The 5 Most Important Things to Know About Creating Melodies

Why is it that I hear the term “killer chord progression” all the time, but I hardly ever hear anyone talk about a “killer melody.” Frankly, as long as your chord progression merely works, you’ve got something that can produce a hit song. But melodies – they have to do more than work. They need […]

How Lyrics and Melodic Shape Work Together

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! ________________________________ Songwriting is the ultimate multi-tasking exercise. To do it well, you need to be carving out a […]

5 Tips for Creating Memorable Melodies

Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter • Fix your songwriting technique! Check out “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle – available now at a 50% savings! ________________________________ It’s hard to define exactly what a good melody is because no melody exists in a […]

Kaskade's "Dynasty": The Perfect Igloo-Shaped Melody

Written by Gary Ewer • Check out “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle • Follow Gary on Twitter ________________________________ A lot of my posts lately have dealt with melody, specifically issues surrounding melodic shape. It’s usually the shape of the melody that determines how memorable it is. Melodies that lack shape, seeming to dwell […]

Melodies Without Shape: Doomed to Be Failures

•Written by Gary Ewer, Senior Instructor, Dalhousie University, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. • Follow Gary on Twitter for website updates, songwriting tips and more. • Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” suite of songwriting e-books at a 50% savings, and get “Chord Progression Formulas” free of charge. _____________________________________ To the untrained ear, a melody may […]

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 […]