How to Generate Lyrical Excitement in Your Song's Bridge

In common usage, a bridge is the section of a song that usually comes after the second chorus: Verse 1 – Chorus – Verse 2 – Chorus – BRIDGE – Chorus – Chorus… You’ll sometimes see this section termed the “middle 8”, but the concept is the same: you’re looking for a way to provide […]

The Inspiring Impact of the Rising Bass Line

Lately I’ve been examining the effect that chord choice, tempo and melodic shape can have on lyrical meaning and mood. There’s another song attribute that can affect mood: the direction of the bass line. In particular, I want to look at the power of the rising bass line, because it can give your songs a […]

The Psychedelic Charm of Beach House

Sounding as though at any minute they’re going to break into a cover of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” the music of Beach House is at once hypnotic, delightful, and utterly spellbinding. They’re the quintessential dream pop band, often using traditional harmonic structures that suddenly take a left turn, with warping accompaniments and drawn-out […]

How to Write Songs When the Inspiration is Missing

People who don’t write songs, or don’t involve themselves in the arts of any kind, might be forgiven for believing that inspiration is one of the biggest aspects of the songwriting process. It must seem, to those who don’t do it, that songwriting starts with an immense rush of ideas, followed by a flurry of […]

The Power of a Progression That Doesn't Start On the I-Chord

By Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • Make songwriting enjoyable again! Check out “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle – available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ You can measure the success of your song by whether or not people are humming it to themselves long […]

The Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, and Vocal Harmonies

There are many songs that use the same or similar melody for the chorus as is used for the verse. It works if you’ve come up with a good, hooky sort of melody. But using a similar melody presents you with a problem: how do you make sure that you don’t simply bore your listeners […]