How to Create Contrast in Verse-Only Designs

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. For songwriting tips and notification of blog updates, FOLLOW GARY ON TWITTER Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” suite of 6 e-books now at a 50% saving. _______________________________ While verse-chorus-bridge designs are possibly the most commonly used plans in the pop song world, the verse-without-chorus is […]

When to Fix a Song, and When to Toss It

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. FOLLOW GARY ON TWITTER Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” e-book bundle. 6 E-books for only $37! _________________________ There are certain songwriters that appear to have nothing but great success. This is not reality, of course. We’re not usually acquainted with songs that miss […]

How Many Notes Does a Good Melody Need?

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. FOLLOW GARY ON TWITTER Find Your Songwriting Breakthrough – Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” _______________ Melodies are confusing little beasts. Just when you’re convinced that a good melody requires a nice contour, taking the listener through an octave-and-a-half journey, along comes a Bob Dylan […]

Creating Melodies with Symmetrical Patterns

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website FOLLOW GARY ON TWITTER Find Your Songwriting Breakthrough – Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” ________________________ Melodies constructed of repeating patterns are usually the easiest melodies to remember, so if writing hit songs is of interest to you, you’ll want to be sure that […]

Experimenting with Odd Song Forms Can Pay Off

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” FOLLOW GARY ON TWITTER Get the most out of your creative abilities! Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” ___________________________________ Most songs follow a rather predictable pattern: after an intro of some sort, you get the basic verse – chorus – verse – chorus – bridge […]

Three Bits of Advice for Analyzing Your Melodies

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. FOLLOW GARY ON TWITTER The second edition of “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” is out! See the video here. ____________________________ The nature of melody is different depending on the genre you’re writing in, and it’s almost impossible to state any rules. Just as soon […]