Writing song lyrics

Avoid These Dangerous Lyrical Clichés

A cliché is an overused expression. We use them most frequently in casual conversation, and it’s why they might appear too often in your songs: the best lyrics tend to be the ones that sound like casual conversation. In songwriting, a cliché sounds lazy. It sounds as though you might have come up with something […]

Songwriter - Pianist

There’s No One Best Songwriting Process, But…

“The Essential Secrets of Songwriting”Lyrics become all the more powerful when they’re properly paired with a good melody. That’s what Chapter 5 is all about in the eBook “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting.” Polish your songwriting technique with the 10-eBook Bundle. When you hear a great song, probably the last thing audiences are aware of […]

Singer-Songwriter

The Snapshot That Represents Your Song

I’ve got several analogies I like to use to represent what’s going on when we write songs. Sometimes I find it useful to compare it to going for a walk or a short journey. That’s a useful comparison because it emphasizes the fact that, like taking a walk, we are aware that songs have a […]

baseball player - home run

Hit Songs and Home Runs

Songwriters sure can put a lot of pressure on themselves to be constantly great. Consistent excellence is in fact something I talk a lot about, and through this blog and through online sessions I try to help songwriters to achieve that goal. But success can be measured in many ways. If a song needs to […]

Guitar and music paper - Songwriting

How Contrast Works – How It Makes Songs More Interesting to Listen To

The following is an excerpt from the ebook manual, “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting, 4th Ed.” It’s an eBook that covers every aspect of how good songs work, with sound samples that let you hear the concepts at work so that you can apply them to your own songs. This excerpt, from “Chapter 3: Designing […]

Songwriter in nature

Providing an Enticing Musical Journey For Your Listeners

Get the eBook bundle that thousands of songwriters are using to improve their songwriting technique. “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting 10-eBook Bundle” comes with a free copy of “Use Your Words! Developing a Lyrics-First Songwriting Process.” If you go for a walk, particularly in the country, I’m guessing that you’d like for that walk to […]