Posts tagged “songwriting”
Jul 5, 2026
What pop sounds like in 2026: the styles to know to make music people stream
Pop is the most-streamed genre in 2026, but it's an umbrella: Latin rhythm, soft dance-pop, organic soul and retro textures, all built around the vocal. The styles to learn to make it.
Jul 2, 2026
How chords fit a key: diatonic and borrowed chords
Some chords fit a key and some are borrowed from a parallel scale. This interactive guide lays both sets on a grid you can play, so you can see which chords belong, what a borrowed chord really is, and how many you can use before the key blurs.
Jun 9, 2026
Melody writing like a pro: the AABA technique that keeps listeners hooked
Great melodies are engineered: a strong motif, AABA repetition with one varied phrase, and groove made by offsetting quarter notes. With playable examples.
Feb 7, 2026
How to find inspiration for new music
Stuck for ideas? Start a song from lyrics, a beat, a loop, an existing track, or a captured fragment. Seven methods professionals use to find inspiration and finish songs.
Dec 16, 2025
How to arrange a pop song: verse, chorus, bridge, and a returning hook
A pop arrangement uses three distinct parts, a fresh verse, a fresh bridge, and your strongest idea as the chorus hook, in the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-outro form built for replay.
Aug 28, 2025
How to write chord progressions: a beginner's guide with interactive examples
Chords are simpler than they look. Pick a key, stack three notes, put four in a row. A no-theory 101 guide with playable major, minor and emotion examples.
Aug 17, 2025
Chord progressions for every emotion: an interactive emotion wheel
Every chord carries a mood, and a progression is the movement between moods. Spin the interactive emotion wheel to hear playable chord progressions for joy, dread, nostalgia and more.