Student of songwriting

On Being a Student of Songwriting

When I go to the grocery store, I’m occasionally aware that at least 95% of everything the store offers are not items I’d ever buy. The same goes for my local (excellent) magazine store. I walk past the 95% of the magazines that pertain to wrestling, Lego, hair style, knitting, etc., and go to the […]

Taking the Time Component Out of Your Song

Time is the one thing all music has in common. Whether we’re talking about a symphony, a pop song, a jazz ballad — whether it’s hip hop, ska, r&b — all music takes time. A start, a middle, and an ending. When we’re writing a song, we’re (either consciously or subconsciously) always considering some aspect […]

Elton John

Sometimes Principles Confuse Us

Lately it seems that I’ve been getting a lot of comments, both through email and in the comments section at the ends of various posts, questioning some of the various songwriting principles I write about. Mainly, a comment will go something like this: “You say that chorus progressions are shorter than verse progressions, but I […]

Songwriting: Improving Your Odds

A typical audience member is better at saying why they like a song than why they don’t. When a listener doesn’t like a song, they don’t take the time to wonder why. They just don’t like it, and that’s all they know. They click to listen to something else, and they’ll do that until they find […]

Are You Over-Analyzing Your Music?

Too much analyzing can get you stuck in a creative rut. Here’s how to make it work for you. If you’re ready to take your songwriting to a new level, you need Gary’s “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 10-eBook Deluxe Bundle of manuals. They’ll take you through every aspect of good songwriting, give you hundreds […]

It’s Magic, Isn’t It?

Your audience can afford to believe that your music is magical. You can’t. ______________ Take your songwriting to a new level of excellence. Buy “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 10-eBook Bundle, written by Gary Ewer. And get an 11th eBook FREE, “Creative Chord Progressions” Time to become the best songwriter you can be! Read more.. ______________ A psychologist could probably […]