Hooks, hooks, hooks. Songwriters are obsessed about them, and rightfully so. Hooks serve like doors into the building that is your song. Hooks grab people’s attention and make them remember. Hooks are important. Creating hooks doesn’t have to be the most important goal of your songwriting. But it’s great …
Ah, iconic riffs. Just hearing them in intros get us excited. Memorable. Catchy. Bold. Who wouldn’t want them? Well, I’m in search of them for my band Nekobus. So I wanted to review for myself what ingredients go into making an iconic riff. Upon reviewing a number of such …
Cloud Cult is a local hero in Minnesota, and for good reasons. Insightful lyrics about gut-wrenching vulnerability? Check. Cinematic sounds using orchestra instruments? Check. Whimsical playfulness and communal sing-alongs? Check. Yes, the word “unique” is trite in music. But there are no other words to describe them. Consumers …
Melody is like the face of a song. That’s where listeners’ attention goes. Writing great melodies isn’t the only way to write a great song. But if you write quality melodies, you’re half way there. In this video I discuss two key concepts in understanding melodies: Directions …
I always wondered about this conundrum. Why are there such big discrepancies between great songs and not-so-great ones? Particularly among some of the most successful artists with long careers? Sure, not every song has to be a hit. But if they figured out how to write hit-worthy songs, …