The Songwriting Sourcebook: How to Turn Chords Into Great Songs (Paperback)

by Rooksby (Author) "The chord sequence of a song supports and colours the melody (and the words)..." (more)
Key Phrases: false intro, primary turnarounds, dominant crescendo, The Songwriting Sourcebook, Verse Chorus, Big Three (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Using visual examples of songwriting techniques, this book teaches guitarists to write better songs. The CD demonstrates how the examples sound, and it includes dozens of chord progressions, evolving melodies and structures, and harmony effects, making the book especially useful to those who don't read music. The book starts with basic chords, describes how to write a song with simple elements, then gradually develops more complex structures. By seeing and hearing step-by-step examples of the song craft, the reader can easily learn the secrets of songwriting.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879307498
• ISBN-13: 978-0879307493
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,559 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #13 in	Books > Entertainment > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Composition
  #18 in	Books > Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Lieder & Art Songs
  #18 in	Books > Entertainment > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Songwriting

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CD is a gem!, February 3, 2006

By	reviewer - See all my reviews

I didn't touch the cd until after I had read the book. My reasoning wasn't to save the best for last. I just didn't expect to hear anything useful since I would be playing the examples on my keyboard while reading through the topics. I was completely satisfied with what the book alone did for me. I'd been writing for a while and knew much of the information presented already, but what Rooksby did was organize my tool drawer. It's mainly a book on the use of chords as the basis for writing popular songs in any genre, from the most basic to the most colorful. He shows us the resource we have in these chords and how popular songs have used them and will continue to use them. By the end of the book you really feel like writing, because much of the mystery about the craft has been resolved.
Then you pop in the cd and listen to no less than "20" beautifully recorded pop tracks(sans vocals) written in various styles which apply the book's teachings. But you aren't just listening. You're following along with the cd section of the book, which shows every chord used and an accounting of every measure in every track recorded, along with comments on the most significant events.
I came away with a much greater appreciation of popular song and its potential.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple, Clean and Very Helpful, September 17, 2004

By	David W. Opderbeck "Guitarguy" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a book about chord progressions and song structures used in popular music. It is basic, but in a good way. I'm a pretty experienced songwriter, and I already intuitively do much of what the book describes, but now I know why what I do works or doesn't work, and also have a palette of new ideas. The layout and graphics are excellent, and I also appreciate the glossy paper stock -- the publishing work is beautifully done. If you enjoy writing songs, particularly if you're a guitar player who enjoys writing songs, and you want to better understand the foundations of popular song structure conventions, I heartily recommend this book.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you need to own ALL of rikky rooksby's books., December 26, 2003

By	Chris "the most passionate music/film fan alive." (Philly suburbs, PA) - See all my reviews

i can't praise rikky's books enough. i have all of them (at least the ones that are still in print). he knows his stuff. get this book, and its companion "how to write songs on guitar", and you're well on your way to making great music. he cites The Smiths and other great bands, in all of his books. now any author who uses the Smiths as an example of songwriting technique is aces in my book. seriously, the amount of knowledge you will get from his books (this one especially) is priceless. you'll never get writer's block again. GET HIS BOOKS. no others come close. -chris