Some songs I hear for the first time and I’m just floored. “You Are Not Alone,” performed by Mavis Staples is one of those songs. The lyric is simple, but deep. The chords and melody, likewise are pretty straight forward. But there are some kinks.   Watch for the moment about 30 seconds in, right … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: Through the Woods

Sometimes things can be virtually the same, even though they look pretty different. That’s the case with the C and G chords on the guitar. They are built in the same way, but use different notes. Also, their fingering on the fretboard appears pretty different because of the how the guitar is tuned.   This … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: I Needed a Myth

Yesterday was John Lennon's birthday. In today's lesson I'm talking about the principle that guides the chord change in the chorus of his song "Imagine." The Prompt: Here's a link to Aron Wiesenfeld's "Bunker" The Musical Idea: https://youtu.be/V5_gd5skYBg It's John Lennon's Birthday, in this video I talk about the musical principle behind the chorus of … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: Days Like These

This weeks lesson, (about using the last couple of lessons I’ve sent out to name the notes in a C chord*), has me thinking about arpeggios.  An arpeggio is just the fancy name for playing the notes of a chord individually, instead of strumming. When guitarist finger picks, they’re playing arpeggios, but you can also … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: Flowers in Last Month’s Newspaper

There’s a time honored tradition of switching a chord from major to minor, which means if you’re playing an F major chord in a song, making the next chord you play an F minor.  The worksheet I included today is talking about the difference between major and minor chords.  (It’s just one note!) It ended … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: A Message