Sometimes, songwriting can feel like pushing a boulder uphill. But songwriting tools help us work through difficult songs or plateaus in our writing.

Chord inversions help to smooth out motion from chord to chord, harmonize melodies, and allow smooth bass motion. On the guitar, use of inversions allows the player to be able to play some form of a given chord virtually anywhere on the neck. Inversions are your friend!

Loudon Stearns began his relationship with Mike Gordon the same way many in his generation did, as a fan. But it led to the pair creating the most interactive concert technology available.

Why did Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” create so many myths? Its mood is solemn, even mysterious, and its lyrics are replete with gaps of meaning: it invites the listener to make sense of it.

When Brian Funk first filmed an Ableton tutorial in his basement five years ago, he wanted to maintain his anonymity. So the high school English teacher put on sunglasses and dubbed himself AfroDJMac.

“The whole idea of MOOCs is to increase access to music education for people who wouldn’t necessarily have access otherwise,” Leah Waldo says.

There are two topics they say never to bring up with your inlaws – religion and politics. Funny enough, those same topics carry some baggage for songwriters, too, though not for the same reasons.

“Even if you are using a written transcription, it is imperative to listen to the recording of the transcription to be able to better understand the player’s feel, articulation, nuances, etc.”

What many artists don’t realize is that originality is not planned, but the product of fervent exploration leading to happy accidents.