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songwriter

flat-six chord

Add drama with a flat-six chord

February 9, 2021February 23, 2021 Scott McCormick

The flat-six chord can add drama to your music, and with some exceptions, is best used sparingly in your songwriting. Read the post.

heal through music

The profound healing quality of music

February 2, 2021February 2, 2021 Michael Gallant

An intense desire to create and share her music helped indie music artist Sarah Fimm recover from a debilitating accident and find gratitude for the lessons she learned. Read the post.

produce an album

It’s the perfect year to produce an album this February!

January 21, 2021January 21, 2021 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

We’re still in various stages of lockdown, so this February, why not sign up for the RPM Challenge or February Album Writing Month and create an entire album of new music in 28 days? Read the post.

sixth chords

Sixth chords add moody complexity to your music

January 19, 2021January 19, 2021 Scott McCormick

Sixth chords have an inherent lack of identity and purpose that can be riveting — a sixth chord can provide ambiguity, set curiously dark moods, and add a layer of complexity to your music. Read the post.

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.

music career resources

Fuel for your music career — a collection of music industry resources

September 14, 2020September 14, 2020 Tony van Veen

One of the drivers of any successful career is developing expertise in your field. Where and how do you gather that information for your music career? Here’s a place to start. Read the post.

McCoy Tyner

Things every musician and songwriter can learn from McCoy Tyner

August 6, 2020February 23, 2021 Michael Gallant

McCoy Tyner, a giant of jazz piano, embodied powerful lessons that music-makers of any sort can learn from. 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.

happy song

The story of “The Happy Song” (or “The joy of musical manipulation”)

April 10, 2020April 10, 2020 Andre Calilhanna

“The Happy Song” is music that is scientifically engineered to make a baby happy. Is it freaky mind control or brilliant use of resources? Or a bit of both? 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 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.

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