Songwriting tips, tricks and motivation
The first time I heard “A Little Bit Yours”, I was instantly hooked. JP Saxe has a way of creating subtle but hooky riffs, punch-in-the-gut lyrics and killer melodies. This Chorus in particular feels very satisfying in both the beginning of the Chorus and the payoff line. It seems like a simple song on the… Continue reading Song Breakdown: What Makes the Chorus in “A Little Bit Yours” by JP Saxe so Satisfying
Like everyone, I experience self-doubt when it comes to songwriting. Along with music having a brutal, messy industry, it was pretty early on when I realized just how many other songwriters are out there. Part of being a musician is getting passed on and rejected, and after many of those instances, I can feel pretty… Continue reading Overcoming Self-Doubt in Songwriting
Have you ever gone months and months without writing a song? Years? I definitely have. When I first started writing, it was like an obsession; I was constantly writing, sometimes a song a day. Then I slowed down to where I was writing a song every couple of weeks, maybe a month. There were periods… Continue reading Is Inspiration Bullsh*t?
One of the fundamentals to songwriting is creating contrast between sections. I say “fundamentals” because it is one of the first things you might learn, but like most of the basics, it requires practice and persistence throughout your lifetime of writing music. Even after more than a decade of songwriting, this is still something I… Continue reading How To Create Contrast Between Sections
Olivia Rodrigo’s new song “drivers license” has become extremely popular. It takes a pop ballad to the next level with the emotional drive of this song, and we don’t seem to hear that on the radio as much as we used to. If you’re wondering how exactly this song tugs on the heartstrings, here are… Continue reading Song Breakdown: How Olivia Rodrigo Establishes Emotion in “drivers license”
There is a lot of noise out there—a lot of different kinds of noises. I know I can get a little frustrated by the busy sounds outside my window. There are grating construction sounds, cars and planes passing by and sirens going strong throughout the day. There is this kind of buzz from the news… Continue reading How Quiet Helps Me as a Songwriter
