Songs & Lyrics

Writing a song and writing a poem are often believed to be the same thing. Although there are some similarities, there are key differences that make a song lyrical and not corny.

The song "Disenchanted," was released in 2006 by the group My Chemical Romance. My Chemical Romance is a band from New Jersey that plays rock music with a punk flavor to it. "Disenchanted"...

A satirical introduction article on the art of composing lyrics for rap songs

"How to Save a Life," is a song by a pop group known as The Fray. It appears on a CD of the same name, which was released in 2005. The song, which speaks of dealing with a troubled youth, begins...

Writing song lyrics is rewarding in many ways. Perhaps you want to impress others with your skills. Maybe you just want to get things from deep inside onto paper. Whatever the motivation may...

Learning to play chords on the guitar can be fun and challenging at the same time. The more chords you know as a guitarist the better you will be. This article is all about learning the A chord...

Amazing Grace is a well-loved hymn. The lyrics were written in 1772 by a former slave trader, John Newton, who was converted to Christianity after experiencing the grace and love of God. The...

Modeling the behaviors and actions of successful individuals is one of the most effective ways of understanding and achieving success yourself. This article is about how I wrote a fun and catchy...

Pachelbel's "Canon in D" is an extremely popular piece for stringed instruments that is often played at weddings and other social gatherings. Johann Pachelbel, a famous composer of the baroque...

Many people love music so much that they want to play it themselves. They hear their favorite song on the radio and wish they could impress their family and friends by playing it at their next...

A bridge is used in songwriting to break up predictable patterns or to create an interesting transition from one section to another. Bridges are usually short but there are no rules as to how long...

Rap, or hip-hop, can be defined as poetry or spoken word that is usually rhymed over a beat. Being born out of the DJ era of the 1970s and 1980s, rap has become one of the most popular genres of...

Most songwriters begin writing songs as a creative outlet and as a way to simply celebrate their love of music. As emotionally rewarding as this is, for many writers there comes a time when the...

"Wonderwall" is the third track on the 1995 album "What's the Story, Morning Glory?" by the British rock band Oasis. Although the band recorded the song using acoustic guitars, Oasis has often...

The number of enduring Christmas Classics that we hear year after year can be counted on your fingers. Would you like to add your song to the list? It can't hurt to try.

Songwriting as an art form can be creatively and financially rewarding. Whether you write songs for your own band or for other performers, a good song with a lot of radio airplay can bring in...

Have you ever listened to choral music, and wanted to write some? The best way is to start with relatively easy music. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote numerous short pieces called...

Good songs have an effect on people, moving them emotionally. Whether you're trying to write a catchy pop song, a country rocker or a soulful ballad, there's no doubt that expressing yourself in...

Here are some helpful tips for musicians (but not necessarily in chronological order...) Check out www.portlandmusiciansadvice.com for more.

It is extremely unfortunate that there are people who prey on dreamers. A song shark is someone who takes advantage of songwriters who hope they have written the next hit song. It is very easy...

The rock band KISS practically dominated the music scene in the mid to late seventies, with albums like Destroyer, Hotter than Hell, and KISS Alive going from gold to platinum in record time. The...

Rhythm & blues is "a catchall term referring to any music that was made by and for black Americans," according to music producer Robert Palmer. Contemporary R&B, however, is a more narrow...

This article illustrates how to make a hip-hop beat.

This is actual how to on rapping and emceeing from an artists point of view. This article will explain, how to structure your lyrics and includes tips on ways to make yourself stand out.

Anyone with a heart has yearned at some point to express what they were feeling through the marvelous medium of music. Whether it is intended to be intimate, or made available to the world through...

Songwriting and the process of learning to craft a great song can take a lot of time and can be one of the most grueling, creatively demanding processes that any musician, let alone artist, may...

Even though writing is difficult in any language. Writing music is as simple or as hard as you make it, as long as you know how to start out with it and your basic keys. That's why i listed it as...

A cappella music is performed without instrumental accompaniment, usually with more than one voice. An effective song done a cappella incorporates strong lyrics with a vocal musical arrangement....

Many songs have several elements that make it enjoyable to listen to and add to the depth and texture of the music. One of these elements is bass. Having bass in a song serves two purposes. First,...

Key signatures are one of the most useful tools in Western music theory. This foundational aspect of composition gives a piece of music a tonal center within the 12-note chromatic scale while...

A Great Song is a collection of words with a melody that may be sung. Great Songs have great appeal to the rich, poor, to the old and to the young. There are songs for every occasion, situation or...

As classics like "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" prove, not all songwriting needs to spring from inner angst. From a wife's viewpoint, what better way of showing your feelings than writing a...

The verse/chorus/bridge form is a common structure for music, especially popular songs. A simple but effective use of this form is Plain White T's song, "Hey There Delilah." (The first two links...

From Soulja Boy to M.I.A. to Lil Wayne to Keri Hilson, everybody is trying to turn their "swagg on". You might be wondering, “What is Swag?” Keri Hilson sings that “Swag ain’t somethin'...

There is no formula to song writing but there is a basic template to get started. These are not rules but framework to writing a song. Some write muisc first and others write lyrics first but in...

If you are on the road to learning how to write songs, I'm sure you have heard the term "Hook". So what is a songwriting hook. See the picture there of the fish hanging on a hook? With...

If I want to know how to write my own lyrics, I am going to have to study songs that have actually made it in the music industry. This means listening to a lot of music and analyzing the lyrics so...

All filmmakers know that a song can make or break a movie. It can enhance a scene into a evolving emotional memory that will leave viewers remembering the film or music for days, months, even...

I hope to share what I've learned in 15 years of songwriting and 23 years as a musician. While you may never make a fortune at it (I will give you tips at a later date on how to go farther with...

These three little chords, C G and D, can really make you sound like you know what you are doing on the guitar. Learn them and you have the building blocks to compose a simple song.

Everybody has at least one good song in them, but in order to become a professional songwriter, you need to be able to churn out good songs on a regular basis. It’s not enough to have a...

For non-performing songwriters, getting a song recorded by a major artist represents the best income opportunity available. Getting songs to major recording artists is the main objective of music...

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (ASCAP) is one of three major music performance rights organizations in the United States. Along with two other major organizations,...

Musical artists in all genres depend on well written lyrics to make catchy, memorable songs. By developing your songwriting talent and working with a compatible composer, you can improve your odds...

This article will provide you with the tools needed to write a song.

In the worlds of rap and hip hop, there are two huge mountains to tackle when writing a song. First, your music has to be catchy with a driving hook and original sounds, which is not an easy thing...

The bestselling rapper of all-time, Tupac Shakur, has been just as prolific since his death in 1996 as he was alive, thanks to continuous posthumous album releases. Dubbed a "Thug Nigga...

While many artists rely on hype, controversy and ever-changing public images to prolong their careers, Lionel Richie has managed to make his mark in music with subtly and sincerity. From lead...

Gospel music uplifts its listeners while simultaneously delivering a message through song. Write gospel music lyrics by first brainstorming about the message within the words and then by...

Music is wonderful, and the ambition to set a symphony on paper is admirable. But, how to do it is the problem. This question has stumped many a would-be composer, but you're different. You've got...