A Buddhist monk, a poet, a brilliant guitarist and composer, an unconventional artist. Leonard Cohen was all of this and more.
His unique approach to songwriting, mostly inherited by a passion for poetry and a natural tendency for deep reflections…

At the age of 80, Sixto Rodriguez is finally a music legend. A rockstar.
After years spent in obscurity, without even knowing how famous he was, the musician can now enjoy some spotlight (and his well-deserved royalties).

Rodriguez is far…

Since our very first experiments in songwriting, we often tend to find a lot of inspiration from our favorite songs and musical heroes. This is totally okay, even if you will often find people telling you how important it is…

In celebration of his 80th birthday, I decided to dedicate this week's article to Paul McCartney.
Both as a solo artist and as part of the brilliant songwriting duo Lennon-McCartney, the ex-Beatle gave us some of the most popular and…

This week, I decided to write about one of my favorite artists, and my favorite Beatle: John Lennon.

I had to shoo some doubts away before getting started, not because Lennon could be quite a controversial character sometimes, but mostly…

Have you ever felt uninspired or unmotivated about your songwriting? Have you ever struggled with a song you couldn't complete? Whether you are a beginner or a pro, chances are you replied yes to both of these questions.

In fact…

Love them or hate them, Nirvana was one of the most influential bands of the 90s. 

With his enigmatic songwriting style and suffered lyrics, bandleader Kurt Cobain inspired a whole generation and more, becoming a true rock icon that still…

Your guitar can be an amazingly flexible instrument. This comes in handy when you want to break your songwriting habits and experiment with some new sounds.

Alternate tunings can be a powerful tool to…

Tom Waits is one of the best songwriters of all time. If you don't believe that, you probably haven't heard songs like Hold On, I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You, or Jersey Girl, just to name…

It happens to anyone. You sit down, with your guitar, and you really want to write the best song ever, but you have no ideas... 

I know how frustrating it can be. It probably gets even worse when you have…

There are a lot of potential great songs out there, with beautiful lyrics, some great arrangements, and even interesting harmonic solutions. However, they often lack one crucial element: a great melody. 

That's a shame because the melody is the element…

What if we saw songs as short stories? 

After all, isn't songwriting just another form of storytelling? 
How can we employ storytelling in order to make our songs more interesting? 

Some tunes deal with storytelling in a brilliant way. 

The…

Songwriting might be cool and fun, but it is also very difficult. 

Whether you are a seasoned or a beginner songwriter, chances are you found yourself struggling with your songs at one point. 

Why is songwriting so hard? Here are…

If you know me, you also know that I am obsessed with Joni Mitchell. 

My first encounter with her music happened when I was 14. My singing teacher suggested I listened to Goodbye Porkpie Hat to realize what I could…

If you know me, you also know that I am obsessed with Joni Mitchell. 

My first encounter with her music happened when I was 14. My singing teacher suggested I listened to Goodbye Porkpie Hat to realize what I could…

Fabrizio De Andrè, one of my personal heroes and my favorite Italian songwriter, wrote a lot of amazing songs. Yet, when a journalist asked him: "Which do you consider your best song?", he simply replied: "My best song is yet…

I was fifteen when I started writing songs. I had no idea of what I was doing, but it was fun. Most of all, I enjoyed using English to express what I wasn't able to do in Italian, my native…

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As one of the most eclectic and bold artists of our time, David Bowie left a huge void when he passed away in 2016. 

Only a few other songwriters had dared to experiment as much…

Last week I had an idea. I had just recorded my version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps and read how George Harrison came up with such an interesting title.
I hadn't…

Songwriting is a difficult and somewhat mysterious process. Nobody can deny that. 
The road to great songwriting is paved with loads of questions, uncertain steps, and a few mistakes.

In this article, I am going to guide you through five…