A-J Charron

What effects did the industrial revolution have on music and songwriting? Some of the effects were very profound so here is a brief overview of them.

Picking up where the last lesson left off, we’re going to explore songwriting as storytelling a little further.

Once upon a time, songs were meant to tell stories. Rarely are they of this nature now. Let’s take a look back at where it all started.

We’ve already looked at hit songs, songwriting vocabulary, hooks and gimmicks. Now let’s to put all these things into perspective.

Over the years many artists have relied on gimmicks. We’re going to look at a few of these, namely: Kiss, Alice Cooper, Ozzy and Marilyn Manson.

An important skill for songwriters is being able to come up with hooks. A Hook is what sells a song. It is what makes people sing it and like it.

Occasionally lyrics contain words or expressions that create problems for the songwriter. Let’s take a look at vocabulary and its relation to songwriting.

What makes a hit song a hit? There are certain similarities in structure that most hit songs share, and it is worthwhile to learn them.

It’s important for songwriters to keep up with the times. In this article we’ll cover staying relevant and a few other odds and ends for songwriters.

In addition to more songwriting advice, this week’s column also includes more help on copyrighting songs.

Part two in our beginner look at recording a demo at home. Let’s look at some tools you can find on PC that will accomplish most of what you need to do.

Once you’ve written enough good songs it’s time to record a demo. Here are some common mistakes to avoid that will help you get it right the first time.

André “Dédé” Fortin was an important figure in Québec music until his death in 2000. Here is a tribute to his talent and impact on people who know his music.

A lesson on songwriting and spontaneity. When you are being spontaneous your thoughts come out in a way that you couldn’t get out by over thinking them.

Let’s analyze some of the characteristics that make an artist. Understanding where many songwriters are coming from can help us create better music.

Here’s a great primer for anyone intent on making it in the music business. With the right amount of the right sort of attitude you might achieve those dreams.

Now that you’ve already written a few songs, let’s take a closer look at inspiration. We’ll try and come up with some ways to make finding song ideas easier.

Copywriting songs that you have written is a very important step. This article covers the whys and hows of protecting your work.

Here is a great beginner exercise you can use to write a song. You’ll need a guitar, a pen and paper and before you know it you’ll have written your first song.

This beginner article on songwriting covers topics such as inspiration, tools of the trade, words or music first, what to write about and much more.