For artists the battle has always raged between the desire for complete artistic freedom and the need to work within a limiting set of rules. Some people insist that creativity and limits are mutually exclusive. I would argue the opposite: people are never more creative than when forced to work within limitations. Limits generate their own kind of creative freedom. Don’t believe me?

Like anything, songwriting improves as one practices one’s craft. Practicing songwriting can often be a daunting task not only because it seems odd as a concept, but also because it requires admitting that your own songwriting needs improvement. Here are some tips on deconstructing songs to improve your own writing.

In this second article in the series on making money with production music libraries, I will offer tips for composing tracks that sell and get placed on television, films, video games, and other media. This list of composition tips will help you meet the needs of television producers while setting yourself apart from the competition.

Sometimes a great song can surround and swallow you up in all of its sounds and colors. Using creative instrumentation and serving your song with melodies that fit right into place with one another are a great way to achieve this effect on your listeners. We often hear a complete melody or phrase without realizing the sound is composed with more than one instrument or voice. The instruments are similar in tone, and their parts blend nicely into one another.