Writing Songs That Use Three Simple Melodies

I’ve recently returned to listening to an album that really impressed me when it was released in 2015: “Carrie & Lowell,” by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. I hope you take the time to give it a listen. What I love the most about it is its transparency of sound. With simple guitar and keyboard accompaniments, […]

Sufjan Stevens: "Death With Dignity" – Why It Works

“Death With Dignity” has several features that allow it to serve as a model for how great songs are written. ______________  Take your songwriting to a new level of excellence. Buy “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, written by Gary Ewer. And get a 7th eBook FREE, “From Amateur to Ace – Writing Songs Like a […]

If You’re Trying To Be Unique, You Might Be Trying Too Hard

Get “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 10-eBook Deluxe Bundle – a COMPLETE guide to writing better songs. ______________ No one can fault a songwriter for wanting to create something unique and distinctive. It’s normal to want to stand out from the rest of the songwriting crowd. But in the bid to be thought of as unique, there […]

The Role of Song Energy: It’s All Relative

Energy is what propels your song forward and keeps listeners interested. But it can be a subtle quality. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and increase your song’s HIT potential. _____________ It’s a basic principle of songwriting that energy should increase as your song progresses. The energy at the end of a song will usually exceed […]