Top 10 Best Songwriting Books by Jessica Brandon
We have been receiving questions "Can you recemmend us the best books on songwriting?", "Is this the best book ever on songwriting?". Here is our Top 10 list of the best songwriting books:
How to Be a Hit Songwriter: Polishing and Marketing Your Lyrics and Music by Molly-Ann Leikin
Molly-Ann Leikin is the award-winning songwriter and songwriting consultant who helps good songwriters all over the world become hit songwriters. Whether your work just needs a little rewriting, polishing or some strong connections, Leikin will guide you step by step to the top of the charts.
Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting by Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb is a legendary songwriter wrote household hit songs such as "MacArthur Park", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Galveston". This book he write covers technical matters from basic chord theory and rhyme schemes to the protocol of pitching songs, Webb draws on a trove of personal anecdotes from a career spanning more than two decades.
How to Write a Hit Song by Molly-Ann Leiken. Molly-Ann Leiken presents an insider's look at the challenging and rapidly changing role of a professional songwriter. When someone with a house full of gold and platinum records sits down and says, "This is how I did it!" the rest of us are blessed to listen and learn.
Writing Better Lyrics - by Pat Pattison This book does exactly what it's name suggests, it will help you write better lyrics. It has so many exercises and ways to generate lyric ideas.
Melody in Songwriting: Tools and Techniques for Writing Hit Songs (Berklee Guide) -by Jack Perricone. This book examines hit songs and learning from them. This book will make you appreciate the value of this idea.
The Craft and Business of Songwriting by John Braheny. Examples from world class songwriters such as Paul McCartney, Lenny Kravitz and TLC. This book has been a bible for songwriters for a long time.
Songwriters on Songwriting by Paul Zollo. I have learnt a lot from this book. Popular songwriters (songwriting giants) including Carole King, Paul Simon, Frank Zappa, Randy Newman, and Madonna discuss their songwriting methods and the way their classics came to be.
The Craft of Lyric Writing -by Sheila Davis. This is a good book with a strong focus on the lyrical side of songwriting. It is both educational and entertaining.
6 Steps To Songwriting Success: Comprehensive Guide To Writing And Marketing Hit Songs -by Jason Blume. Jason has had songs recorded by The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and many others. He has also won the USA Songwriting Competition (First Prize) in the past. Learn from the pro himself!
The Songwriters Idea Book: 40 Strategies to Excite Your Imagination, Help You Design Distinctive Songs, and Keep Your Creative Flow by Sheila Davis. Everyone wants to be original, and this book can be a very helpful tool towards that end. It's great book to help break you out of your normal way of approaching lyric writing, not to mention aid when you are blocked.
This article is brought to you courtesy of USA Songwriting Competition. For more information on thew 17th Annual USA Songwriting Competition, go to: http://www.songwriting.net
