It’s a common error to think that imaginative music comes from musical complexity. The thought is that if you write music that uses intricate chord progressions, elaborately entangled melodies, all partnered with bewildering lyrics, you’ve got something that should stimulate the imagination of the listener. But usually, that kind of music just ends up confusing the listener, boring them, and […]
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 […]
“From Amateur to Ace: Writing Songs Like a Pro” answers questions vital to raising your status as a songwriter – questions such as “How Do I Write Songs When I Don’t Feel Inspired?”, “How Do I Protect My Songs?”, and other important topics. This eBook is a part of “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” eBook […]
I’ve written numerous times on this blog about the importance for songwriters to be consistently excellent. That means you need to be writing excellent songs, and achieving that level of excellence over and over again. As a songwriter, you need to come to terms with what the word “excellence” really means. An allegory might help. Imagine […]
Do you have “Hooks and Riffs: How They Grab Attention, Make Songs Memorable, and Build Your Fan Base“? It’s part of the 10-eBook “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” Deluxe Bundle. Read more. Ever hear the phrase “paralysis by analysis?” It means that you spend so much time analyzing why something isn’t going well that you wind […]
There are several important characteristics of good song melodies, even if those characteristics don’t all show up in the same melody. Here’s a few you’ll see in most songs that make it to the top of the charts: Lots of repetition, either exact or approximate. A nice shape that can be drawn as a line. A climactic […]
