Songwriting tips, techniques, and ideas
As writers, we hear this advice often: “Show, don’t tell. Show, don’t tell. Show, don’t tell.” Readers and listeners trust their own senses more than they trust blandly delivered information. It’s …
Continue Reading about Shake a Tail Feather: How to Use Body Language in a Lyric →
Who exactly are you trying to impress with your lyrics and music? A record label? The fans who liked your last album and want another just like it? The listening public at large? A certain …
Here’s a great way to warm up and break the ice with a collaborator at the beginning of a songwriting session. 1. Just sit down together for a quick, tandem object writing exercise—if you’re new to …
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As you're probably aware already, Tom Waits was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—it's great to see his work honored. I’m going to give you his acceptance speech and performances to watch, …
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From this Q&A session with songwriter Ryan Adams: "There have been many times when I couldn't write, but I was wasted, you know what I mean? "It isn't that hard. It's just a guitar. People used …
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“Anything that is human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The …
I picked up this great David Byrne quote from an interview with The Onion’s AV Club: AVC: There's that great faux-interview you did in Stop Making Sense where you say, "The better the singer, …
Continue Reading about When You Sing, Sometimes I Don’t Believe You →
Here's what I'd say if I ran into my fifteen-year-old self at the guitar shop. "Eleven years from now, that piece of wood and wire will give you some of the greatest pleasures in your life--even …
I was quiet for a few days there, eh? Bet you thought I was slacking. Not so! “The purpose of The Kitchen Sink is to catalogue and cross-reference hundreds—maybe even thousands—of songwriting tricks, …
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Here’s a video clip from songwriting coach John Braheny discussing the “progression of attitudes and skills” of the typical songwriter. The first stage is pure self-expression. The fledgling …
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This year I participated in February: Album Writing Month (FAWM), a challenge for musicians who're willing to "go after inspiration with a club." FAWM is all about hitting the gas pedal and creating …
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The best love songs (1) articulate something that we wish we could have said so well ourselves or (2) give us a taste of what we desire. Listener experience varies--maybe you identify with the …