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Songwriting tips

A collection of articles from the Disc Makers blog that include songwriting tips and advice from master songwriters and independent successes.

ninth chords

Ninth chords add ambiance to your compositions

December 22, 2020December 22, 2020 Scott McCormick

There are many kinds of ninth chords, and they can be used in different ways. This post explores different kinds of ninth chords and how you can use them, with plenty of examples of their use in popular music. Read the post.

substitution chords

Use substitution chords to spice up your songs

December 3, 2020December 3, 2020 Scott McCormick

Jazz musicians know and integrate substitution chords on a regular basis, but musicians who play other genres of music can also employ this concept to great effect. Read the post.

writing pop songs

Writing pop songs that stand out

September 17, 2020October 15, 2020 Bobby Borg

Bobby Borg talks with Anika Paris — an award-winning singer/songwriter, classically trained pianist, and published poet and author — about ways to write unique pop songs. Read the post.

Ben Folds "2020"

Ben Folds’ “2020” — A case study for indie artists

July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 Michael Gallant

From songwriting ideas to recording technique, there’s a lot you can learn from the songwriter’s tragi-comic recording-in-quarantine project. Read the post.

songwriting

Songwriting Dos and Don’ts

May 4, 2020November 10, 2020 Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter

A recent “Play For a Publisher” event featured Stacey Willbur, VP of Publishing and A&R for Full Circle Music sharing her feedback about 10 songs that were selected to be showcased. Read the post.

mixolydian

Get bluesy with Mixolydian and the Mixo-Dorian Blues

February 25, 2020February 25, 2020 Scott McCormick

Study up on the Mixolydian Mode, queue up a nice Mixo chord progression, and you’ll see why guitar masters like Eddie Van Halen, Angus Young, and Duane Allman all love Mixo-Dorian Blues. Read the post.

songwriting advice

Songwriting advice: Cry when you write, dance when you produce

February 19, 2020March 26, 2020 Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter

Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter lean on some sage songwriting advice Brent got from veteran songwriter Ralph Murphy: deliver a positive tempo. Read the post.

Lydian mode

Lift ‘em up with the Lydian Mode

February 10, 2020February 17, 2020 Scott McCormick

In music, a mode is a formula for creating a musical scale. The Ionian (major) formula is W–W–H–W–W–W–H. The Lydian formula (W–W–W–H–W–W–H) can give your melody or progression an uplifting and yearning feeling. Read the post.

mediant chord

Surprise ‘em with the major mediant chord

December 4, 2019December 11, 2019 Scott McCormick

While the mediant (iii chord) isn’t as structurally integral as the tonic, dominant , or subdominant, employing it can provide an unexpected surprise that will make listeners’ ears perk up every time. Read the post.

Neapolitan chord

Use the zesty Neapolitan chord in your songs

October 22, 2019March 24, 2020 Scott McCormick

A touch of exoticism could be all you need to lift your song up from the mundane. The flat-second, a.k.a. Neapolitan chord, can be just the ticket. Read the post.

songwriting tips from the beatles

Songwriting tips from the Beatles’ “Help!”

September 26, 2019September 26, 2019 Scott McCormick

Few popular songs meld music, lyrics, and theme as potently as the Beatles’ 1965 hit single, “Help!” Here’s how they did it. Read the post.

right key

Choose the right key for your songs

September 19, 2019June 23, 2020 Michael Gallant

There are a lot of factors that play into choosing the right arrangement for a song — but choosing the right key for you and the musicians might be the most important. Read the post.

suspended chords

Using suspended chords in your songwriting

August 29, 2019August 6, 2020 Scott McCormick

Suspended chords offer more than just a frilly little something to add to your music. They work as substitution chords, they can smooth out chord progressions, and they can add tension to your music. Read the post.

smash hit Southern Cross CSN

How Stephen Stills turned an unreleased leftover into the smash hit “Southern Cross”

July 9, 2019March 17, 2020 Scott McCormick

This is the second in a series that examines cover songs that went on to be huge hits, even though the original versions were mostly unknown. This post covers Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Southern Cross.” Read the post.

hit song tainted love

Unlocking a hit song — Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love”

June 27, 2019August 10, 2020 Scott McCormick

How did a forgotten 1965 B-side become a 1981 smash? “Tainted Love” had hidden elements that Soft Cell unlocked to turn it into an enduring (and often covered) hit song. Read the post.

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