We revisit a classic performance by a 12-year old singer to uncover the power of establishing and then breaking through a musical boundary.
Tag: melody
melody, melodic progressions, melodic tensions, etc.
“Drivers License:” How Olivia Rodrigo Uses Much More Than Lyrics to Tell Her Story
Today we break down Olivia Rodrigo’s smash hit “Drivers License” to show how she uses much more than lyrics to tell her heartbreak story.
How to Write Call and Response Melodies With Yourself
Call and Response is a great melodic device when it comes to writing for duets, but what if you’re solo? Here are some songwriting tips.
How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Takes Beethoven’s Ideas to #1
In this analysis, pop music theorist Ben Morss shows how The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is built from four-note scale segments.
Notes on the Birth of a Melody
From Soundfly Student Eva Grill, a beautiful reflection on where inspiration for melodic ideas comes from, and where it takes her when she follows it.
10 Things Songwriters Do That Ruin Their Songs
A song is a fragile thing — indeed, there are many ways a song idea can die before it’s even developed. Here are ten, and how to avoid them.
Beat Makers, Try Thinking About Chords and Melody First
You might be an expert at programming drum beats, but if you think back on your favorite songs, they all probably have much stronger melodies and chords.
7 Melody Writing and Motivic Development Techniques for Songwriters
Want to write catchier melodies? Use any of these seven approaches to motif development and your melody will surely get stuck in your listener’s head.
Too Many Lyrics, Not Enough Tune: How Melody Helps Grab Our Attention
There’s as much grammar in a tune as there is in a paragraph. Learn to harness the power of melody and your lyrical strength will follow.
Exploring Tonal Hierarchies in Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”
In his ongoing attempts to seek out the answers to why we like the music we like, Hunter Farris has uncovered a melodic hierarchy via Whitney Houston.