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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.

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.

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, 2019May 31, 2022 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.

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.

augmented chords

Using augmented chords in your songs

May 8, 2019October 26, 2021 Scott McCormick

Augmented chords can add drama and tension, as shown in these examples from popular songs from the ’60s through the ’80s. Read the post.

Scott McCormick is a musician and the author of the Mr. Pants series of graphic novels for kids. His new audiobook, Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World, has been described as “drunk history for middle-grade kids” and is available on Audible. Scott can be reached at storybookediting@gmail.com. [hana-code-insert name='Guide Songwriting' /]

The song ending: How are you gonna do it?

December 7, 2018June 12, 2019 Scott McCormick

The fade out, the cold ending, the endless loop, the key modulation… there are so many approaches to a song ending — at least on record — so, how are you gonna do it? Read the post.

song intro

Wow ‘em with your song intro

November 13, 2018September 27, 2019 Scott McCormick

As an independent music artist, you’ve got a few seconds — at most — to reel a listener in to your single or lead-off track. Here are some strategies to craft a song intro that will make your listeners pay attention. Read the post.

constructing a song

Constructing a song from a melody

July 24, 2018July 24, 2018 Izotope

When you’re constructing a song, think of it in relation to the human body. You build the skeleton first, which can be a melody, and develop your song from there. Read the post.

songwriting tips

Songwriting tips to help you stay creative

June 26, 2018June 26, 2018 Izotope

Not all these songwriting tips deal with the minutes and hours you’ll spend with your instrument in your hand, but that’s partly the point… your life outside your music studio should be rich and inspiring so that the music you create is too. Read the post.

A musician writing in key changes and modulations to spice up a song.

Key change! How to wow ‘em with a chorus modulation

May 29, 2018September 27, 2019 Scott McCormick

A song can take you on a journey, and including a key change — or modulation — can produce various emotional effects, from brightening the mood to creating a sense of unease. Read the post.

Working on being creative is a good way to make headway with new projects.

You need to work at being creative (creativity is NOT a talent)

March 27, 2018July 16, 2019 Johnny Dwinell

Being creative is not an innate ability that you either have or you don’t. Creativity is not, in and of itself, a talent. Creativity is not related to IQ. Creativity is a way of operating. Read More.

writing lyrics

Writing lyrics with depth

March 19, 2018May 31, 2022 Chris Huff

If you are interested in writing lyrics with depth, you need a deep artistic well to draw from. All output requires input, and as a lyricist, I recommend you begin with words. Read the post.

write a great melody

How to write a great melody, Part 2: Putting the rules to work

December 18, 2017December 18, 2017 Scott McCormick

To write a great melody, throw in a dramatic flourish to enhance a moment, but sing the way people speak: It sounds better and makes a melody more memorable. Read More.

how to write a great melody

How to write a great melody, Part 1: What makes a melody great?

December 12, 2017December 12, 2017 Scott McCormick

While I can’t give you an exact recipe for how to write a great melody, I can point out some common traits great melodies have to help improve your melodic skills. Read More.

Bob Dylan

Why Bob Dylan is important to songwriters

December 6, 2017December 6, 2017 Chris Huff

Love him or hate him, there’s a lot about Dylan’s career arc that is important and inspirational for songwriters, from his transforming song form to the fact that he’s kept writing almost non-stop for six decades. Read More.

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