The classic collection of candid interviews with the greatest songwriters of our time, including Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Patti Smith, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, and dozens more This expanded fourth edition of Songwriters on Songwriting includes ten new interviews--with Alanis Morissette, Lenny Kravitz, Lou Reed, and others. In these pages, sixty-two of the greatest songwriters of our time go straight to the source of the magic of songwriting by offering their thoughts, feelings, and opinions on their art. Representing almost every genre of popular music, from blues to pop to rock, here are the figures that have shaped American music as we know it.
This volume does not explain how to write, publish, pitch, promote, or record music. Instead, it provides thousands of inspirational ideas, tips, and tricks that could very well be the seeds to a musician's next song. (Music)
You are a songwriter, and you need to unlock those great songs inside of you Yes, this book is designed entirely to share those secrets that will inspire you to write that great song that’s you know you can! And once the creativity really starts flowing, we'll create great habits and write even more, each and every day. Get down to writing the music and the lyrics you know that you can because “writer’s block” is a fantasy. You just need inspiration… The Magic of Lyrics & Music This book discusses creativity with the lyrics, creativity with the music, and creativity with the forms of your songs, with a number of actionable suggestions and creative exercises to get the juices flowing. There's also a brief discussion about good habits for songwriters to be more productive (or eventually become a professional), and a list of resource organizations and websites from performing rights to promotion. If you want to develop as a songwriter, possibly even with the goal of going pro, then these are topics you need to think about: The Songwriter's Process Creativity with Form Creativity with Lyrics Creativity with Music Professional? Rights, Royalties, and Piracy Pro Songwriter Habits Songwriter Resource Page and more...
There are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn't so mysterious and was actually achievable for anyone who wants to experience more magic and creativity in their life? That's something that anyone will be inspired to do after reading Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song. Why one song? Because the difference between one song and many songs isn't a cute semantic trick—it's an important distinction that can simplify a notoriously confusing art form. The idea of becoming a capital-S songwriter can seem daunting, but approached as a focused, self-contained event, the mystery and fear subsides, and songwriting becomes an exciting pursuit. And then there is the energizing, nourishing creativity that can open up. How to Write One Song brings readers into the intimate process of writing one song—lyrics, music, and putting it all together—and accesses the deep sense of wonder that remains at the heart of this curious, yet incredibly fulfilling, artistic act. But it’s equally about the importance of making creativity part of your life every day, and of experiencing the hope, inspiration, and joy available to anyone who’s willing to get started.
An effective new songwriting vocabulary supported by ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. The Elements Of Song Craft does for songwriters what William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s The Elements Of Style did for English language students and writers alike; gives an all-in-one definitive manifesto for contemporary songwriters in every genre to organize, understand, and practice the rules, principles, definitions, forms, and song craft needed to create good songs, songs of undeniable creative power and beauty, songs that last. The Elements of Song Craft beelines directly to the most important aspect of writing good songs—identifying the key emotion living at the heart of the song—then offers a step-by-step process to harnessing that singular emotional power. Additionally, a dozen other strategies, formulas, perspectives, and exercises are offered in the book. The Elements of Song Craft introduces, for the first time to a general songwriting audience, an effective new songwriting vocabulary utilized by songwriters taught in the SONG ARTS ACADEMY method and supported by ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, the world’s leading Performance Rights Organizations at the heart of the songwriting business, as well as at NYU Steinhardt’s and The New School’s songwriting programs, for over sixteen years. Thousands of song arts participants, including hit songwriters and The Voice and American Idol contestants, have been trained in this method.
The Must-Have Guide for Songwriters Writing Better Lyrics has been a staple for songwriters for nearly two decades. Now this revised and updated 2nd Edition provides effective tools for everything from generating ideas, to understanding the form and function of a song, to fine-tuning lyrics. Perfect for new and experienced songwriters alike, this time-tested classic covers the basics in addition to more advanced techniques.Songwriters will discover: • How to use sense-bound imagery to enhance a song's emotional impact on listeners • Techniques for avoiding clichés and creating imaginative metaphors and similes • Ways to use repetition as an asset • How to successfully manipulate meter • Instruction for matching lyrics with music • Ways to build on ideas and generate effective titles • Advice for working with a co-writer • And much more Featuring updated and expanded chapters, 50 fun songwriting exercises, and examples from more than 20 chart-toppings songs, Writing Better Lyrics gives you all of the professional and creative insight you need to write powerful lyrics and put your songs in the spotlight where they belong.
(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.
Written as an artistic, business, and technical guide for singer-songwriters, this book is full of advice and encouragement for aspiring troubadours looking to polish their craft. The book offers tidbits on performing, recording, booking, and working with managers, agents, lawyers, and record executives. The guide is rounded out by excerpts from interviews with seasoned artists such as Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Jewel, and Ani DiFranco. At times the book's advice only skims the surface such as its coverage of choosing, maintaining, and insuring gear, but the tips on songwriting and performing should be taken to heart by writers and performers at every level. Rogers is an author and freelance writer who has written for Mojo and Acoustic Guitar magazines. Of all the paths available to today's musicians, the life of the singer-songwriter remains one of the most alluring and popular. From songwriting and solo performing to recording and promotion, singer-songwriters wear many hats, and with all the challenges they face come extravagant creative rewards. The Complete Singer-Songwriter is the ultimate guide for the modern singer-songwriter, full of real-world advice and encouragement for both aspiring and accomplished troubadours. Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers draws on his own experiences as a performing songwriter and interviews with artists such as Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco, and Paul Simon to offer an invaluable companion for the journey from idea to song to stage and studio.
Lyrics sheds light on all aspects of lyric writing for music and will make songwriters feel more confident and creative when they tackle lyrics. It's perfect for all songwriters: those who don't like their own lyrics and find them difficult to write, experienced writers looking for a creative edge, and those offering lyrics to set to music in a partnership. Topics include channeling personal experiences into lyrics, overcoming writer's block, the right lyrics for a bridge, the separation between lyrics and poetry, exploring imagery and metaphor, avoiding clichés, and more. The book also offers tips on the various styles of lyrics, from protests, spirituals, and confessionals to narratives and comic songs.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An essential volume for generations of writers young and old. The twenty-fifth anniversary edition of this modern classic will continue to spark creative minds for years to come. Anne Lamott is "a warm, generous, and hilarious guide through the writer’s world and its treacherous swamps" (Los Angeles Times). “Superb writing advice…. Hilarious, helpful, and provocative.” —The New York Times Book Review For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom passed down from Anne’s father—also a writer—in the iconic passage that gives the book its title: “Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”
