In this easy to understand, how to book for any aspiring songwriter, Larry McCabe addresses a variety of concepts including: how to get started, how to write in different song forms, how to approach titles, themes and lyrics, the creation of a melody, utilization of various chords and chord progressions, finding the right chords for the melody, handling various rhythmic elements, creating a lead sheet and copyrighting the tune. Special features include a glossary, essential supplies for novice songwriters, master chord diagrams for keyboard and guitar and an index of recorded music. Includes stereo CD.

The newest addition to the extremely successful Teach Yourself Series is here! This book is packed with useful tips on how to harness creativity in both lyric writing and music composition and is sure to inspire any aspiring songwriter!

Is this the right book for me? This book is an essential companion for any aspiring songwriter, and is ideal for those with no formal musical education. Covering every genre of popular contemporary music, from rock and pop to musical theatre and country/western, it tracks everything from what harnessing your creative potential to finding a hook and selling, performing and promoting your songs. It also offers some material for those at a slightly more advanced level who'd like to understand things such as chords and sequencing. With straightforward notation and embedded audio which showcases the process at work, this accessible guide from a professional songwriter will prove indispensable for creating and peforming your own songs. Write and Produce Your Own Songs includes: Chapter 1: Tools of the trade Chapter 2: Hooks Chapter 3: Basic theory Chapter 4: Developing a hook Chapter 5: Developing lyrics Chapter 6: Song structure Chapter 7: Arranging and recording your songs Chapter 8: Playing live and forming a band Chapter 9: Promoting your music on the Internet Chapter 10: The professional songwrite Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and added features: Not got much time? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. Author insights Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. Test yourself Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. Extend your knowledge Extra online articles to give you a richer understanding of the subject. Five things to remember Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. Try this Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

Eclectic guitarist and veteran Mel Bay author Tommy Flint provides a comprehensive introduction to fingerstyle guitar technique. Intended for the serious student learning the guitar without the advantage of having a teacher- clear photographs, diagrams, and standard and tab notation will guide you every step of the way. Original fingerstyle tunes and arrangements of folk standards abound in this book, driving home concepts of music theory, technique, syncopation, walking bass, barre chords, slurs, moveable chords, use of the capo, the Nashville number system, and much more.

You Can Teach Yourself Mandolin is written as a teach-yourself text with play-along examples and tunes on the companion recording. In the author's words, It is aimed at helping you get started immediately on your way to mandolinhood by giving you the basics of the mandolin and mandolin playing. with this informal, often humorous text, Dix Bruce will guide you step-by-step through the basics of learning this versatile instrument. Learn all about accompanying yourself and others, common chords, and useful strums, reading simple melodies, playing a colorful assortment of mandolin folk songs, and more. All musical examples and tunes are written in both standard notation and tablature. Diagrams of all the principal chords used on the mandolin are shown in the Chord Appendix, making this book a particularly useful study aid for the beginning mandolinist. Illustrated with drawings and photographs of vintage instruments.

If someone is singing a song or playing a melody, how can I know what chords I can play with it? This is a common question asked of guitar teachers and players. If you are the guitarist at a campfire sing, if you want to learn a song from a recording, or if you want to write your own songs - this book will show you the way. An indispensable book for the guitarist who wants to learn to improviseand accompany singers by ear, music reading ability is not required to benefit and learn from this method. Audio and video download files available online

A very comprehensive book that answers many frequently asked questions about song composition. It starts at the very beginning the basic concept, and takes you step-by-step to the final completion and production of a song.

This is the ideal beginner's book, presenting the basics of playing the 5-string banjo is a way that is both fun and produces quick results. Janet Davis takes you on an extensive tour of this instrument's fundamental techniques as well as some intermediate possibilities including rolls, chords, bluegrass banjo techniques, playing up the neck, licks, endings, and other basic information needed to play bluegrass and melodic-style banjo. Thorough performance notes are provided from beginning to end revealing the secrets of this versatile traditional instrument.

Three-time national flatpicking champion Steve Kaufman teaches you how to buy a guitar, the easy way to fret a note, how to read chord charts and play all the basic chords, basic bluegrass strumming patterns, bass runs and walks, hammer-ons and pull-offs, how to read tablature, picking lead, crosspicking, practice techniques, and much more.

This is a step-at-a-time enjoyable method for learning to play great sounding country guitar. Dix Bruce, in his humorous yet musically right-on teaching style, introduces you to country back-up, bass runs, Carter-style bluegrass picking, the Nashville Numbering System for indicating chord changes, use of the capo, transposition, and much more. Work at your own pace and learn to sound like the country greats! Written in standard notation and tablature.