(Berklee Methods). The Berklee in the Pocket Essential Songwriter is an accessible reference guide that will quickly lead songwriters to ideas that are at the heart of countless hit songs. The tips and strategies jam-packed into this concise guide will help you tackle writer's block and gain fresh insight into the songwriting process. Includes: the 17 chord progressions that are at the heart of the most popular hit songs, guitar charts and keyboard chords showing how to play progressions in all 12 keys, tips to customize essential chord progressions to suit your own songs, contact info for businesses and organizations most important to the working songwriter, and more!

Acclaimed by the New York Times as "part muse, part quick reference," this dictionary is an easy-to-use tool geared specifically toward the contemporary songwriter. A concise collection of the most-often used words in popular music, this enhanced format allows for fast reference with ease, while the 15,000 entries provide more than ample rhyming options.

"Step-by-Step Guide to Better Rhyming and Better Lyrics : This book has a very specific purpose: to help you find better rhymes and use them more effectively. Rhyme is one of the most crucial areas of lyric writing, and this guide will provide you with all the technical information necessary to develop your skills completely. Make rhyme work for you and your lyric writing will greatly improve. If you have written lyrics before, even at a professional level, you can still gain greater control and understanding of your craft with the exercises and worksheets included in this book. Hone your writing technique and skill with this practical and fun approach to the art of lyric writing. Start writing better than ever before! Pat Pattison has been teaching lyric writing and poetry at Berklee College of Music since 1975. He played a central role in developing Berklee's unique songwriting major, the first complete songwriting degree offered anywhere. Doctoral work in philosophy at Indiana University and a Master of Arts in Literary Criticism gave him the knowledge and inspiration necessary to concentrate on the art of lyric writing. In addition to his work for television and film, as well as numerous clinics and workshops, Pat writes monthly articles for Home and Studio Recording magazine."--P. 4 de la couv.

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.

(Book). The Complete Singer-Songwriter is the ultimate guide for the modern performer, chock-full of tips, tools, and inspiration for both aspiring troubadours and those looking to take their craft and career to the next level. Author Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers draws on firsthand interviews with songwriting legends and rising stars; expert advice from managers, agents, lawyers, and publishers; and his own experiences as a performing songwriter. He offers this invaluable companion for singer-songwriters on their journey from idea to song to the stage, studio, and beyond. New in the second edition: * A songwriter's guide to chord progressions * Understanding song form and rhyme * Dozens of songwriting games and exercises * Essential info on copyrighting your songs, music publishing, and digital royalties * Online companion at completesingersongwriter.com with playlists and additional resources Songwriting tips and techniques from more than 100 artists, including Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash, Jewel, Jeff Tweedy, Ani DiFranco, James Taylor, John Fogerty, Brandi Carlile, Richard Thompson, Jason Mraz, Rodney Crowell, Jerry Garcia, Dar Williams, and more.

Your greatest desire is for your original songs to be recorded, released, and broadcast. But do you have a realistic plan to make this dream your reality? Author and hit tunesmith Rand Bishop draws from 40 years of on-the-job experience while visiting with some of the most-honored song crafters of the last five decades, unveiling a long-term strategy for building a career composing hit songs. The lessons, essays, quotations, and profiles in this book reveal how a Song Dog becomes Top Dog.

(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.