Songwriting Challenge 2023: Listener Songs Volume 1

Our first batch of listener songs for our songwriting challenge 2023 to write in a mode included a song in Dorian and two songs in Lydian.

Lynn Moe shared his song Clean Up Time in D Dorian. Download the lyrics and chords to follow along.

We talked about:

• Using a phrase that doesn’t necessarily make sense but makes a catchy hook
• Playing with time signatures
• See if you can remove words to make your lines scan better without losing any meaning

Paul Gallagher shared his song I like When It Snows in A Lydian. Download the lyrics and chords to follow along.

We talked about:

• Making sure you emphasize the intervals that define the mode you’re working in
• Sometimes it can be ambiguous which mode you’re working in

Steve Johnson Jr. shared his song Just Do It Already in G Lydian. Download the lyrics and chords to follow along.

We talked about:

• Another song with time signature changes!
• Being hooky while being jazzy and in a mode