Writing Good Song Lyrics

Making Standard Chord Progressions More Interesting: Try These Five Ideas

Chord progressions are responsible for much of the mood that we pick up in a song. Chords don’t do it on their own of course, but we get a clearer picture of the mood from the way the chords change more than from pretty much any other single element. Simple, standard progressions work just fine […]

Townes Van Zandt

What to Do When Melody Notes Don’t Fit With a Chord

A bit of songwriter’s theory for today, and it’s an important lesson especially if you’ve created a melody and are at the stage where you’re adding chords. If you listen to Leonard Bernstein’s “America”, from “West Side Story“, you’ll notice that practically all the notes from the melody clearly outline the chord that accompanies it: Melodies […]

Chord Theory: How to Create and Use Suspensions

Thousands of songwriters have used “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle to take their craft to the next level. If you’re ready to break out of the songwriting rut you’re in, read more.. ______________ We know that most of the time, the chords you use in your songs are triads, which are 3-note chords comprised of a root, a […]

Chord Progression Tip: Creating and Using Suspensions

A suspension produces momentum in music by creating a tension which needs resolution. ____________ Purchase “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle TODAY, and claim your free eBook “From Amateur to Ace: Writing Songs Like a Pro”. _____________ First, let’s define some of the terminology we use when talking about chords. A chord is three or more notes […]