Good Songs Must Capture the Listener Right Away

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:   For your song to be successful, it needs to capture the listeners’ attention right away, and really make an impact. If it doesn’t, it won’t sell, and it’s as simple as that.   There are three aspects of a song that rise above the others in importance: the […]

Australian Songwriters Association Sponsors "Wax Lyrical" Events

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:   The Australian Songwriters Association is providing a stage for newbie and professional songwriters to present their songs and poetry. “Wax Lyrical” offers 15 minutes of performance time, after which the audience is encouraged to write comments, which are then forwarded to the performers.   “At Wax Lyricals, artists can […]

Finding the Right Chords, Part 2

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:   Any melody you come up with will be able to be harmonized in a variety of different ways. And that’s a good thing. It would be a very boring exercise if there was only one possibility for matching chords with melody notes. In the previous article we came […]

Canadian Radio Star – National Songwriting Competition

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:   Canadian Radio Star has announced their National Songwriting Competition for unpublished or self-published aspiring songwriters. The deadline for submissions is December 12, 2008. Applicants should send a CD with 1 to 3 songs with a typed lead sheet and contact info. The Grand Prize is $10,000, along […]

Be Slow to Fall in Love With Your New Song

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website:   It’s a common predicament with songwriters: you start writing a new song, and as it progresses, you become less and less inclined to change anything you’ve written. You get “locked in” to how the song is unfolding, and unwilling to make what may be some crucial changes […]

Publishing Your Own Music

From “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website: There’s something to be said for publishing your own music. Doing so is easier than you might think. It requires very little financial outlay to get it set up. It usually means setting up what’s termed a “sole proprietorship” – an unincorporated company. They’re quite easy to set up, […]