Beating Songwriter's Block: Jump-Start Your Words and Music

by Gary Ewer

Songwriter's block can be devastating, stopping even the best songwriters in their tracks. It can have several possible causes and levels of severity. Research shows that a fear of failure is the ultimate cause of most blocks. Fear sets in when numerous attempts to write music fail. But what causes those failures? They usually happen as a result of either a lack of organization, a weakness in songwriting technique, or a misunderstanding of the very nature of writer's block. The evidence is clear that if songwriters are waiting for inspiration to get back to writing songs, they're wasting time and possibly missing the cause of their block. Chapter by chapter, this book addresses every likely cause of songwriter's block. It helps the reader develop a songwriting schedule, set songwriting targets that make sense, and deal with debilitating fear. And, very important, it helps the reader more fully understand the nature of good music by showing what each section of a song is meant to do, from intro to outro. Included are songwriting exercises that will help break the melody and lyric logjam.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 2014

Reviews

[Nate Trier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book's title kind of undersells what lies within - this book offers far more than a cure for songwriting, it's also a collection of techniques, habits, prompts, and advice to get you producing on a regular basis (and "regular" is the keyword here - as Chuck Close said, "Inspiration is for amateurs.")

Ewer's collection of advice will will certainly cure someone of writer's block, but they are also an excellent collection of fundamentals for somebody who is just starting out or is looking to strengthen their work habits.