Songwriter Theory: Learn Songwriting And Write Meaningful Lyrics and Songs
144 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsLet's learn songwriting! Learn to write impactful and meaningful songs by writing great melodies, lyrics that move your listeners, and arrangements and chord progressions that evoke the right emotions.Do you want to write emotional and powerful melodies? Learn to write incredible melodies, regardless of your musical background.Do you wish you could write incredible lyrics that move your listeners? Learn how to write great lyrics that are worthy of being framed and hung up on your wall.Want to make full, rich arrangements that sound fully professional? Learn how to arrange in a way that makes your song shine.Do you sometimes have trouble finding inspiration or staying productive? Learn how to find, maintain and regain inspiration as well as remain productive in your creative processes.Do you ever get overwhelmed by songwriting?Do you find yourself getting into creative ruts?Do you wish your songwriting efficiency was better?If you want asimpleguide to learn to get past the overwhelm of songwriting, thisshow is for you!So let's learn how to songwrite with music theory, lyric writing, creative productivity, inspiration, and more!Anyone who's ever had feelings or thoughts can become a songwriter, so let's dive deep into our inner creator and learn how to write songs!If you want to dive even deeper, gograb my free guide on 10 proven ways to start writing a song in under an hour here: http://songwritertheory.com/free-guide/
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Does Chord Progression Matter?
September 02, 2019 04:00 - 29 minutes - 13.8 MBJoin the discussion in our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/songwritertheorymastermind/ FREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Does chord progression matter? Or is just sticking with any chords that fit the melody good enough? Listen for more!
Don't Settle On A Key
August 26, 2019 04:00 - 26 minutes - 12.5 MBJoin the discussion in our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/songwritertheorymastermind/ FREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Don’t just settle on the initial key you write your song in. You’ve come so far to write an entire song, don’t settle on a key now. Listen for more!
Simple Song Development System
August 19, 2019 04:00 - 33 minutes - 15.3 MBJoin the discussion in our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/songwritertheorymastermind/ FREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ If you told me a few years ago that I could ensure that I never run out of song ideas, I would never have believed you. I knew the pain of staring at a blank page and thinking: “What do I have to say?” “What can I possibly say that will sound fresh and new?” “What can I say that’s different than the last 10 songs I...
Playing Is NOT Practicing
August 12, 2019 04:00 - 14 minutes - 6.8 MBJoin the discussion in our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/songwritertheorymastermind/ FREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ The easiest trap to fall into when practicing a skill is to practice what you already know. If you’re a pianist and sit in front of the piano, it’s easy to just play the 10 songs you love to play and then move on with your life. But playing is not practicing. If you’re a guitarist, it’s easy to go through the same motions....
Lyric Writing Tools #6 - Open Endedness
August 10, 2019 04:00 - 19 minutes - 8.84 MBJoin the discussion in our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/songwritertheorymastermind/ FREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ It’s the final day of our Week of Lyric Writing Tools. This time, we’re going to look at utilizing open endedness in lyrics. Open Endedness What is the first thing you talked about when walking out of Inception? The ending. Masterful. This is why I strive for the Christopher Nolan principle of creativity. But, if your...
Lyric Writing Tools #5 - Multiple Meanings
August 09, 2019 04:00 - 21 minutes - 9.76 MBSHORT SURVEY LINK: https://forms.gle/hAv8GpXrKEvo9xZN9 help me help you better with the content you need by filling this out! FREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ It’s day 5 of our Week of Lyric Writing Tools. This time, we’re going to look at utilizing multiple meanings in lyrics. Multiple Meanings Symbolism is one-directional. You have a symbol that represents something “real”. But you can also have multiple meanings, which is bi-directinal. Instead of a “...
Lyric Writing Tools #4 - Symbolism
August 08, 2019 04:00 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ It’s day 4 of our Week of Lyric Writing Tools. This time, we’re going to look at utilizing symbolism in lyrics. Symbolism Symbolism is the ultimate way to open up a song to interpretation. It allows an open-endedness that will result in more people relating to it- because they will interpret the lyrics through the lens of their own life experiences. Maybe you meant to be doing commentary on the sorrow of losing your dog. But t...
Lyric Writing Tools #3 - Foreshadowing
August 07, 2019 04:00 - 19 minutes - 8.85 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ It’s day 3 of our Week of Lyric Writing Tools. This time, we’re going to look at utilizing foreshadowing in lyrics. No Capes! In the Incredibles, Syndrome’s fate is foreshadowed in the scene where Edna explains why she will not give Mr. Incredible a cape. Later in the movie, this. Kinda brutal for a kids movie. Foreshadowing gives that “aha” moment. It’s also a subtle way to make a future development make more sense. The cap...
Lyric Writing Tools #2 - Parallelism
August 06, 2019 04:00 - 21 minutes - 10 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ It’s day 2 of our Week of Lyric Writing Tools. This time, we’re going to look at utilizing parallelism in lyrics. Parallelism You have to love some good parallelism. Star Wars has made plenty of use of parallels. Both Luke and Anakin lose their hands. Both (as well as Rey) come from small beginnings on a desolate desert planet. And both of them have their temptation scene with Darth Sidious seated in a metal chair with spac...
Lyric Writing Tools #1 - Big Reveal
August 05, 2019 04:00 - 16 minutes - 7.82 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ It’s always a good day when you can add tools to the toolbox. Weapons to the arsenal. So we’re going to go over 6 powerful lyrical tools for our Week of Lyric Writing Tools. First up, we’re going to look at the big reveal. The first lyrical tool we will go over is the big reveal. You know, like the reveal at the end of the original Planet of the Apes film. The main character spends the entire film trying to figure out how to g...
The Most Essential Tool To Become Better At Songwriting
July 29, 2019 04:00 - 38 minutes - 17.6 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ If you want more visits from the muse or to increase your productivity, you need to find the places that are conducive to writing productivity The most essential tool to become better at songwriting. What is it? Habits. Habits are the foundation of greatness. And you formulate habits with discipline. You don’t get to be a prolific songwriter without having a habit of writing. You don’t get to be a great lead guitarist without...
3 Factors To Choose A Song Title
July 22, 2019 04:00 - 35 minutes - 16.5 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ If you want more visits from the muse or to increase your productivity, you need to find the places that are conducive to writing productivity Choosing a song title is easily overlooked. But choosing a title is important. It can add one last layer of meaning to your song, and it is how it is referred to when people talk about it. In my mind, there are 3 main factors to choosing a song title. Association Factor Memorable Factor ...
Find Your Writing Places
July 15, 2019 04:00 - 21 minutes - 9.79 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ If you want more visits from the muse or to increase your productivity, you need to find the places that are conducive to writing productivity Often want a place away from distractions Don’t do it in front of the TV If people in a coffee shop distract you, don’t do it there If people in your house distract you, find a place away from everyone Distractions can be in the form of context - sometimes trying to write at the same co...
How To Figure Out Your Vocal Range
July 08, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 11.3 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Find Range: Start in comfort zone, go down until you hit bottom Start in comfort zone, go up until you hit top- belting Consistent { Comfort Range Lower Range Upper Range Head Voice Range } Deviant Lower Range Deviant Upper Range
Intro To Iterative Lyric Writing
July 01, 2019 04:00 - 34 minutes - 15.7 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Iteration is defined as the act or process of repeating. For example, iteration can include repetition of a sequence of operations in order to get ever closer to a desired result. To-do List app: Start with basic to-do’s Next iteration, add priority levels 1-3 Priority levels don’t work right, so fix them for next iteration, and add levels 4 and 5 Find out users don’t want priority levels, but due dates, so replace priority wi...
Deliver At Every Part Of Your Song
June 24, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 11.5 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ You have to deliver at every part of your song. The intro needs to deliver. So does the first lyric you sing. The first chorus can’t disappoint. And no one likes an anticlimactic bridge or finale. You have to deliver at every part of your song. Deliver Lyrically You need to deliver lyrically at every part of the song. Areas to concentrate on are certainly the first and last lines of the song as well as the entire chorus, but you ne...
How to Get Out of Your Creative Box
June 17, 2019 04:00 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ I can always use some tips to get out of my creative box. So I’m going to bet you can use some tips on how to get out of your creative box too. I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll share some tips here, and you can give me some tips you have in the comments. I’m glad you agreed to this deal. May it be ever fruitful in a long-lasting, mutual-benefit relationship. Change Starter Instrument Sometimes I sit at the piano and nothing comes...
Be Open To Learning
June 10, 2019 04:00 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Stop thinking some knowledge or skill you have is “good enough”. Be open to learning. How can you strive for success, while also telling yourself that you’re “good enough” at what you do? Don’t seek validation for where you are. Sure, it feels good for someone to validate you. But what you really want is insight into how to improve. You aren’t so arrogant as to believe you can’t improve, right? By nature, we all can imp...
Music Arrangement Theory
June 03, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 8.66 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Music arrangement theory is so important, and yet it’s hardly discussed. Even when talking about songwriting or music theory, the theory of arrangement is something that is often left out. This is odd because basically every song ever recorded had an arrangement. Do you hear more than one instrument? Ok, then the song was arranged. I’m going to break down how I look at an arrangement. This will guide you to understand what ...
How to Get Over Destructive Perfectionism
May 27, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 11.4 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ It’s great to have high standards. We want to achieve greatness at our craft, not adequacy. But sometimes high standards can morph into destructive perfectionism. Sometimes destructive perfectionism is masquerading around as high standards. Either way, we can (and probably at some point, will) fall victim to it. So what is destructive perfectionism? It’s when your perfectionism begins to become a hindrance to your creativity. ...
Don't Wait For The Muse
May 20, 2019 04:00 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ I always thought the phrase “strike gold” was a bit weird. Or at least how it’s often used is. People use the phrase as if the person just happened across something super valuable. It’s always used as if, in the gold rush, people were just hiking along, and happened to see a full bar of gold. “Honey, I found the gold. We can retire now” But that’s not how it worked then nor is it how it works now. They had to travel across the ...
The Power of Dyads and What You Don't Hear
May 13, 2019 04:00 - 31 minutes - 14.4 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ It’s pretty common to assume any chord is a triad. And, I get it, triads are fundamental to chords and music theory. A minor, C major, and Db diminished are all triads. Most chords we talk about are triads. We almost begin to believe that all chords have 3 notes. But there is so much beauty and power in the dyad. A dyad is a set of 2 notes. Depending on perspective, one could consider a dyad a chord or an implication of a chord....
Does a Songwriter Need to Know Music History?
May 06, 2019 04:00 - 10 minutes - 4.94 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ If you’re a songwriter, you’ve probably had someone just assume you know a specific song by a specific artist because, well, “you’re a musician!” For me: #Triggered. As much as I love faulty gatekeeping, this ticks me off. Spoiler alert: I would say the answer to whether or not a songwriter needs to know music history is a resounding no. Here’s why. You are Your Own Artist The simplest of reasons, but still important. You are ...
The Process From Songwriting To Released Song
April 29, 2019 04:00 - 36 minutes - 17 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Episode outline: Songwriting Inception: The idea or inspiration Gestation: Time where you’re thinking through where the idea could go Development: Time you’re actually writing out where you want to go with the idea and what type of song you’re probably going for Writing: The actual writing of the lyric and music Refining: Making adjustments such as adding a pre-chorus, removing part of an overly-long second verse, adjusting lyri...
5 Important Questions When Arranging
April 22, 2019 04:00 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Episode Writeup: Arranging can be overwhelming. You wrote a song with your guitar and your voice, and now you need to make a full arrangement out of it? Where do you start? What is important to think about? Why is this Instrument the Right Choice? A harmonica and flute playing the same part will have a very different feel. A piano ballad and guitar ballad sound fundamentally different. It’s important to be intentional about your ...
A Great First Step Into Songwriting
April 15, 2019 04:00 - 16 minutes - 7.44 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide
What are Augmented and Diminished Chords?
April 08, 2019 04:00 - 13 minutes - 6.07 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Episode Writeup: What exactly are augmented and diminished chords? What is the difference between them and major and minor chords? The short answer: A major chord has a Perfect 1st, Major 3rd, and Perfect 5th A minor chord has a Perfect 1st, Minor 3rd, and Perfect 5th An augmented chord has a Perfect 1st, Major 3rd, and Augmented 5th A diminished chord has a Perfect 1st, Minor 3rd, and Diminished 5th Put another way, an augm...
What are Major and Minor Chords?
April 01, 2019 04:00 - 14 minutes - 6.91 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Episode Writeup: I’ve heard of chords and harmony, but what exactly are major and minor chords? What makes them different? The short answer: A major chord has a Perfect 1st, Major 3rd and Perfect 5th A minor chord has a Perfect 1st, Minor 3rd and Perfect 5th Put another way, a minor chord is simply a major chord with the 3rd flattened (down 1 semitone). Don’t worry, we still have a slightly longer and more informative answer:...
10 Reasons Your Song Sucks
March 25, 2019 04:00 - 20 minutes - 9.48 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: 1. You Used Cliches If I hear one more song talk about “never getting older” I’m gonna punch my computer screen. For frame of reference, the screen cost me about $200. Worth it. Guess what? Something can be cold without being compared to ice. Also, things besides knives cut. I don’t want to hear about being “cut like a knife”. Stop it....
3 Great Hacks to Regain Inspiration
March 18, 2019 04:00 - 20 minutes - 9.56 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Sometimes life is going too well. There’s no drama, no heartbreak, no despair to write about. Maybe your teenage angst is gone or you just don’t love tractors the way you used to. So sometimes it can be hard to maintain or regain inspiration. We’re going to discover 3 great hacks to regain inspiration. Go Back or Forward in Time Just...
How to Find Your Creative Identity
March 11, 2019 04:00 - 30 minutes - 14.3 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: One’s creative identity is foundational to who you are as a musical artist. Understanding what you value, what you like, and who you are is unendingly important. So how do we find our creative identity? Find What You Love What music do you love? Take a moment to write down your top-10 favorite artists. Usually, who we are as an artis...
Music Theory Intervals
March 04, 2019 05:00 - 38 minutes - 18 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Necessary Definitions Interval: The distance between two notes Semitone: The smallest interval we have in western music. Moving up a string by one fret on a guitar or going to the very next note on a piano are both examples of a semitone. Semitone = Half Step 2 Semitones = 2 Half Steps = 1 Whole Tone = 1 Whole Step The 2 Parts of an...
How To Write Lyrics Within Your Theme
February 25, 2019 05:00 - 30 minutes - 13.9 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Do you ever wonder where to go with your lyrics? Do you have a great theme, but don’t know how to get a chorus, bridge, and 2+ verses? We’ve all been there. Here are 3 methods to figure out how to write a full set of lyrics from your theme. Expansion Principle A song idea often starts with a single lyrical line or symbol. And then yo...
How to Handle Feedback
February 18, 2019 05:00 - 16 minutes - 7.44 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Sometimes people are going to give you feedback. Some you asked for, others because people like giving unwarranted opinions. There are a few things to understand when receiving feedback. Everyone Has Something To Offer Whether it’s your best friend who is also a songwriter, your mom who doesn’t care for “those noises” (electric guitar)...
The Christopher Nolan Principle of Creativity
February 11, 2019 05:00 - 23 minutes - 11.1 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Some people think good, artistic music needs to be advanced, inaccessible, and more pretentious than Kanye West with a Cigar and French Accent. Others think music needs to be soulless, recycled garbage to have any level of popularity. I’m here to tell you that both are completely wrong. And Christopher Nolan is living Proof. If you d...
How to Figure Out All Notes For Minor Keys
February 04, 2019 05:00 - 15 minutes - 7.06 MBAccompanying Blog Post With Helpful Pictures: https://songwritertheory.com/how-to-figure-out-all-notes-for-minor-keys FREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Do you know what notes you’re working with when someone says “This song is in the Key of E natural minor”? If you forget what notes are sharp or flat in a key, do you have any way to figure it out? This post is going...
How to Figure Out All Notes For Major Keys
January 28, 2019 05:00 - 9 minutes - 4.4 MBAccompanying Blog Post With Helpful Pictures: https://songwritertheory.com/how-to-figure-out-all-notes-for-major-keys FREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Do you know what notes you’re working with when someone says “This song is in the Key of E Major”? If you forget what notes are sharp or flat in a key, do you have any way to figure it out? This post is going to make...
4 Tests to Ensure You Have a Great Melody
January 21, 2019 05:00 - 8 minutes - 4.2 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Candle Test / Acapella Test Have you ever seen a crowd pull out their phones and wave them back and forth to a moving song? The answer to that is probably yes. If it’s no, you probably should get out more. If you’re afraid of mosh pits, I get it. But there are a lot of other seats available. And a lot of other types of concerts to go t...
The Golden Rule of Arranging
January 14, 2019 05:00 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Even when you get the hang of songwriting, arranging can be overwhelming. It’s a whole different beast. Now you need to take your vocal and guitar piece and turn it into a full performance with a bunch of different parts. The good news is that you can get 80% of the way there with what I consider the golden rule of arranging. Everythin...
Chord Progression Basics - Major Keys
January 07, 2019 05:00 - 17 minutes - 8.02 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: A huge part of a story is its flow. Does it move naturally from one part to another? Does it make you feel suspense, resolve, worry, and sorrow exactly when it wants? Does it push and pull your emotions over time as it progresses from one part to the next? Your chord progression is the same. And that’s part of why it’s so important. To...
Music Theory For Songwriters
December 31, 2018 05:00 - 18 minutes - 8.48 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: How much music theory do you really need to know to write songs? Do you need to know every bit of music theory your music major friends know? Do you need nothing? I think there are 3 necessary bits of music theory you need to write songs. The more you learn, the better equipped you are, but these 3 are enough. Keys You need to know w...
Be a Multithreaded Songwriter
December 24, 2018 05:00 - 21 minutes - 10 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: You might be wondering what multithreaded means. It comes from the computer concept of a processor running different applications at the same time or even different parts of an application at the same time. Alright, how about an analogy? Let’s say you’re at the dinner table. You currently have the stuffing in front of you (hit the jackp...
3 Reasons Your Lyric Doesn't Need To Rhyme
December 17, 2018 05:00 - 26 minutes - 12.2 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Rhyming Can Be Unnecessary Shackles I know you want to write a great lyric. Believe me. But, here’s the thing. You might think that you need to rhyme to have a great lyric but, really, forcing yourself to rhyme might hinder you on your heroic quest. Don’t you want to mean every word you say in your lyric? There is a certain precision...
Be OK with Writing Badly
December 02, 2018 05:00 - 15 minutes - 7.25 MBFREE GUIDE LINK: https://songwritertheory.com/freeguide/ Website: https://songwritertheory.com/ Follow Me on Twitter: @josephNVadala Episode Writeup: Yes, be ok with writing badly. I know we’re hard-wired to see failure as a bad thing. I know school teaches us we have one shot to get it right. But real life isn’t like that. Real life is fail until we get it right. We need to practice. We need to hone our skills. We need to master our craft. The only way to do that? Wri...