The Complete Idiot's Guide to Songwriting, 2nd Edition

by Joel S. Hirschhorn

Book Overview

Aimed at all inspiring songwriters, this guide shows how much musical training is needed, how to put together basics of a song for popular genres and how to tailor songs to different industries. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592572111
• ISBN13: 9781592572113
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Alpha Books
• Length: 323 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.4" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 17 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

comes packed with hints and helpful insights

So you know how to come up with a song, and you're no idiot - but you're confused by the challenges of rhyming, steady logical beats, and all the elements which translate lyric to music. It's time for the updated second edition of Joel Hirschhorn's Idiot's Guide To Songwriting: a 'bible' to developing lyrics and melodies which go together. From analyzing the elements of a song to understanding dynamic lyric elements and writing for specific musical genres, this comes packed with hints and helpful insights.

Insights and Education

I'm a songwriter, and I was lucky enough to stumble onto a really helpful, educational book. Not only does it tell how to write a song in detail, it offers tremendous tips on how to sell it. I've been recommending this to all my friends. Best of all, it's written by a pro who succeeded himself, so I feel the information is tryly reliable!

First rate

I bought this excellent book after my therapist encouraged me to explore my creative side after my wife left me and I lost my job. I may be "quite frankly an insupportable liability to the business" and an "utterly lamentable" bedfellow, but thanks to Citron's tremendous guide I'm tapping a rich vein of material and banging out some fine blues numbers. Soon I plan on getting involved in a whisky-fuelled knife fight in a flop-house in Mississippi for messing with someone's woman.

Excellent Songwriting Guide

After reading "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Songwriting" I wanted to pick up a pen or go to a piano and write. The author, Joel Hirschhorn, made me feel I could compose a hit. He also has great chapters on record production, as well as helpful lists on who to contact when you want to sell your songs.

A Fun Book About Songwriting

I don't usually write reviews on books, however, "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Songwriting" is exceptionally well written, making it easy and enjoyable reading.It's very informative, as well as being funny and you don't feel as though you are being lectured to, as is the case with other books that have been written on this subject.It is obvious that the writer is extremely knowledgeable about his craft. With his credentials, which include his experiences in New York's Brill Building, Broadway and Hollywood, along with the hits he has written for such popular and diverse artists such as Elvis Presley, Maureen McGovern and many others.I feel perfectly comfortable in recommending this book to family and friends.