Behind The Muse: Pop and Rock’s Greatest Songwriters Talk About Their Work and Inspiration
By Bill Demain ($24.95, Tiny Ripple Books)
Includes interviews with over 40 songwriters, including Billy Joel, Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson and Smokey Robinson, covering some 70 years in popular music along the way. That the author is himself a songwriter - a member of pop duo Swan Dive and a former editor at Performing Songwriter magazine - adds insightful value.
4066 hits | added on 04.15.04

Off The Record: Songwriters on Songwriting
Compiled by Graham Nash ($49.95, Andrews McNeel)
Compelling, if pricey, compilation from the famed member of The Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Covering a wide range of styles - from John Lee Hooker to Grace Slick - the book focuses on 25 popular songs and their construction via archival photographs, interviews and copies of the handwritten songs themselves. Discussions include an examination of how the creative process works, how experience and environment can impact the writing of a song, and a view of how the music industry works. Augmented by two CDs’ worth of interviews with the songwriters, narrated by Nash.
3859 hits | added on 04.15.04

Songwriters on Songwriting
By Paul Zollo ($22.95, Da Capo)
Fifty-four songwriters - including Bob Dylan, Madonna, Alanis Morissette, Carole King, Paul Simon, and Lou Reed - discuss the ins and outs of the songwriting process. Includes practitioners of virtually every genre of popular music in original interviews conducted by the editor of SongTalk magazine.
3784 hits | added on 04.15.04

Composing Music: A New Approach
By William Russo with Jeffrey Ainis & David Stevenson (University of Chicago Press)
Not as well known as some of its like-minded bookshelf brethren, this book moves through a series of exercises that gradually become more complex. Along the way readers are taught about chord progressions, melody writing, matching lyrics to music, and so on. Well-regarded by working musicians, it keeps the concepts fairly simple and easy to comprehend.
3885 hits | added on 04.15.04

Melody in Songwriting: Tools and Techniques for Writing Hit Songs
By Jack Perricone (Berklee Press)
More academic in its approach than others on this list, Perricone’s book examines melody, tone, pitch, rhythm and other subjects in great detail. Heavily illustrated, the book is somewhat surprisingly easy to follow, though a background in music theory wouldn’t hurt. The author is both the founder of Berklee College of Music’s songwriting department and composer of the 1970s pop hit “Run, Joey, Run.”
3974 hits | added on 04.15.04

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory
By Michael Miller (Alpha Books)
Similar to “...Dummies,” this includes insight on composing and arranging for instruments and vocals, information on constructing melodies, harmonies and chords, and the basic building blocks of a song. Features musical exercises at the end of each chapter. Written by the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing Drums.
4065 hits | added on 04.15.04

Songwriting for Dummies
By Jim Peterik, Dave Austin and Mary Ellen Bickford (Wiley Publishing)
Following the well-established “Dummies” formula, this breaks down the process into easily understood and digestible nuggets, including how to get started, how to employ rhyme and rhythm, how to work within different sub-genres, how to use chords, and how to navigate the business and legal ends. Written in a breezy and informative style, “Dummies” also includes such diverting chapters as “10 Songwriters You Should Know,” “10 Songwriting Teams You Should Know” and “10 Songs You Should Know.”
4555 hits | added on 04.15.04

The Craft and Business of Songwriting
By John Braheny (Writers Digest)
Written by the co-founder and director of the Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase, this book covers everything from how to develop creativity, motivation and inspiration to the construction of songs and collaborations, as well as inside information on copyright, publishing and marketing. Includes anecdotes from the likes of Paul McCartney, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow and Lenny Kravitz. Revised second edition includes a listing of online opportunities for songwriters.
3923 hits | added on 04.15.04

2004 Songwriter’s Market
By Ian Bessler (Editor) (Writers Digest Books)
The 27th annual edition of the long-running series is a great resource, listing over 1,700 outlets in which to place songs for practically every music genre, including rock, hip-hop, country and classical. Information on contests, workshops, conferences, awards and resources are easy to use; includes contact information for record companies, music publishers, record producers and booking agents.
2622 hits | added on 04.15.04

Behind The Muse: Pop and Rock's Greatest Songwriters Talk About Their Work and Inspiration
By Bill Demain ($24.95, Tiny Ripple Books)
Includes interviews with over 40 songwriters, including Billy Joel, Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson and Smokey Robinson, covering some 70 years in popular music along the way. That the author is himself a songwriter - a member of pop duo Swan Dive and a former editor at Performing Songwriter magazine - adds insightful value.
2744 hits | added on 04.09.04