Today’s Song Tip Tuesday is a continuation on the subject of collaboration. I realized that I had some random yet connected thoughts about the subject I wanted to share.  When a song is newly completed, the individual contributions of each writer will be most apparent. It is always suggested that a split-sheet or a collaboration […]

Today’s Song Tip Tuesday is about collaboration.  The collaborations that work best are when the collaborators are honest with each other. Brutally honest! If the lyric isn’t working, being able to say that the lyric isn’t working, and if the music is derivative of another song or not painting the intent of the lyric, being […]

Today’s Song Tip Tuesday is easy to do. Simply read the lyrics of other lyricists. It is an invaluable tool for learning how to write your own lyrics. The sources are many and there are numerous anthologies in print and online. Search for: Lyrics, Songwriter Anthologies, The Great American Songbook, Cole Porter, The Beatles, Billy […]

A song is a beautiful creation that is an intangible (an object that does not have a physical presence that you are unable to touch or grasp). A song is built of several interconnecting parts and can achieve a myriad of effects. Yet, you cannot hold on to it.   But you can feel a song […]

A common songwriter question: What is my song’s genre? And, can my song be in multiple genres? And, the big one, what if my song is in multiple genres, what should I do?   To answer the third question first, celebrate! Celebrate that your song can be appreciated by different types of audiences. How cool is […]

Sometimes the verse to a song feels perfect at one tempo, but a chorus or bridge doesn’t feel as comfortable at that same tempo. When this happens, it is time for a trial and error approach to find a common speed or tempo that fits both sections. The key to doing this is knowing the […]

Songs are powerful. They can do/achieve many things. Listen to these ‘songs have power’ examples and think about how they influenced. Reflect on how you can impact your songs with power.  A song can motivate groups of people to work together.  Listen to We Shall Overcome by Charles Albert Tindley.  A song can bring special […]

Today’s Song Tip Tuesday is about ‘ATION’ rhymes. We have all been bitten by the ‘ATION’ rhyme. Please don’t feel badly, it has happened to almost every songwriter I have ever met and will probably continue its manesfestation as long as there is an inclanation for songs to be written. There are thousands of ‘ATION’ […]

Today’s Song Tip Tuesday is about a common songwriting oversight called mis-stressing. FYI, mis-stressing is an err we all make no matter how experienced we are as songwriters.  Mis-stressing occurs when a word or syllable is accented in a way that makes it unintelligible.  Notice how awkward this mis-stressed lyric sounds when spoken out loud.  I […]

Today’s Song Tip Tuesday talks about a common songwriting issue ‘getting stuck or having writer’s block’. This question pops up on almost every songwriting blog.  How do I keep my songwriting skills sharp if I am uninspired and have nothing I want to write about?  When this happens, it is possible that you are in between […]