Sure, songwriting is about doing, not reading, but learning is also essential — and reading a great tome on the topic can really give you a jump-start.
These five books are ones I’ve either read myself or have been meaning to read, since they’ve been recommended by other songwriters I respect and admire.
1. Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison
My buddy Meg Braun took a class with author Pat Pattison, a professor at the Berklee College of Music, at the Rocky Mountain Song School and, along with others, recommends this lyric-writing title.
2. Songwriters on Songwriting by Paul Zollo
This is a huge, huge favorite of mine, featuring in-depth interviews by a singer/songwriter/editor/author with everyone from Paul Simon (yay!) and Brian Wilson to Lou Reed and Carlos Santana. It’s really amazing and I never get tired of it.
3. Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting by Robin Frederick
To me the title sounds overly commercial, but I’m always amazed by Frederick’s great to-the-point, action-oriented tips that you can use anytime, whether they regard melody, lyrics, chords, structure or inspiration. It’s a great jump-start for any songwriter, IMHO.
4. Songwriting and the Creative Process by Steve Gillette
Well, I must admit that I’ve only leafed through this one, but I’m a huge Steve Gillette fan — he taught both at SummerSongs East and SummerSongs West when I attended and is a gentle, supportive guide in terms of helping you find your muse and using it to get good results. So I’d recommend any book on the topic he had a hand in writing.
5. The Complete Rhyming Dictionary by Clement Wood
I think every songwriter needs a rhyming dictionary, in my opinion. True, I use mine online these days, but I’d still bring one with me when I travel…or at least put it on my hubby’s Kindle.
Happy reading!
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