If you’ve learned one thing as a songwriter, it’s that song melodies change as a song progresses. What often passes as a good verse melody won’t necessarily do the trick for a chorus melody. If writing melodies has been the part of your technique that needs the most help, it might be best to stop […]
Here are some ideas for fixing that song that just never seems finished. Do you have a song in your own personal catalogue that’s finished but just doesn’t sound right? Every once in a while you dig it out and sing through it, but it just lies there like yesterday’s porridge. Everything seems right, but you can […]
For the past couple of weeks, Toontrack has been featuring a celebration of songwriting, showcasing songs by writers like you. If you don’t know about it, here are the details: Check out Toontrack’s “I’m a Songwriter” web page. Upload your song(s) to SoundCloud. Share it in social media with the tag #IMASONGWRITER. Send your SoundCloud […]
Here’s an easy way to make 2 key changes as you move from verse to chorus. It’s a very common technique for songwriters to move from minor to major as they move from verse to chorus. A classic example is Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend“, the verse for which is in F minor, switching […]
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 […]
If you’re struggling with songwriter’s block, it’s important to do whatever gets you feeling positive about music in general. Most people have had mild writer’s block — a day or two of frustration. And most have dealt with a longer bout of moderate writer’s block, when the few days stretches into a week or two. If you’re […]
