The complete idiot's guide to songwriting

Joel Hirshhorn's book is brief but concise and to the point. It covers virtually every concept in songwriting along with some sound production advice. There are some areas that it does not cover in regards to alternate or extended tunings and more experimental musical styles, however, this is not really in the scope of the book. It is meant to be easily readable, which it is, and to cover the most important areas in traditional songwriting styles, which it does. Having read many other books on this topic I would like to see other areas added, such as the ones previously mentioned, along with some futher details on various voicings, and timbre/ sonic design. Overall, I give it a 4 out of five, as it covers everything it sets out to very well, for begginers to advanced readers it makes an important reference book or light reading material for the songwriters and composers library. Song has been a part of people's culture since the beginning. From classical and rock and roll to country and jazz-- there are hundreds of thousands of budding and established songwriters burning to write the next great hit. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Songwriting is the one-stop resource for all inspiring songwriters to learn how much musical training is needed, how to put together the basics of a song for various popular genres, how to tailor songs to different industries (TV and film), how to get great ideas, where to find collaborators, publishers and agents and how the Internet is impacting the world of songwriting. As a resource for aspiring songwriters and established experts, provides the history, incluences, ideas and collaborations that make great songs, advice on selling songs, and essentials for recording demos 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. I remember my mother standing over me, urging me to practice the Beethoven piece my teacher had assigned me for that week.