When you wrote your first song, you likely didn’t immediately self-identify as a songwriter. But there came a point, almost without thinking about it, where it seemed obvious to you that you were indeed a songwriter. That meant that you had written at least several songs, and that you derived creative satisfaction from doing so. […]
How’s your musical ear? Here’s how you know that it needs some work: You can read music, but you find it difficult or impossible to play by ear. You hear a great melody, but you can’t find the notes on your instrument. You sit at the piano to play a song for a sing-along (like […]
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 […]
You should see your demo as being every bit as important as your final product. It used to be that a demo was rather rough around the edges. As long as you were giving the producer and other personnel the idea of the basic workings of the song, you were fine. These days, demos really need […]
A never-ending feeling of musical inadequacy should not be confused with perfectionism. _______________ Thousands of songwriters are now using “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” eBook Bundle to improve their technique. It comes with a free eBook, “Creative Chord Progressions“. Read more.. ________________ There is a common notion that a perfectionist is someone who is not satisfied until it’s “right”. Did you […]
Some think that if a song isn’t working, you toss it out and try something new. Wrong. You’d be shocked how close a bad song is to being something that has hit potential. All it takes, usually, is a few small tweaks and you’ve got something to be proud of. Let “The Essential Secrets of […]
