Resource Library
Downloadables, how-to articles, and creative tools—all in one library.
Writing Lyrics
Get your FREE PDF and video tutorials to explore chords, progressions, and strong song forms.
Chordology
Get your FREE PDF and video tutorials to explore chords, progressions, and strong song forms.
Melody Writing
Get your FREE PDF and video tutorials to explore chords, progressions, and strong song forms.
Finishing Songs
Get your FREE PDF and video tutorials to explore chords, progressions, and strong song forms.
Music Theory
Get your FREE PDF and video tutorials to explore chords, progressions, and strong song forms.
Songwriting Prompts
Get your FREE PDF and video tutorials to explore chords, progressions, and strong song forms.
Recent Articles
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Lyric Writing
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Generating Ideas for Lyrics
Lyric Writing
Song Starters
Uncategorized
Writing Prompts
14-Day Songwriting Challenge: DAY 1
14 January 2023
#1. Getting past the rust. Write literally the most cliched lyric you can think of. Really squeeze that…
Generating Ideas for Lyrics
Lyric Writing
Song Starters
Top 5 Exercises for Coming Up with Great Song Lyric Ideas—#3: Twisting Cliches
13 December 2022
Clichés are everywhere. They are encoded into the way we think and express ourselves in such a pervasive…
Generating Ideas for Lyrics
Language
Lyric Writing
Metaphor
Song Starters
Uncategorized
Top 5 Exercises for Coming Up with Great Song Lyric Ideas—#2: Metaphor Collisions
8 December 2022
This exercise is one of my all-time favorites. It is the fastest way to show yourself that you…
Creative Practice
Generating Ideas for Lyrics
Lyric Writing
My writing
Song Starters
Uncategorized
writing
Top 5 Exercises for Coming Up With Great Song Lyric Ideas—#1: Sense Writing.
7 December 2022
In this series, I’ll go through my all-time Top 5 Exercises for generating lyric ideas, whether I’ve got…
Chorus Writing
Generating Ideas for Lyrics
Lyric Writing
Uncategorized
Wisdom from Songwriters
Why the title of your song is so important
15 November 2022
When we are talking about ‘ideas’ in songs, it’s helpful to draw this distinction: There is the ‘big…
Generating Ideas for Lyrics
Language
Lyric Writing
Metaphor
Songs I Love
Writing better lyrics with metaphor magic
12 August 2022
In this video, I show you how to write songs—and specifically lyrics—like Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, and John…
Creative Practice
Language
Lyric Writing
Melody Writing
Wisdom from Songwriters
Mastering the Elements of Lyric Writing
3 August 2022
Studying and understanding the tools that go into making a song can help anyone learn how to write…
Melody Writing
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Habits of Success
Melody Writing
Music
Music Theory for Songwriters
Songs I Love
Uncategorized
What I’m listening to and why.
18 October 2022
I got a phone call from my friend Benny the other night (Benny, who I make videos with…
Creative Practice
Language
Lyric Writing
Melody Writing
Wisdom from Songwriters
Mastering the Elements of Lyric Writing
3 August 2022
Studying and understanding the tools that go into making a song can help anyone learn how to write…
Creative Practice
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Creative Practice
Habits of Success
Psychology of Creativity
How to get past self-doubt as a songwriter
20 February 2023
Patreon member Miriam asked a thoughtful, and universally relatable question in our Patreon Q&A recently: One thing I’d…
Creative Practice
Generating Ideas for Lyrics
Lyric Writing
My writing
Song Starters
Uncategorized
writing
Top 5 Exercises for Coming Up With Great Song Lyric Ideas—#1: Sense Writing.
7 December 2022
In this series, I’ll go through my all-time Top 5 Exercises for generating lyric ideas, whether I’ve got…
Creative Practice
Uncategorized
How to put your inner critic in its place
6 December 2022
And do your creative work this year As writers, creators, artists, and musicians, we all have the same…
Creative Practice
Language
Lyric Writing
Melody Writing
Wisdom from Songwriters
Mastering the Elements of Lyric Writing
3 August 2022
Studying and understanding the tools that go into making a song can help anyone learn how to write…
Chorus Writing
Creative Practice
Generating Ideas for Lyrics
Music
My writing
Song Starters
Uncategorized
14 June 2022
Starting with loops is one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to spark new ideas and breathe…
Creative Practice
Songwriting Group Info and Registration
5 May 2022
The idea to offer access to a songwriting group to others comes directly from my own experience in my songwriting group, which I…
Chorus Writing
Creative Practice
Music Theory for Songwriters
Songs I Love
Wisdom from Songwriters
6 Songs That Taught Us How to Write Songs
8 January 2022
One of the best ways to learn how to write great songs is to learn from great songs…
Creative Practice
Habits of Success
Uncategorized
How to Successfully Network as a Songwriter—my answer to a slightly petulant question on my YouTube channel
27 December 2021
I was recently asked a question on my YouTube channel that went something like this: The most important…
Creative Practice
Habits of Success
Psychology of Creativity
The 3 Things I Did This Year to Write Over 20 Songs
17 November 2021
In this video, I share the three pillars of my creative practice that ensure I write even when…
Creative Practice
How do you actually get better at songwriting?
3 October 2021
A student emailed me this question today, and I thought it was beautifully simple, direct, and honest. Here…
Music
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Habits of Success
Melody Writing
Music
Music Theory for Songwriters
Songs I Love
Uncategorized
What I’m listening to and why.
18 October 2022
I got a phone call from my friend Benny the other night (Benny, who I make videos with…
Chorus Writing
Creative Practice
Generating Ideas for Lyrics
Music
My writing
Song Starters
Uncategorized
14 June 2022
Starting with loops is one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to spark new ideas and breathe…
Chorus Writing
Music
Music Theory for Songwriters
Creating the Perfect Pre-Chorus – Part 1
11 March 2022
The pre-chorus is NOT just the bit before the chorus – it is the bit before the chorus…
Music
Music Theory for Songwriters
How to Use Chromatics to Write Killer Chord Progressions
8 March 2022
Break out of predictable patterns and inject some colour into your craft with this chromatic approach to writing…
Music
Music Theory for Songwriters
Picking the Perfect Chords
24 January 2022
As songwriters we often start with a chord progression, using it as a framework to add lyrics, melodies,…
Music
Music Theory for Songwriters
Understanding Musical Genre for Songwriters
25 October 2021
Professional songwriters often need or want to write in specific genres. This video explains 5 different ways to…