The Beatles

How High You Sing Can Have a Big Effect On Song Energy

You can define song energy in several ways, but for the purposes of this post, song energy is the sense of musical intensity a listener perceives when they hear your song. And there are several aspects of music that might contribute to intensity: Loudness Rhythmic complexity General rhythmic activity Tonal quality of the various instruments […]

The power of music

Musical Energy in a Song is Emotional Energy

Musical energy is the lifeblood of a song. When you talk about a song’s ability to grab the listener’s attention and then keep them listening for the three or four minutes that it lasts, that all comes down to musical energy. So often people equate musical energy with volume (loudness) or tempo, but that’s not […]

George Harrison

Musical Energy is More Than High Volume and Fast Tempos

In my songwriting eBooks, particularly “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting”, I list eleven different principles of songwriting — aspects of music that seem to be present in practically all songs, regardless of genre or other performance-related characteristics. One of those principles is this: “In general, the energy at the end of a song should equal […]

Microphone - Song melody

What Kind of Backing Vocals Are Right For Your Song?

How to write (or even if you should write) backing vocals is usually a step beyond songwriting. In other words, it’s usually something that comes under the heading of production more so than songwriting. These days, though, where technology has blurred the line between songwriting and production, you may find yourself thinking a lot about what to do about […]

Songwriter in nature

Providing an Enticing Musical Journey For Your Listeners

Get the eBook bundle that thousands of songwriters are using to improve their songwriting technique. “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting 10-eBook Bundle” comes with a free copy of “Use Your Words! Developing a Lyrics-First Songwriting Process.” If you go for a walk, particularly in the country, I’m guessing that you’d like for that walk to […]

The Human Voice and Key Choice

“The Essential Secrets of Songwriting 10-eBook Bundle” covers every aspect of how to write great songs. Contains a Study Guide that keeps you focused on becoming a consistently better songwriter. Get today’s FREE DEAL when you make your purchase. Click below for details. I was watching an interview with Phil Collins, and he was talking […]