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iconic songs

a look at Paul McCartney’s basslines

The genius of Paul McCartney’s basslines

April 26, 2022April 26, 2022 Keith Hatschek and Robert Bassett

Paul McCartney’s basslines are an integral part of the Beatles’ evolution from world-beating pop band to musical pioneers. We identify just what McCartney did to make his parts stand out from what other bassists were doing at the time. 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.

Lydian mode

Lift ‘em up with the Lydian Mode

February 10, 2020February 9, 2021 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.

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.

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.

iconic songs

Breaking down two iconic songs from the Rolling Stones

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018 Keith Hatschek

In part two of our series, we break down two more iconic songs from the Rolling Stones’ library: 1966’s “Under My Thumb” and “Ruby Tuesday.” Read the post.

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