On Songwriting | Musings On How To Write a Song

Tips & Ideas

The Sweet Spot

The Sweet Spot

Too predictable = boring.
Too improvizational = hard to follow.
Too fast = you’re making me nervous.
Too slow = you’re putting me to sleep.
You get the idea.

Read More

Too Good to Be True?

Too Good to Be True?

Have you ever written a song that sounded too good to be true? Not in an ego-centric expression of “C’est moi, what an amazing songwriter am I!” but in the genuine sense of “This song sounds pretty good. It must already exist — I just can’t remember where I originally heard it.”

Read More

Problem Solving

Problem Solving

Knowledge precedes execution. Although anyone can have an occasional happy accident, nobody can consistently write better songs (or paint better or cook better) than he or she knows how.

Read More

Creativity Anxiety

Creativity Anxiety

Have you ever written a song only to wonder 1) where it came from and
2) if you’ll ever be able to write another good one again?

Read More

Fast Fingers

Fast Fingers

Got fast fingers? …and an insatiable urge to razzle dazzle? Well here’s an idea for the New Year: be selective and think variety. The ear craves the precious spaces between notes as much as the notes themselves. Too much can be, well, too much.

Read More