Chord Progression Dilemma: When Roots Move By Step

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle is available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ If you’re looking for chord progressions that really work well, you’ll discover that the strongest ones feature a majority […]

A Good Hook: Keep it Short, Make it Catchy

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • Write great songs consistently with “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle ________________________________ There are a lot of myths surrounding the role and importance of the hook in a song. There’s sometimes a belief that all […]

Songwriting and the Golden Mean

Written by Gary Ewer • Follow Gary on Twitter • Write great songs consistently with “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle ________________________________ The Golden Mean, also called the Golden Ratio, is a mathematical ratio that artists, architects and musicians have used in the construction of their art form for centuries. Let’s skip all the mathematical complexities and jump […]

Even in the Songwriting World, Opposites Attract

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • Write great songs consistently with “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle ________________________________ Some of the features of good songwriting have been with us for centuries. For example, composers have known for a very long time […]

Chord Progressions: Strong Ones Should Follow Fragile Ones

Chord progressions need to have direction, or else they’re little more than chord successions: one chord following another with little or no sense of overall purpose. As you likely know, I have for a long time spoken about the important differences between so-called strong and fragile progressions, where strong ones point solidly to one note […]

5 Tips For Breaking Into a Youth Market

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • Write great songs consistently with “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle ________________________________ Have you noticed that many of today’s TV ads use pop songs from the 70s and 80s to sell everything from floor cleaners to […]