I wrote about one of the most common problems I saw in young songwriters, which was a serious flaw […]
Song structure is hard to define in any specific way, but songs can die when it’s missing. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ Back in 2004 I started doing research into pop music in preparation for writing “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting.” At […]
From the start of a verse to the end of a chorus, melodic direction should be generally upward. Here’s a close look at that principle. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and discover the basic principles of why hit songs work. _____________ There’s a good reason why melodies typically work their way upward […]
In songwriting, the contrast principle tells us that listeners need to hear stress and resolution. Here’s how that works. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and kick-start your songwriting career. _____________ The contrast principle states songs should present opposing ideas as it progresses. Song energy is generated every time your audience hears those […]
If you aren’t doing anything to solve your own specific songwriting problems, you’re never going to improve, period. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and find out how hit songs of the past 5 decades can make your songs work. _____________ Has songwriting turned from something that used to be fun into something that’s just frustrating […]
Reversing the direction of a melodic line can give a sense of symmetry to your song, and make it easier to remember. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ Canadian singer-songwriter Lights (Lights Valerie Poxleitner) writes music that demonstrates two songwriting principles that work […]
