How to Choose Chords for Your Melody
An often complicated aspect of writing music is unpredictable inspiration. It can strike anywhere and any time, and what your inspiration yields will...
Songwriting
Songwriting Basics: Choosing the Right Point of View
I, you, he, she, us, them... Deciding which point of view to write your song from will fundamentally change the relationship between the characters in...
Songwriting Tips: 12 Ways to Create Contrast
Ever get bored halfway through listening to a song? Wonder what makes hit songs so much more captivating? The secret lies in contrast. In this article,...
Part 4: Time Signatures Explained, Writing Songs in Odd Meters
Although a lot of pop music is written in straight 4/4 meter, there’s still room to change things up with odd-meter creativity. In this article,...
How to Make Money on Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music
So you’ve got some great songs, you’ve made some killer recordings, and it’s time to put them to work. While most of us are happy just...
Exploring the Songwriting Techniques of Tom Petty
"Do something you really like, and hopefully it pays the rent. As far as I'm concerned, that's success." —Tom Petty There's little doubt about it: Tom...
Part 3: Time Signatures Explained, Writing Songs in 12/8
In Part 3 of our “Time Signatures Explained” series, we explore the incredible time signature of 12/8—how it works, who has used it,...
Time Signatures Explained Part 2, Writing Songs in 3/4 and 6/8
In Part II of our songwriting series on time signatures, we'll be exploring songs in 3/4 time, as well as its related cousin, 6/8. We'll look at...
How to Start a Song: 5 Effective Techniques
A song’s introduction offers the listener a first impression of a band or artist’s musical efforts—essentially, it sets a precedent...
Part 1: Time Signatures Explained, an Introduction
You've seen them everywhere—those strange numbers at the beginning of sheet music, oftentimes a four above another four—4/4. But what exactly are they? Can...
Songwriting Techniques: 13 Ways to End a Song
You’d be surprised how many different ways of ending a song exist. Yet despite the number of options available, we’ve all gotten stuck at one time or...
Lyric Writing Tips: How to Use Dummy Lyrics in Your Song
Have you ever gotten stuck trying to write lyrics for your song while an awesome melody is brewing inside of you? Don’t let your lack of lyrics...
