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How to Write Songs on Guitar

A Guitar-Playing and Songwriting Course
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How to Write Songs on Guitar by Rikky Rooksby is a comprehensive guide for aspiring songwriters keen to craft memorable songs using their guitar. This twentieth-anniversary third edition reveals techniques drawn from two thousand iconic songs by artists spanning from the Beatles and Bob Dylan to Ed Sheeran. Readers will learn to master the four fundamental elements of song creationβ€”melody, harmony, rhythm, and lyricsβ€”alongside song structure, chord sequences, tunings, and recording tips. The book also includes a two-part chord dictionary, examples of finger-picking and strumming patterns, lyric writing advice, and inspirational quotes from famous songwriters, making it an essential resource for beginners and intermediate players alike.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$6718
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is perfect for novice and intermediate guitarists eager to improve their songwriting skills. It suits musicians who want a structured, practical approach informed by classic and contemporary hits, as well as those interested in the technical and creative sides of composing songs on guitar.

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This is a book for songwriters, guitarists, and people who write songs on the guitar. It explains songwriting technique, providing information on all aspects of song creation and construction.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

You want to write songs, and you want to write them on guitar. This updated twentieth-anniversary third edition of the bestselling songwriting handbook shows you how. Learn the techniques and tricks used in two thousand great songs by everyone from the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and David Bowie to Kings of Leon, U2, Amy Winehouse, and Ed Sheeran.

Explore and understand the four main elements of a songβ€”melody, harmony, rhythm, and lyricsβ€”and learn how to use them in exciting new ways. Master song structure, intros, bridges, chord sequences, and key changes. Make the most of your guitar, with innovative chords, scales, modes, tunings, and recording techniques. Use the skills and insights of the great songwriters to create better, more memorable songs.

The book gives many examples of classic chord sequences that can be used straight off the page. It explains the basic architecture of most songs and contains an effective two-part chord dictionary for guitar, providing a set of basic shapes. A second section provides some chords for altered tunings, and there are examples of finger-picking patterns and strumming rhythms.

There are chapters on lyric writing, rhythm, melody, and making a demo recording. You'll find inspirational quotes from famous songwriters, and a gallery of thirty notable albums from which much can be learned. It is everything you need to get started.

How to Write Songs on Guitar is your guide to writing better songs, equipped with practical advice and real-world examples that will inspire you to create music that resonates.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781493051762

Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 December 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Backbeat Books

Edition: 3rd Revised edition

Illustration: 800 colour illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 191.0mm

Height: 237.0mm

Weight: 594g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Rikky Rooksby is a guitar teacher, songwriter/composer, and writer on popular music. He is the author of How to Write Songs on Guitar (2000, revised edition 2009), Inside Classic Rock Tracks (2001), Riffs (2002, revised edition 2010), The Songwriting Sourcebook (2003, revised edition 2011), Chord Master (2004, revised edition 2016), Melody (2004), Songwriting Secrets: Bruce Springsteen (2005), How to Write Songs on Keyboards (2005), Lyrics (2006), Arranging Songs (2007), How to Write Songs in Altered Guitar Tunings (2010), and Songs and Solos (2014). He has also written fourteen Fastforward guitar tutors and arranged over three dozen chord songbooks, including The Complete Beatles. He has written entries on rock musicians for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and published interviews, reviews, and transcriptions in many UK music magazines. He is a member of the Society of Authors, Sibelius One, and the Vaughan Williams Society.

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