TABLE OF CONTENTS
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All original music samples within this book are the exclusive copyrighted property of Pantomime Music Publications, except where otherwise noted within the text. Copyright 2017, 2015, 2010, 2005 by Pantomime Music Publications All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. This book is protected by Copyright. Permission must be obtained in writing from Pantomime Music Publications for the use of any original text or musical materials contained within this publication. Permission must be obtained from the publisher prior to any reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. THIS IS NOT A FREE EBOOK. 3
Table of Contents Introduction to the 4 th Edition...11 PREFACE...19 The Desire to be Creative It s Human It s You...19 WHEN GOOD SONGS GO BAD...24 LISTEN!...27 WHAT IS GOOD MUSIC?...30 CHAPTER 1: An INTRODUCTION TO WRITING MUSIC: An Overview...37 The Sound of Music...38 Good Music is Good Partnership...40 MAJOR SONG COMPONENTS...44 Form...44 The Chords You Choose...47 Why Great Melodies are Great...48 How To Say What You Need To Say...51 Hooking the Audience...51 Is There a Composer in Me?...55 What You Need To Be a Good Songwriter...57 Let s Get Started!...61 Make a Demo Recording Yes, already!...61 Get It Done!...62 4
Chapter 1 SUMMARY...65 CHAPTER 2: Your Music From the Inside...66 The Success of Great Writers...67 Form...70 How Important is Form?...70 Good Form Means Good Design...71 Good Form Can t be Accidental...73 Song Components Defined...75 Intro...75 Verse...80 Pre-Chorus...83 Chorus...87 Bridge...89 Outro...92 Getting to Know Your Song...94 Chapter 2 SUMMARY...97 CHAPTER 3: Designing a Song...98 The Blueprint: Putting the Parts Together...99 The Contrast Principle of Composition...100 Energy the Forgotten Formal Element...118 What Song Form Is Doing For Your Song...123 Chapter 3 SUMMARY...126 CHAPTER 4: Chord Progressions...128 Some Straight Talk on Chord Progressions...131 I. Chord Basics...134 5
The Basic Triads of Any Major Key...136 How We Refer to Chords...138 II. How One Chord Moves to Another Chord...139 The V-I Progression...140 Why Some Progressions Work and Others Don t...140 Strong Progressions Fragile Progressions...146 The Chart of Two-Chord Progressions...152 When Progressions Sound Muddled...153 When to Use Strong Progressions -When to Use Fragile Ones155 What About Minor Keys?...159 Looking for the Killer Chord Progression...164 How Long Should a Chord Progression Be?...166 III. Integrating Balance When Building a Longer Progression...168 Building Longer Progressions...170 Incorporating Balance...174 IV. Expanding Your Chord Vocabulary...180 I. Adding a 7th to a V-Chord...181 II. Modal Mixtures...187 III. Secondary Dominant Chords...190 IV. Suspensions...195 V. Inversions...199 Key Changes...203 Don t Go Changin Without a Reason...203 Chapter 4 SUMMARY...210 6
Chapter 5: Melody and Lyric...213 How Good Melodies Work...215 The Melodic Journey: How Yesterday Works...217 When Melody and Lyrics Are At Cross-Purposes: Don t Write Counterintuitively...220 What is Falsetto and Tessitura?...222 Writing Good Melodies...225 Getting Notes in the Right Place...225 Song Sample: You Belong With Me...228 Shaping a Melody...233 Writing Good Song Lyrics...235 Too Many Words...236 Developing Better Lyrics: Tips and Techniques...239 The Songwriting Process...243 Other Ways to Compose...253 Songwriting Dissatisfaction...255 Dissatisfaction Is Normal...257 Balancing Lyrics and Melody...259 The Balance of Hotel California...260 Dealing with Unremarkable Lyrics...262 Don t be Weak...264 The Pay-Off Line...264 The Melody and Lyrics of a Bridge...268 A Bridge That Diminishes Song Energy...271 More About Bridge Melodies...272 When a Bridge Isn t Necessary...274 7
Chapter 5 SUMMARY...276 Chapter 6: The Hook and the Motif...279 Hook and Motif...283 The Danger of the Hook...286 A Hook s Main Characteristics...287 The Various Types of Hooks...289 1. The Chorus Hook...290 2. The Intro Hook...290 3. The Instrumental Background Hook...291 The Hook as a Basis for Your Song...292 The Subtle Hook...293 The Myth of the Hook...294 The Hook s Main Responsibility...296 Chapter 6 SUMMARY...298 Chapter 7: Inspiration...300 The Role of Inspiration...300 Misunderstanding Inspiration...301 The Steps to Honing Your Songwriting Craft...306 Starting Without Inspiration...308 Chapter 7 SUMMARY...310 Chapter 8: The World Beyond Composing Now What?311 The Most Important Principle of All...311 And now what?...313 Getting Your Song Ready: A Brief Tutorial...314 COPYRIGHT...314 8
Publishing and Other Matters...321 Creating Your Own Publishing Company...321 Mechanical Rights...323 Performing Rights Organizations...323 In Conclusion...324 Chapter 8 SUMMARY...326 Index of Song Samples...328 9