I get a lot of questions about co-writing and how co-writing happens in the room. The biggest question is what should...
Pro Tips
Beats Per Minute: Online Tools
Beats per minute (BPM) is a major component of your song. It's basically the tempo of your song. It helps set the...
Songwriters’ Notebooks: Nashville Pro Writers
Songwriters' notebooks are the holy grail of ideas, titles, hooks and great phrases. Afterall, a songwriter's notebook...
Songwriter Craig Wiseman
Craig Wiseman is one of Nashville's pre-eminent songwriters. He's had more than a dozen songs reach number one on the...
George Harrison: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
How did "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" evolve from George Harrison's songwriting self-assignment? In his own words...
Pro Tip: Having A Songwriting Life
I was recently in Nashville recording a demo at The 515 Studio, and got to know Chip Hardy, a long-time music industry...
Songwriter Ashley Arrison
Below are excerpts from an interview with Ashley Arrison on Rob Brayl's BeyondBeyonce.com back in January of 2011....
6 Tips To Make Your Songs More Commercial
Guest Post By Brent Baxter If your goals are like mine - getting cuts, hits, etc., then your best bet is by...
Original Demo: “Bette Davis Eyes” Bluegrass
The third best-selling song of the 1980's sung by Kim Carnes was a originally a pop ballad appearing on Jackie...
Songwriter Lori McKenna
Lori McKenna is one of my favorite songwriters on the planet - Janet (sorry - just a habit from the 80's). You may...
Original Songwriter Demos
Hit songs come from the original songwriter demos being pitched to different publishers in Nashville. Ever wonder what...
Songwriter Lance Carpenter
I met songwriter Lance Carpenter (@LanceCarpenter) because he had volunteered to kick off NSAI coordinator training....
CMA Songwriter Series Interviews
On its 10th anniversary, interviews with founder Bob DiPiero on why he started the series as well as perspectives on...
Pistol Annies’ Angaleena Presley On Songwriting
Angaleena Presley talks about songwriting and the 12 tracks she wrote or co-wrote on her debut CD 'American Middle...
Songwriter Brett James
In this songwriter profile we'll take a look at one of Nashville's biggest hit makers, Brett James. He's had over 300...
Story Behind Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho And Lefty”
"Pancho And Lefty" Wasn't Historical Townes Van Zandt is one of the the best songwriters who ever walked the planet. ...
Guy Clark’s “My Favorite Picture Of You”
Guy Clark has been writing for years and goes back to the early days of hanging out with Townes Van Zandt. Who better...
Songwriter Interview: Bob McDill
Interview with Nashville songwriting legend Bob McDill in American Songwriter on the state of country music. [Excerpt...