Lady Gaga - Till It Happens to You

The Musical Choices in “Til It Happens to You”

You really have to admire the producers of “Hunting Ground,” the 2015 documentary about rape on college campuses, for presenting a difficult topic with such unblinking honesty, courage and power. Just watching the film trailer will change you, assuming you didn’t already know the scope of the problem. Lady Gaga teamed up with hit songwriter […]

How Symmetry Works in a Typical Song

Gary Ewer’s “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” eBook Bundle packages” cover every aspect of how to write great music. They include“From Amateur to Ace: Writing Songs Like a Pro” Read more.. __________ As humans, we’re pattern-seekers. We like seeing things repeat, and we love when we see symmetry: mirror images. Bookends on a shelf are a good example […]

Don't Let the Quest For a Polished Demo Distract You

These days, so-called “demos” tend to sound almost like finished products. You only have to go back one generation to find that demos used to be pretty rough around the edges, meant to give a general sense of the possibilities. The performers, along with a smart producer, could turn that mess into gold. I try to […]

How the Various Components of Songs Progress Over 4 Minutes

Most song elements follow an “always-moving-upward” principle, and it’s important to get it right. ______________  It’s time to get serious about your songwriting. 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.. ______________ When we put […]

microphone

Getting the Most Out of a 2- or 3-Note Melody

Thinking beyond the world of songwriting gives you the best chance to improve your imagination. “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” eBook Bundle (plus a FREE copy of “Creative Chord Progressions”) is written by Gary Ewer, designed to straighten out your technique and get you writing better songs. It can be easily argued that when it comes […]

Writing a Verse That Prepares the Audience for the Chorus

Sharon Van Etten’s amazing tune, “Your Love is Killing Me,” shows exactly how a verse can make a chorus sound fantastic. _______________  “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” eBook Bundle packages come with the eBook “From Amateur to Ace: Writing Songs Like a Pro“. Read more.. ________________ Choruses are typically easier to write than verses because the chorus is […]