Discover songwriting techniques from the hit makers! This comprehensive guide unlocks the secrets of hit songs, examining them, and revealing why they succeed. Learn to write memorable melodies and discover the dynamic relationships between melody, harmony, rhythm, and rhyme. Fine-tune your craft and start writing hits!
Fundamentals of Musical Composition represents the culmination of more than forty years in Schoenberg's life devoted to the teaching of musical principles to students and composers in Europe and America. For his classes he developed a manner of presentation in which 'every technical matter is discussed in a very fundamental way, so that at the same time it is both simple and thorough'. This book can be used for analysis as well as for composition. On the one hand, it has the practical objective of introducing students to the process of composing in a systematic way, from the smallest to the largest forms; on the other hand, the author analyses in thorough detail and with numerous illustrations those particular sections in the works of the masters which relate to the compositional problem under discussion.
(Book). Melody is the true heart of music, often inspired by nothing more than the songwriter's muse. Yet melody can be learned. This book teaches the art of melody and how to write effective tunes. Starting from basics, it covers the essentials rhythm, intervals, scales, and harmony and builds to offer a wealth of advanced techniques and tricks. Audio examples are provided for every musical example in the book, allowing musicians to increase their awareness of melody through both sight and sound.
Theory is a six-letter dirty word to most musicians, but hey, musicians love dirty words, right? And just like all the other dirty words, theory is easy to learn and fun to use! After studying 'popular' and 'classical' music theory, Ray Harmony created a unique approach that he uses to compose his songs, which feature multi-platinum Grammy winners Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), and many more. Ray Harmony is an award-winning music lecturer and multi-instrumentalist, who is now sharing his top-secret music theory and songwriting hacks through this book series. Drawing on his two decades of teaching experience combined with his minimalist methods of explaining, Ray breaks down music theory into its simplest form via a series of simple hacks, deep insights, and bad jokes. Tuck in at HackMusicTheory.com"e;The most brilliant, fast, easy, and fun music theory book I've ever seen!"e; -DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder, TED speaker, musician, author of Anything You Want"e;This is the kind of book I wish I had when I first started out."e; -IHSAHN, Emperor"e;Trust Ray, and in no time you'll have a watertight music theory skillset you once thought impossible to obtain."e; -PAT LUNDY, Modestep, ex-Funeral for a Friend"e;Ray manages to make learning music theory fascinating, digestible, and damn right cool!"e; -JOE COPCUTT, AxeWound, Zoax"e;If you have been put off music theory in the past, then this is the book to inspire and empower you."e; -VICTORIA WILLIAMSON, PhD, Vice Chancellor's Fellow Researcher and Lecturer in Music at the University of Sheffield, UK, author of You Are the Music"e;Ray has a totally unique approach of hacking music theory, which gives you the essentials in a fraction of the time."e; -VESPERS, Warp Academy founder, music producer
(Berklee Guide). Learn to write songs! This book presents the basic concepts of popular songwriting, such as song construction, creativity techniques, melodic and harmonic development, how to write memorable lyrics, and other core topics. Hands-on exercises make it practical, and the accompanying recording illustrates the concepts for those who don't yet read music.
A well written song gives you the power to touch, teach, and reach deep into a person's soul. But when you hit a creative wall, it can feel like the power has gone out.In those moments, who would you turn to to get your writing back on track?How about a songwriter who's worked with legendary artists and coached thousands of songwriters in person, online, over the phone, and in workshops all over the world?Mark Cawley's songs have been on over 16 million records and with his first book, Song Journey, he gives you a first-hand look inside the songwriting industry. You'll learn how to get your song going, how to keep it going, and what steps to take once your song is finished. It's all neatly packed, from rhymes to chords to publishers and PROs. It's written just like a hit song: full of hooks, to the point, and entertaining. Mark has supplied the maps and tools to help you become a powerful songwriter. Enjoy the ride!