Good Books on Song Writing

[Gritter]

Why read when you could be playing or listening to music?  

info that is helping me understand what I am doing

I don't think I want to understand what I am doing!


"It would be a drag to have to do battle with conventions all the time...You can kinda be imaginative with it." - Elliott Smith.

I enjoyed this mini-lesson from Elliott Smith because he talks about what he does but let's the "students" know to have confidence in what they like/do:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_XNghTKvq8

[cuthbert]

That was a great lesson - I've never taken a crack at playing any of his songs, but I definitely see where he's coming from with his chord advice.

Thanks for posting it, Sandy...adding to my youtube faves.

[FuzzFace]

Incidentally, I have found this to be really helpful. The book actually takes you through exercises so tht you are using your own feelings, thoughts, etc to create. Just picked it up last week, but it has brought up some interesting stuff.

Yeah this is cool.

I'm a book guy.

I'm the kind of guy who buys "Sex for Dummies"

[AndyR]

Interesting reactions!

I've had a look at my book shelf, the one I liked best was "The Craft and Business of Songwriting" by John Braheny.

It opened a few eyes for me (I read it years after I wrote some of the songs I'm posting recording recently though ), it gave me some fresh ideas on how to think or approach stuff.

Books/theory don't stifle creativity in themselves, but they're not for everybody, and even when they are right for someone, it might be a good idea to just wing it for a bit and find out some stuff on your own first... I've found that what's in the right "book" makes a lot more sense then and it adds to what you've grabbed for yourself.

I'll just steal or soak up what I can from where ever I can - so yeah books about stuff I'm interested in is a reasonable source...

ORH - I have a book for you... you don't need it for what it's title suggests (The Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook - Karl Coryat & Nicholas Dobson) but you would LOVE the technique it describes - write and record twenty songs in one 12 hour day. I think you and a few others on here would buy into this idea... I'd love to but I don't have the time... look up "Immersion Composition Society" on the web.

[Bluesberry]

Brilliant vid Sandy...I really enjoyed that...a little spooky almost listening to him.

[OsCKilO]

Personally, I find books about 'the creative process' etc to be as mad as any religous books. 

From the Title this seems to be both in one!



I wonder if the Author wrote any good songs....

[beleg]

I thought the whole point about creativity is that it comes from the subconcious, the id.  You can't learn creativity from a book.  Having said that, all good artists need to be masters of their craft, which is the stuff that can be taught.  The creativity comes in what you do with it.

Well said.  I find it odd when people make an argument against knowledge. If I play a major 7th chord, it is a major 7th chord weather I know it's name or I picked out the notes by ear. If knowing the name of the chord or progression I am playing kills my creativity, then I was not a very creative person to begin with.