Forward motion in music

The Forward Motion of Music

If you take a look at a photograph that’s been reversed, or look through your car’s rear view mirror, you’ll probably not see anything that looks weird, unless there’s a road sign or something else with words on it. Most of the time, you can look at things that are “backwards”, and they still make […]

Microphone

Creating Momentum (Forward Motion) in a Song

Momentum is not easy to identify in music, but you know you’re experiencing it when you feel the need to keep listening. As you listen, you get an impression of a kind of musical tension — tension that needs to find a release. And as the listener, you need to wait long enough to hear […]

John Lennon - Yoko Ono

Discovering the Power of Musical Momentum: John Lennon’s “Imagine”

In songwriting, momentum is that quality of music that causes us to want to keep listening to a song. Another term for momentum is musical energy, or forward motion. When created and used properly, momentum is a pleasant kind of “tension” in the music, where we sense that something needs to be resolved. If you’re stuck trying […]

Fleet Foxes' "Someone You'd Admire": Creating Forward Motion in Song Melodies

When songs work well, it means that all elements are partnering well with each other. When it comes to good music, nothing in music happens in isolation. That’s one of the important principles explored in “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle. Read more.. _____________ In music, forward motion is the sense that musical tension is about […]

Forward Motion, and 5 Ways to Create It

Forward motion grabs listeners, and keeps them listening. Here are some ideas for how to create it. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and discover how the world’s best songs can help you improve! _____________ There are several words and terms relating to songwriting that get used almost interchangeably: forward motion, momentum, energy, power, […]

Generating Song Energy With an Open Cadence

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 E-book Bundle. Become a top-level songwriter, starting now. _________ I frequently use the term “forward motion” when describing how music captivates listeners. Specifically, forward motion is that characteristic of songs that makes the listener feel that whatever is happening at any given moment is going to be “answered” or […]