Graham English

Posts Tagged ‘show, don’t tell’

If Leonardo da Vinci Was a Songwriter

Adapted from the book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant musician. If he was alive today…
He would have an insatiably curious approach to songwriting and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.
Songs can be like problems or puzzles that we must solve or piece together. Asking creative questions can open [...]

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Give me 5 minutes and I’ll show you how to instantly find unique and interesting details to put into your lyrics.
The technique is called Object Writing and it’s so ridiculously easy that you’ll be pissed you didn’t know about it sooner. I learned it from Pat Pattison.
Here’s how it works:
First, gather your materials. You’ll need [...]

Top 10 Lyric Writing Insights

*Before I continue, and I’ll say this many times, I operate under the assumption that the opposite of everything I say is equally true. Including the opposite of what I just said.
Here’s my top 10 lyric writing insights:
1. The rhythm of your melody and the rhythm of your lyrics should match.
Rhythm has *strong and [...]

The Astonishing Hit-Making Magic of Song Titles

Why almost everyone is completely wrong about what makes a good song title… and why this is a tremendous advantage for anyone who knows the secrets.
Most people - and shamefully, most so-called experts in songwriting - wouldn’t know a good song title if it bit them on the ass. The fact is, there is more [...]