Songwriting for Dummies

by Jim Peterik, Dave Austin, Cathy Lynn Austin

Learn to write songs like a pro Want to know how to make it as a songwriter? Songwriting For Dummies, 2nd Edition gives you a chance to learn from the best. Written by a group of music industry pros, this practical guide shows you how to develop your songwriting skills and successfully utilize the Internet to promote and market your work! Whether you?re a first-time songwriter or songwriting vet looking for a fast-track into the recording industry, this friendly, easy-to-follow guide is the source for you. Using well-known tunes as examples, the authors walk you through everything you need to know to write hit singles, catchy jingles, and everything in between. Whether you want to know how to compose a love song for that special someone or you?re looking break into the industry Songwriting For Dummies, 2nd Edition is a gold mine of inspiration and how-to information.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Reference

353 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2002

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book can be helpful to an aspiring songwriter, but the writing leaves quite a bit to be desired. The lyrical samples are embarrassing to read. However, they do provide nice guidance for rhyme schemes. You just need to look past the actual words. The sections on song structure are certainly helpful, especially if you have no experience writing chord progressions. I can't HIGHLY recommend this book, but anyone who wants to tackle songwriting (especially novices) could pick up some valuable advice.

[Naji Tawk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is exclusively American with occasional mentions of British culture. It is by no means a universal guidebook, for it fails to cover instruction outside the American context, especially when it comes to Copyright and Royalty. There is a drastic mistake somewhere in the book: the dominant is not the namesake of the scale, the tonic is.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool and interesting tome by the man who brought you "Vehicle", "Eye of the Tiger" and "So Caught Up In You", Songwriting for Dummies covers the basics for crafting a listener-friendly pop song. The problem for me is the idea of formulaic song writing. It works, and it certainly captures the attention of the lowest common denominator music listener, but I find satisfaction in writing songs that interject some randomness without being dissonant or off-putting. I don't make a living writing songs, so writing one to put food on my table is not a concern. My songs are a means of getting the weird melody out of my head and on paper, and of putting words together that mean something to me but may be cryptic to others. Songs don't have to follow rules or to be written logically as long as they can inspire thought and keep the listeners' interest. That is unless you are a professional songwriter and you want to attract the largest audience possible. People like simple songs that don't tax their brains, so if this is your target audience, Mr. Peterik's book is a good place to start your songwriting journey. Please feel free to break the rules once you have finished reading.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a new songwriter I wasn't sure if I could "rise up to the challenge"...and see if I might have what it takes. You know- pen and record some great songs- and get it out to the masses...and count the money that rolls right in. Songwriting experts come from a few camps, guys who don't really know what they are doing and puke out a one time hit, as well as those elder songmens (and women) who know their craft- and written a slew of great songs you've probably never heard of, etc. Peteric is a good source to turn to and offers gobs of great advice to both the craft of song writing and the business of songwriting. Having some nifty rhymes and a hook is just the beginning. Your songs might not become hits, but at least you''ll gleem what you are doing wrong, and start doing the right things to get your act together. No matter what your goal or where your writing is at- "Dummies" can help.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading songwriting for dummies. Maybe I will read it again. This book helped me figure out what a verse, chorus, pre-chorus, and bridge are supposed to contain. Maybe if I listened to the lyrics of the songs I listened to I would not have needed the book.

I also learned that there are websites that have lyrics to songs. I never thought that there were websites that had song lyrics. Cool.

I also liked the tips in the gray boxes. Most of the tips were from the author Jim Peterik.

In addition to explaining to write lyrics songwriting for dummies also explains how to write music for those lyrics and the different forms you can use for your song.

If you want to be a songwriter I think songwriting for dummies is a great book to get you started.

[Carlos Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good introduction to song writing.

At first, I hated the inclusion of material not directly related to writing lyrics, like the business and legal side.

However, after finishing, I realize that I have begun to question where am I headed on that side of naking music.

So, yeah, worth a read if you are beginning. Even if you do not answer the questions as of now, your mind will begon the quest for answers.

[Sophie Bowns · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was dated (mentions of Bebo and Myspace) but the overall content was pretty good.

[Anahit Amirkhanyan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waste of time if you know literally ANYTHING about songs, or if you have heard one before with your ears.

[Winnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.7/5.0

A Masterclass in Being Painfully Outdated

Ah yes, Songwriting for Dummies—because apparently, the target audience is expected to be completely devoid of critical thought. The only reason this relic scrapes past a single star is that, well, at least the title is brutally honest.

Let’s talk about the real issue here: this book is a time capsule from an era when people still thought MySpace was a viable promotional tool. The information is so outdated that you’d be better off binge-watching YouTube tutorials, which, unlike this glorified paperweight, actually evolve with the industry. You can practically feel the frantic, half-hearted attempt to slap a fresh coat of paint on the original edition, but songwriting—and music production in general—moves way too fast for this approach to be anything but laughable.

I’m not claiming to be some kind of hit-making genius, but even at a glance, it’s painfully clear that every scrap of advice in here is either insultingly basic or rendered obsolete by modern tools and platforms. And speaking of relevance: there are literally thousands of free, constantly updated video resources available.

Then there’s the book’s grating obsession with commercial success, as if the only reason anyone would bother writing music is to chase chart positions and piles of cash. Apparently, artistic integrity isn’t a thing? God forbid someone write songs for the love of it rather than desperately clawing their way towards some outdated idea of "making it."

And to hell with Jim Peterik—oh wow, a "world-famous" top-10 hit writer for bands so unforgettable that I’ve literally never heard of them. Cheers, mate.

[Mateo]

"Songwriting For Dummies" is a great book, if what you want is learn how to write a complete and enjoyable song. This book doesn't just tell you step by step instructions of how to write an excellent song, but it also tells you how to get into the business. This is great since every day it gets harder to get involved into the music business. Not only that but it also helps you find your inspirations, and that is good because as a songwriter you need to have something that inspires you. I recommend this book to people who are starting to get involved in songwriting since it really explains everything in great detail, and it is easy to understand. Not only that but it really helped me, and i am 100% sure this book will also help you become a better songwriter. It just takes a lot of practice and dedication. In conclusion this book is a great tool, and if you have any interest in songwriting then definitely pick this book up now, you will have no regrets.

[Carlos Phoutavongsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this book was very interesting and it taught me a lot more about songwriting. It had a few flaws like attempting to teach you stuff that he never explained. It was interesting and fun to read all about the different songwriting styles of a bunch of different bands and singers. It even explained some rappers rapping styles, so that was interesting. The book did cover a bunch of different things that would help you write a song, it even covered the smallest things like if you have no inspiration or if you have writers block. Of course, that is extremely helpful for beginner song writers who barely have any clue on what to write about or how to do so. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to start songwriting or just experiment with it because it will benefit you if you read it. It's also quite easy to read and it's really easy to follow along with. So yes, I suggest this book.

[Tony Vela · Rating 4 out of 5]

As it is with any book that teaches structure for artistic works... I felt that this book maybe had too many "boundaries" I think that generally speaking it was a good book but it maybe didn't cover enough genres of music, i.e. electronica, or experimental. Many songs that have become popular stretch the boundaries of songwriting, this book does not. On the other hand, it was helpful with lyrical advise, hooks, and popular songwriting structure.

[Rosebud · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking it might help me with the song I have to write for my Music Theory class. It had some useful information, but unfortunately, a lot of the book focused on selling your songs from a professional songwriter's perspective. I have no such ambitions!

[Shenandoah Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

didn't like it

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too basic if you ask me... but then again all this books are, so maybe i had it coming..

[Troy Farlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these books!

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight to the points! I love For Dummies books. A lot of helpful information to get you started and then after of that, of course, a lot of hard work that you need to do on your own.

[N.Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful series of prompts and strategies that you can dip in and out of.

[Steve Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting information and ideas. The business side is very US biased. I skimmed past a lot of that. I've had this book for ages, but only just got around to finishing it.