Writing music wouldn’t hold a lot of interest for us if everything was completely predictable. We like the fact that we think we’ve written something others will like too, but then we must wait and see what the final impact on an audience is. Over the past number of decades of pop music, there have been […]
[This article has been edited to reflect a new discount deal available at the Online Store.] I’ve been quietly working on a new eBook for the past while, and it’s finally finished! “Hooks and Riffs: How They Grab Attention, Make Songs Memorable, and Build Your Fan Base” is available now, as part of “The Essential Secrets of […]
The November 2015 edition of the Songwriter’s Quick Tips Newsletter has been released, and is sent free of charge to subscribers. If you haven’t subscribed yet, I’ll be sending it again to new subscribers a bit later this week. To subscribe, fill in the form below. Subscribe to The Songwriter’s Quick Tips Newsletter * indicates […]
Back in 2008 I began a newsletter for songwriters, “The Songwriter’s Quick-Tips Newsletter.” My last edition was in January of 2014, but I’m happy to announce that I will be starting the newsletter up again, with the first edition of the new version to be sent out later this month. It’s completely free, and I’d […]
Not all songs use a bridge — that short section that typically follows the second run-through of the chorus. In the earlier days of rock & roll, it was normal for that section (if it existed at all) to be 8 bars in length, hence the alternate term “middle 8.” These days, a bridge need […]
You may not know the song “Comme d’habitude“, written by French songwriters Claude François and Jacques Revaux, but you’ll no doubt know “My Way,” a big hit for Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and others. Paul Anka acquired the rights to the melody (for $1), and then penned a new English lyric that brought the song to […]
