Writing a Compound Chorus: Beyoncé's "Single Ladies"

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. Check out Gary Ewer’s songwriting e-books– Get the most out of your songwriting abilities, and start writing hit songs! __________ A compound chorus is one which uses two or more distinct melodies and lyrics, each of which include the necessary characteristics of a chorus. […]

The Avett Brothers: Masters of Understatement

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. Download these e-books, and start turning your songs into winners by discovering why hit songs are hits. _____________ The title track off The Avett Brothers’ newest album, “I and Love and You”, demonstrates an important principle: the climactic moment in a song is not […]

How to Use Symmetry to Make a Song More Memorable

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. ____________ Symmetry occurs when matching items either face each other, or if they are placed equally distant on opposite sides of a midpoint. For songwriters, symmetry occurs when elements of a song repeat, especially applying to aspects of melody, lyric or form that occur […]

Imogen Heap's "Tidal": Using a Melodic Shape as a Formal Map

Written by Gary Ewer, from The Essential Secrets of Songwriting website. ___________ How do we identify a good song to someone else? Generally it’s by the melody. You don’t usually go to a friend and say, “Hey, I just heard this great new song…”, and then tap out the prominent rhythmic motifs, or recite the […]

Crafting a Melody By Using Melodic Cells

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. ___________ Norah Jones released a new album, “The Fall”, this past November. Its first single is “Chasing Pirates.” It’s a great song with an infectious laid-back groove that really hooks into your brain. As a songwriter, that’s your aim – get a song out […]

Songwriters: Identify the Goal, then Work Backwards

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. _______ There’s a somewhat romantic notion out there that the best songwriters are the ones who just somehow create music without even knowing how they do it. It just flows. But that’s really not how it happens. True, there are songs that come together […]