"The Essential Secrets of Songwriting" Songwriting tips by Gary Ewer.
Write better songs by learning the essential secrets of songwriting - how to write melodies, chord progressions, a great hook and more! If writing great songs has always been a mystery, let the articles on this page help get you back on track.


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Adding Horns and Other Instruments to Your Recording - Do It Right!
Thursday, July 2, 2009, 12:21 pm AST

Anyone doing a demo recording knows that you don't get much of a chance to get a record exec's attention. You've got to keep your playlist small, and grab attention right away. One way to set your songs apart from all the other noise out there is to add horns and other acoustic instruments. But if you don't know what you're doing, your song can sound like Mickey Mouse time pretty quickly. More..

LIMITED TIME FREE OFFER: Want to discover the secrets of WRITING GREAT SONGS? Right now, all five of Gary Ewer's songwriting e-books are being offered as a bundle for only $37, plus receive a sixth e-book, "Chord Progression Formulas" FREE.

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Previous Songwriting Articles:

Creating Lyrics that Have a Natural Flow
Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 11:09 am AST

If you want lyrics to sound natural, you need to sing them with the natural pulses that occur in spoken language. For songwriters, you need to match up the natural pulse of the lyric with the natural flow of your music. It may not be as easy as you think, but the rewards are worth the effort. More..

The 2009 BET Awards Show Honours Michael Jackson
Monday, June 29, 2009, 10:35 am AST

The 2009 BET (Black Entertainment Television) Awards were handed out last night in Los Angeles. The show was completely refashioned as a Michael Jackson tribute, complete with wardrobe and music homages to the King of Pop. More..

The Life and Death of Michael Jackson - Why Do We Care So Much?
Friday, June 26, 2009, 11:59 am AST

Anytime the name Michael Jackson hits the news, it has a way of pushing everything else completely into the background. And the news of his untimely death did more than push other news back. More..

If You Want Your Song to Sell, Your Melody Needs Shape
Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 1:19 pm AST

Many start the songwriting process by coming up with a chord progression, and then try to create a melody that works with it. The problem with this approach can be that the melody lacks shape, as the importance is placed on the progression first. More..

Seven Great Progressions to Get Your Summer Writing Underway
Thursday, June 18, 2009, 10:03 am AST

Summer is a great time to write songs. Especially for those of us in the northern hemisphere, we get out of the house a lot more, and there's a lot more that inspires us. But if you find it hard to get past the chord progression stage, try these progressions. More..

Is "With a Little Help From My Friends" the Perfect Song?
Tuesday, June 16, 2009, 11:23 am AST

I believe the best songwriters in the world are the best listeners. You can spend a lot of time trying to come up with the next gem, but it's the ones who really listen to successful songs, trying to figure out why they work, that succeed. And in my opinion, Lennon & McCartney's "With a Little Help From My Friends" is perhaps the quintesential perfect song. More..

Can You Use Someone Else's Chord Progression?
Sunday, June 14, 2009, 10:06 am AST

Many songwriters are not aware of this, but chord progressions, as such, are not protected by copyright, and can be used by other songwriters. This makes sense, because if you had to come up with a unique progression that the world had never heard before for each song you write, you’d be out of songs very quickly.  More..

How You Can Become a More Prolific Songwriter
Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 11:04 am AST

For songwriters who are serious about writing, it's not just the quality of the songs that's important, but the number of quality songs they can churn out. While acknowledging that more doesn't mean anything when it comes to quality, it's good to be more than a one-hit wonder.  More..

Hints for Helping your Chords and Melodies Work Together
Sunday, May 24, 2009, 11:59 am AST

It's a peculiar thing about music, but many listeners, even completely "unmusical" ones, can tell that there's something wrong with your song, even if they can't pinpoint what the actual problem is. More often than not, it's how the melody and chords relate to each other. More..


The Relationship Between Chords and Energy in Songwriting
Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 10:40 am AST

You might say that songwriting is a study in energy. Most songs feature fluctuating energy levels, with higher intensity occurring more toward the end of a song than the beginning. So how does chord choice help? More..

Lyric-Writing is an Art that Needs to be Practiced
Monday, May 18, 2009, 8:56 am AST

Most artists sketch out many preparatory attempts, before finally getting it right enough that they feel ready to paint the real thing. In the visual arts, there are so many angles, so many aspects to hone. And songwriting is no different. More..

Broaden Your Songwriting Horizons
Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 9:08 am AST

Pedal tones in chord progressions can be very useful, particularly if you're looking to use more chromatically complicated chords. More..

A Pedal Tone Provides Stability
Saturday, May 9, 2009, 11:07 am AST

Pedal tones in chord progressions can be very useful, particularly if you're looking to use more chromatically complicated chords. More..


"The [ebook] 'The Essential Secrets of Songwriting' offers musicians a comprehensive analysis of the songwriting process.  Each stage of the songwriting process is explained in clear and logical terms, making The Essential Secrets of Songwriting a resource accessible to musicians of all levels of ability.
 
Gary analyses very successful songs and explains how they were constructed.  This demystifies the songwriting process and clearly demonstrates how the principles apply.  This is a practical and invaluable resource for musicians, music educators, aspiring songwriters and musicians/music therapists using songwriting in therapeutic settings."
-Sarifa, Australia
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Check Out These Featured Archived Articles in Gary's Blog:

Rihanna's "Disturbia" - Why it Works
Melody Writing - What's Changed?
The Killer Chord Progression
Using a Musical Motif
Tips for Writing a Love Song
Your Songwriting Habits
How to Fix a Song
Chord Progressions that Work
Demo Recording Advice
Rewriting Songs
Spice Up Your Chords
Songwriters, You Have Rights
Chords for Changing Key
The Pre-chorus
Is Your Song Too Weird?
Learning from Pachelbel's Canon
Repeating Elements in Songs
Using Contrast in Your Songs
Borrowed Chords
Getting Others to Listen
Waiting for Inspiration
Adding Suspensions
Good Vocal Harmonies
Register Your Copyright
Should My Lyrics Rhyme?
Chord Progs are Like Walks
Modal Melodies
Inverted Pedal Point
Killing Writer's Block
Your Songwriting Formula
Your Song's Groove


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Let this page help you with everything you need to become a better songwriter. The information on this page is the kind of information you'll find in Gary Ewer's e-book, “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting”, and his four other songwriting publications:

How to create good chord progressions that will really work.
How to find the chords that work in any key;
How to contour and shape a melody;
How to write great lyrics that really say what you need them to say;
How to write a hook, an intro, outro, bridge, pre-chorus and more.

    * PURCHASERS of "The Essential Secrets of Songwriting": LISTEN TO SOUND SAMPLES FROM "The Essential Secrets of Songwriting" HERE. (Please allow a moment or two for sounds to load.)
    * PURCHASERS of "How to Harmonize a Melody" - The sound samples for that e-book can be heard by clicking on the speaker icon right in the text.

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