There are commonly-used words in the music world that have several meanings, depending on who’s using the word, and the context in which the word is being used. For example, you’ll find that the word “hook” can mean a short, catchy bit of music, but it also might mean an entire chorus — depending on who’s talking, and on […]
You’d be forgiven for thinking that all the good melodies have been taken. Since most songs are tonal (i.e., they exist in a key), that means that the majority of them are comprised of seven different pitches, all arranged in different ways. It makes you wonder, how many melodies can possibly be concocted by using seven pitches? Well, […]
Over on the Quote Investigator website you can read interesting research of the adage, “Easy reading is damn hard writing.” It’s commonly ascribed to the 19th century American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, but it probably existed long before he said it. I love that quote, because it sums up, in my opinion, the problems we face when trying to write […]
Music develops and changes over time as a kind of evolution: it takes what’s happened before, copying it to a large extent, but making small changes that move in a slightly new direction. It’s what biologists call “descent with modification from a common ancestor” in their field. We like to think that the music we’re writing is […]
Working on several songs simultaneously has definite advantages. It’s time to get serious about your songwriting. Get “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 10-eBook Deluxe Bundle, written by Gary Ewer. Time to become the best songwriter you can be! Read more.. One of the main causes of a small songwriting output is the feeling that you must polish one […]
Discover the 11 secrets that pro songwriters have known for decades. “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” eBook Bundle is being used by thousands of songwriters to take their music to a new level of excellence. Now with a new FREE eBook. Read more… ______________ I had some ideas for a few progressions to try, ones that result in a rising bass […]
