Uncovering the Secrets of Beautiful Song Melodies

The well-placed tonic note, coupled with a climactic moment, helps create beautiful melodies. ____________________ “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle now includes a free copy of “From Amateur to Ace: Writing Songs Like a Pro.” ____________________ Every once in a while I get comments or emails from people who deride the value of song analysis. […]

Helping a Complex Chord Progression Make Sense

Looking for ideas to help a weird progression make better sense? Try these. ____________________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle – Powerful and Effective songwriting instruction! ____________________ Of all the elements that go together to make a song, the chord progression is the one that you shouldn’t particularly worry if it’s somewhat predictable. […]

Using Deceptive Cadences in Song Composition to Create Excitement

A deceptive cadence temporarily “fools” the listener by pulling the chords in an unexpected direction. _____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and solve your songwriting problems TODAY. _____________ In music, a cadence is the end of a phrase. It’s easy to identify when a cadence happens in a song: you’ll hear the singer hold a […]

The Dominant and Tonic Notes: Creating Forward Motion in Melodies

Designing melodies that use the dominant and tonic notes to create forward motion _____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and solve your songwriting problems TODAY. _____________ Back a couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about Taylor Swift’s current No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together“. […]

Song Choruses, and the Importance of the Tonic Note and Chord

The presence of the tonic note and chord strengthens the structure of a song chorus. _____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and solve your songwriting problems TODAY. _____________ Whether it’s apparent to an audience or not — and it usually isn’t — a song is a short musical journey that places great significance on the […]

Starting Songs With Non-Tonic Chords

One way to be creative with chords is to simply start on a chord other than the tonic. _____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and find out which songs become hits, and why they sound so good. _____________ A tonic chord is the one that represents the key that your song is in. So if your […]