Songwriting

Are You Using The “Songwriter Chord”

by Clay Mills
May 13, 2023

Want to make your songs contemporary but also not lose that classic feel of great songs? Follow along as Hit Songwriter Clay Mills shares his secret weapon –the songwriter chord.

This two-fingered major and minor 10th chord voicing has  been used on many mega hits throughout the history of recorded music.

So, Grab an instrument, your idea pad, and get some pro inspiration for your next song…

This video is about 5 minutes long and you’ll want to try these ideas as soon as it’s over!

Clay plays a guitar but he’s also included piano examples as well as he discusses 5 songs from the Beatles to James Bay to Katy Perry. You’ll learn a common thread that ties all these decades and genres together –The Songwriter Chord.

Write on!
Clay

Songs using the two-fingered “Songwriter Chord” voicing (10th)

“Blackbird” – The Beatles

“Fast Car” – Tracey Chapman

“Hold Back The River” – James Bay

“California Gurls” – Katy Perry

“Not Over You” – Gavin Degraw

Clay Mills

Clay Mills

Clay Mills is a 16-time ASCAP hit songwriter, producer, and performer. He is the co-founder of SongTown and has 2 Grammy nominations for “Beautiful Mess” by Diamond Rio and “Heaven Heartache” by Trisha Yearwood. Clay is also the co-author of Mastering Melody Writing and The Songwriter’s Guide To Mastering Co-writing.

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