Graham English

Posts Tagged ‘melody’

Mozart’s Deceptive Simplicity

“Hear commentator Rob Kapilow demonstrate how Mozart sets up our expectations but takes us in unpredictable directions in the String Quintet in G minor. His music, like a hologram, flashes back and forth between the simple and the complicated.”

Samurai Songwriting Issue 2 Is Now Available

It’s time to dig into the second issue of Samurai Songwriting. If you’re not a subscriber, join now. If you want to purchase just this issue, you can do that here:

1. Select your country
USA

Outside USA

Here’s what we cover in this issue:

The Samurai Songwriter Code. How [...]

Last Chance To Get Issue 1 With Your Membership

If you’re interested in subscribing to Samurai Songwriting, today is the best day to do it. Tomorrow, Issue 2 will be released and if you subscribe now, you’ll have access to both Issue 1 and Issue 2. After tomorrow, Issue 1 will cost extra.
So if you want great songwriting advice from Academy award winning songwriter, [...]

Hit Songwriting Tips Podcast 05-20-07

Topics covered: Advice to developing songwriters, the art and craft of songwriting, strategies for writing hooks and melodies, a 7-step process to writing hit songs, and much more.

How To Use Tension And Release In Your Melodies

Music, much like life, is fundamentally a swinging pendulum between tension and release. Fortunately, with music, this is easy to represent objectively and to utilize in your music composition.

John Lennon Hit Songwriting Teleseminar

At this moment, you’re just a $20 click away from discovering the Hit Songwriting Secrets of John Lennon… even if you’re starting from scratch.

Fmin 82bpm

I’ll stand by you to the end.
I’ll never desert you.
I’ll be the one you depend on.
The one you can talk to.

Applying The 80-20 Rule To Your Songwriting

I’m finding more and more that what stops songwriters from finishing songs isn’t a lack of good ideas but a misdirection of songwriting focus. Based on the comments I receive, musicians are spending more time on tasks that do little to move the song closer to completion.
For example, if you just spent 15 minutes on [...]

Songwriting Challenges – Where Do I Begin?

One of the most common challenges I hear about songwriting is not knowing where to begin. With the lyrics? With the music? Or something completely different? It’s a rather simple challenge to find a solution to, really.
Start with a single note or single word
Play a single random note and just listen to your imagination. Does [...]

Music for 12-26-06

I’m settling on this melody for now. I might play with the second half of the verse to give it a lift.
It’s a pop triplet feel in the key of B at 90bpm.
ToWrite verse chorus melody

Music for 12-24-06

This is a continuation of 12-07-06b. I’m working out different ideas for the melody to see which one flows better.
It’s a pop triplet feel in the key of B at 90bpm.
ToWrite verse chorus melody

The Perfect Song Title – 5 Things To Remember

Place Your Song Title At Key Points In The Chorus
Your song title is more likely to be remembered if it is placed in the first or last line of the chorus.
Place Emphasis On Your Song Title In The Chorus
Support your song title by giving it a rhythm, melody, and harmony that sounds natural and intuitive. [...]

Hit Songwriting Tips Podcast 08-22-06

Topics covered: Chord progressions, I-IV-V, The blues, classical music, mashups, melody, modal progressions, music software, rhythm…

Hit Songwriting Tips Podcast 08-09-06

Topics covered: Top 10 Lyric Writing Insights, line length, contrasting ideas, melody, metaphor, prosody, rhyme schemes, rhythm, song forms, spotlights…

Music for 07-13-06b

Melody added. I came back from the pub after a couple of… ahem… a few pints with a melody inspired by the divine feminine. Awww yeah.

Music from 10-20-05

This is me composing a ballad on the piano with a beautiful haunting melody in the key of G. I might put lyrics to this one.

Music from 06-13-05b

Cleaned up 120bpm electronic groove in Dmin. It’s multiple takes of me playing over top of everything else.

Music from 06-13-05a

120bpm electronic groove in Dmin. It’s multiple takes of me playing over top of everything else. Very much a scratch first run through.

Music from 05-13-06

Very slow. 64 bpm. I’m moving around A minor. Natural minor scale (Aeolian). I like the vibe. Very dark but hopeful. Dualistic. Kinda sounds drunk.

Music from 04-09-06

I’m playing with C and F. Not finding anything on that first try for contrast.