How To Write Songs
5 Out-of-the-Ordinary Chord Progressions for Songwriters (easy to hard)
updated
The Parallel Method is a simple, 3-step process for developing beautiful, interesting and unique chord sequences. So if you're bored with your chords, this method is a game changer!
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Ever wonder if there are better or worse ways to start a song? How does the way you start a song affect the outcomes? And are there ways that experienced songwriters do it differently? All will be revealed...!
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🤔 Who are Keppie and Benny? So glad you asked! howtowritesongs.org/about
📺 Full video now on YouTube here: youtu.be/SesfcHk_6yM
✨ Why is "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters dominating the Billboard Top 10? We break down the melody secrets that make this song a global hit and reveal songwriting tips you can use too.
#Kpop #KpopDemonHunters #Golden #Billboard #SongwritingTips #MusicAnalysis #HitSong #Songwriting #Songwriters #KPopDemonHuntersNetflix
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📺 Full video now on YouTube here: youtu.be/V46mIu1XOTs
🎶 Rhythm + melody = melodic rhythm. One of the most powerful (and overlooked) elements in songwriting!
A tiny shift in timing within your melody can completely transform the emotion, energy, and vibe of your song. Join us as we break down how melodic rhythm works — and how you can use it to level up your songwriting.
#SongwritingTips #MelodicRhythm #SongwritingCommunity #IndieSongwriter #Songwriter #SongwritingProcess #MusicInspiration #Songwriting #SongwritersOfInstagram
So many new songwriters make this mistake, and it has nothing to do with pitch! The great news: it is very easy to fix, but only if you know what it is...
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When that guitar comes out around the campfire, which songs really shine? That's the Campfire Test—stripping a song to its core to see what makes it great.
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Imagine you’re on a camping trip - the sun is setting, you’re sitting around a nice warm fire with a group of friends, and one of them pulls out the guitar and passes it to you, the songwriter of the group. Now, as you mentally scroll through the index of songs you know how to play, you’re asking yourself, which songs would sound good with just guitar and voice - what happens if you remove all the production from this song and strip it back to its bare bones - and this is the campfire test.
Now, if you’re in the process of writing a new song, the campfire test is an imaginary scenario we can run to analyse the structure of our song and really put the elements of song craft under the the spotlight. It allows us to really separate songwriting from production - looking at a stripped back version of the song asking ourselves, what are the essential elements of this song?
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Special thanks to Hooktheory for creating Hookpad! Get 20% off now via the link here: hooktheory.com/howtowritesongs
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20%OFF HOOKPAD - hooktheory.com/howtowritesongs
If you're struggling to find the right chords on guitar or piano - or perhaps struggling to play them at all, this might be the solution. Hookpad is a tool that allows songwriters to map out their songs, build them one chord at a time and most importantly, listen back to the song as it's being constructed.
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00:00 Introduction
00:59 Starting with Chords
02:54 Experimenting with Chord Substitutions
07:22 Extensions and Inversions
08:37 Borrowed Chord Options
13:06 Changing the Groove & Sound
14:16 Improvising Melody & Lyrics
17:12 Wrap Up & Offer
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Music theory can be simple and easily learnt if we first begin with 2 simple formulas. Not only will these formulas help you understand music theory, they will unlock a range of more complex concepts that will enhance your songwriting process.
00:00 Introduction
00:34 Formula 1
08:58 Formula 2
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Have you ever found yourself asking these questions?
- “Where do I even start with music theory?”
- “Do I really need music theory to write songs?”
- “Why is music theory so confusing?”
- “What’s the difference between a scale, a key, and a chord?”
- “How do I know which chords go together?”
- "What key is my song in — and why does it matter?”
- “How do I write better chord progressions?”
- “What is a ‘tonic’ or a ‘dominant’ and why should I care?”
- "Why do some songs sound emotional or powerful, and how can I do that?”
- “What’s the easiest way to learn theory without going to music school?”
- “Can I break the rules if I don’t even know the rules?”
- “Is it too late to learn music theory if I’ve already been writing songs?”
- “How do I apply theory to guitar/piano and actually use it creatively?”
- “What’s the shortcut to understanding chords and melody?”
If so, these 2 formulas will help you get the answers you're looking for.
Happy Songwrting!
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I was recently listening to a playlist and the song ‘Do You Realize??’ by the Flaming Lips randomly started playing - and this is a song I’ve heard many times before, but for some reason, listening to it this time around I noticed something very unusual about the way this song is constructed - something that really surprised me and sparked a desire to investigate further.
So in this video I’m going to take you a journey into this strange and beautiful song - and by deconstructing its form I’m going to reveal to you some incredibly valuable songwriting concepts and methods that I guarantee will spice up your songwriting.
00:00 Introduction
00:44 The First Section
02:53 Home Chord and Title
05:09 Song Form & Sections
07:24 The Next Section - What is it?
10:31 'Song Exploder' Interview
11:52 Conclusions on the Form
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Song Section Descriptions (at 5:20)
- The Chorus is there to deliver the central message
- The Verse is there to give us some context or back story, perhaps develop some of the characters
- If there is a Pre-Chorus, it’s role is to sit between the verse and chorus and create tension that can then be resolved by the chorus
- Solos provide moments of improvised instrumental contrast
- Post-Choruses extend and maintain the energy of the chorus, sometimes introducing additional hooks
- Bridges offer us a change to create musical contrast, provide a different lyrical perspective or an opportunity to pivot the narrative
- Interludes create buffers between sections
- Intros set the mood and create a first impression
- Outros leave the listeners with a final thought or feeling
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#songwritingtips #choruswriting #songwritingprocess #musicproduction #lyricwriting #songtitles #musiccomposition #singersongwriter #musiciansofinstagram #creativeprocess
#musictheory songwriting #musictheory #chords #tonicchord #musiceducation #songwritingtips #musicians #songcreation #musiclessons
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In this video, I want to show you 3 radically practical tips to help you shortcut to great chorus-writing, to hopefully open the creative gates so you don’t get derailed by a chorus that falls flat, or having no idea how to approach it.
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00:00 Introduction
00:47 Tip #1 - Find The Title
05:46 Tip #2 - Build The Scaffold
10:58 Tip #3 - Save The Tonic
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#1 - Find the TITLE FIRST
Sounds obvious, but many choruses fall flat because we misunderstand what a chorus is in the first place.
It’s not just the section that repeats. It’s the part that delivers the central message. And even within the chorus, the central message has a pointy end, in the title.
Rather than writing a song and then trying to figure out the title when you get there - find the title first (or at your earliest possible convenience).
Simply saying, “I want to write a song about yearning for the comfort, and safety, and simplicity of childhood, contrasting it to the complexity of life once you’ve left home. It will focus on the image of my childhood house”...good concept, but is made even stronger as a song idea if you can say, “and it will be called ‘Home is Where the Heart Lives’”.
It gives the song a target, and makes the rest of the song so much easier to write. When all the pieces tie together, the chorus has so much more impact.
A title that is inherently interesting will also stick in the memory of a listener.
#2 - Build A Scaffold
We don’t need all the words - and often the words will come out of the melody, if the melody is expressing the feeling or the musical journey we want to take.
Use the very fancy technique called the mumbles.
Gives you the scaffolding, to then fill in the details
Especially useful when you have a verse section written - so common to keep writing in the same way - same melodic shapes, pace, structure…we need to switch out of lyric mode to really enter the musical/emotional journey sometimes. It can also help us figure out where the title goes.
#3 - Save the tonic chord for the chorus
Chords are like the film score for the melody. The average listener doesn’t know what chords you’re playing - only how they make them feel.
As songwriters, it’s our job to know how chords and chord combination do make people feel - which film score to put behind our words and melody.
##other chord vids/playlist - check this out to learn about chord relationships, how to create mood, story, emotion with chords.
Here’s one ‘film score’ tip: in every key, whether it’s major or minor, or some kind of mode, or even mixed modes…there is always ONE chord that makes a listener feel a sense of profound resolution, and that is the tonic chord - the chord of the key.
So many songwriters will miss out the opportunity to use this in the chorus, by having the tonic chord splashing about in the verse and pre-chorus - using chord loops is a great to way to prevent chords from having any storytelling potential or acting like the film score. Its the same film score the whole way.
Avoid the tonic chord in the 4-8 bars before the Chorus, then bring it in, and watch it shine.
__________________________________________
Who Are We?
HTWS is Keppie Coutts, and Benny Romalis, two professional songwriters, performing artists and teachers with over 40 years of collective experience in the music industry.
We have studied and taught at some of the best contemporary music colleges in the world including Berklee College of Music, Sydney Conservatorium, the Australian College of the Arts, the Australian Institute of Music, the LA School of Songwriting and JMC Academy.
Our goal is to help people write better songs! Our experience, having worked with thousands of songwriters (many going on to find careers and success in music), is that your songwriting, like all things, can get better with meaningful and deliberate practice. Our intention is to share the skills, knowledge and ideas that we've had the privilege of gathering with others who embrace the art and craft of songwriting.
You can find more information at: www.howtowritesongs.org
#howtowritesongs
#howtowriteasong
#songwriting
#lyricwriting
#songlyrics
#songwritingtips
In this video I demonstrate 12 of the most beautiful and useful fingerpicking patterns on guitar that songwriters of any level can incorporate immediately into their songwriting!
00:00 Introduction
00:44 #1 Forward Roll
02:17 #2 Backward Roll
04:13 #3 Forward / Backward Combos
05:33 #4 Pinch & Roll
07:06 #5 Quick Roll Slow Roll
08:12 #6 Triplets
09:55 #7 Strum + Picking Hybrid
11:43 #8 Cluster Smack
12:48 #9 Thumb & Cluster
14:28 #10 Alternating Thumb & Fingers
15:59 #11 Travis Picking
17:33 #12 Pinching 10ths
For a deeper dive into 'Pinching 10ths', check out my video breaking down Paul McCartney's 'Blackbird': youtu.be/x5h98ZFYjow
🌏 Join the HTWS Songwriters Community for Weekly Feedback Sessions, Live Workshops and Collaboration with other songwriters from around the world: howtowritesongs.org/community
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For more
Unlock the creative power of fingerpicking with these 12 essential patterns every songwriter should know. Whether you're feeling stuck, uninspired, or just tired of the same strumming rhythms, this video gives you practical fingerpicking tools to instantly breathe life into your songwriting and guitar playing. Designed specifically for guitarists and songwriters who want to level up their skills, these patterns help you create texture, movement, and emotional depth in your music—without needing complex theory. Perfect for beginners and experienced players alike, this is your step-by-step guide to writing better songs through the art of fingerpicking.
Who Are We?
HTWS is Keppie Coutts, and Benny Romalis, two professional songwriters, performing artists and teachers with over 40 years of collective experience in the music industry.
We have studied and taught at some of the best contemporary music colleges in the world including Berklee College of Music, Sydney Conservatorium, the Australian College of the Arts, the Australian Institute of Music, the LA School of Songwriting and JMC Academy.
Our goal is to help people write better songs! Our experience, having worked with thousands of songwriters (many going on to find careers and success in music), is that your songwriting, like all things, can get better with meaningful and deliberate practice. Our intention is to share the skills, knowledge and ideas that we've had the privilege of gathering with others who embrace the art and craft of songwriting.
You can find more information at: www.howtowritesongs.org
#howtowritesongs
#howtowriteasong
#songwriting
#guitartips
#fingerpicking
#howtoplayguitar
#guitarplaying
#acousticguitar
In this video, we show you one of the simplest ways to consistently write clear and powerful lyrics - the W3 Formula!
00:00 Introduction
00:40 The W3 Formula - Who?
03:50 The W3 Formula - To Whom?
08:56 The W3 Formula - Why?
12:21 A Common Mistake (and how to avoid it)
Want 20% Off 'Tape It' Pro? - Click here: https://tape.it/for/howtowritesongs
🌏 Join the HTWS Songwriters Community for Weekly Feedback Sessions, Live Workshops and Collaboration with other songwriters from around the world: howtowritesongs.org/community
⚡ Want Free Weekly Songwriting Tips and Insights? Join our Newsletter: howtowritesongs.org/subscribe-to-the-newsletter
Who Are We?
HTWS is Keppie Coutts, and Benny Romalis, two professional songwriters, performing artists and teachers with over 40 years of collective experience in the music industry.
We have studied and taught at some of the best contemporary music colleges in the world including Berklee College of Music, Sydney Conservatorium, the Australian College of the Arts, the Australian Institute of Music, the LA School of Songwriting and JMC Academy.
Our goal is to help people write better songs! Our experience, having worked with thousands of songwriters (many going on to find careers and success in music), is that your songwriting, like all things, can get better with meaningful and deliberate practice. Our intention is to share the skills, knowledge and ideas that we've had the privilege of gathering with others who embrace the art and craft of songwriting.
You can find more information at: www.howtowritesongs.org
#howtowritesongs
#howtowriteasong
#songwriting
#lyricwriting
#songlyrics
#songwritingtips
In this video, we look at the Beatles classic BLACKBIRD and focus on the way it is constructed almost entirely from simple 2-note chords.
00:00 Introduction
01:02 The 'Blackbird' Chords
02:44 How We Learn Chords
05:02 Introducing 10ths
09:12 Using 10ths In Your Songwriting
12:08 Picking Hand Patterns
13:56 Writing In Different Keys
15:25 Using Non-Diatonic Chords
16:37 Using Open Strings
19:01 Wrap Up
🌏 Join the HTWS Songwriters Community for Weekly Feedback Sessions, Live Workshops and Collaboration with other songwriters from around the world: howtowritesongs.org/community
⚡ Want Free Weekly Songwriting Tips and Insights? Join our Newsletter: howtowritesongs.org/subscribe-to-the-newsletter
Who Are We?
HTWS is Keppie Coutts, and Benny Romalis, two professional songwriters, performing artists and teachers with over 40 years of collective experience in the music industry.
We have studied and taught at some of the best contemporary music colleges in the world including Berklee College of Music, Sydney Conservatorium, the Australian College of the Arts, the Australian Institute of Music, the LA School of Songwriting and JMC Academy.
Our goal is to help people write better songs! Our experience, having worked with thousands of songwriters (many going on to find careers and success in music), is that your songwriting, like all things, can get better with meaningful and deliberate practice. Our intention is to share the skills, knowledge and ideas that we've had the privilege of gathering with others who embrace the art and craft of songwriting.
You can find more information at: www.howtowritesongs.org
#howtowritesongs
#howtowriteasong
#songwriting
#blackbird
#guitarchords
#paulmccartney
#songwritingtips
#AntithesisExplained #MusicAnalysis #LoveAndLife #SongMeaning #BennyInspiration #ContrastingThemes #LyricAnalysis #EmotionalDepth #SongwritingTechniques #MusicTheory


