Wow! I’ve just found my next favorite song of the moment. It’s called “Junk of the Heart (Happy)” by The Kooks. I’d never heard of these guys before, but this song (and some of their other stuff) is excellent. When I first listened to it on the radio, the positive lyrics were surprising. I mean,

So … yesterday was a special day. And I didn’t even find out until late evening. Apparently, July 10 is the official “Beatles Day.” Who knew? But I guess the real question is, how did I not know that. After all, the Beatles are the best band in the world. (Hands down.) So it seems

So, I recently discovered Sara Bareilles on the radio. And wow! She’s really good. Definitely one of the best singer/songwriters out there today. I missed her recent concert in my neck of the woods. But I heard it was great. It’s always cool—and rare—when a musician’s live performances are better than their studio recordings. But,

When you think about it, building a song is fairly easy. We just repeat a few parts … and organize each section into a nice, logical order. Usually, our songs will have a couple of different melodies—like a verse and  chorus—that keep things moving forward. And together, these sections create a whole that is greater

When musicians write a song, they have to ask themselves a few questions. For example, does our song have a main melody? And if so, where do we repeat it? How many times? Do we need to add a second, contrasting melody, like a chorus? What about some buffer or break between the two melodies?

By dividing a melody into sections, we can rearrange and repeat certain parts to create something new and exciting. Of course, not all songs include every type of section. But the following outlines the most popular ones you’ll often hear: Like the rooms in a building or the acts in a play, each section is a small,

So far, we’ve been building our songs using simple layers. Starting with a melody and a few chords, we’ve played some pretty awesome tunes. And by repeating certain parts, we’ve expanded our music into larger and more interesting compositions. But before you start repeating any old random notes, remember this: the melody is still the most important

In the United States, people go crazy for Christmas. Or, better said, retail chains and grocery stores go crazy. Totally out of their heads. I mean, they start selling Christmas merchandise months in advance. Like BEFORE Halloween! Seriously—what is up with that? I like the holidays as much as the next guy, I suppose. But,

Good news … the world is still full of really good (new) music. Yep, I found out this week as I was driving in my car. Flipping through the radio stations, I didn’t have high hopes. After all, the airwaves are often a musical wasteland. But, just for kicks, I turned to a new station

Without a doubt, repetition is important. It’s a natural way to take a short musical idea and turn it into something bigger and bolder. Which is why musicians use repeat symbols a lot. In fact, beyond the simple repeat sign, you’ll also sometimes see other markers that have their own special meanings. The three most popular