12 Books That Will Teach You How To Write Songs

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Writing songs is like anything else, it takes practice. There are also all kinds of principles and techniques that can be followed to improve your process and song quality. Below are 12 books that we recommend to improve and grow as a songwriter.

1. How to Write a Hit Song

By Molly-Ann Leiken

Initially published in 1987, this book has gone through several revisions and is still relevant today. It takes you step-by-step on how to create a great song, as well as how to publish and market it.

2. How to Be a Hit Songwriter

By Molly-Ann Leiken

The follow-up to ‘How to Write a Hit Song,’ this book goes more in-depth into the different elements of a song as well as various writing techniques and is a great companion to its predecessor.

3. Melody in Songwriting

By Jack Perricone

Want to learn how to create catchy melodies? Then this Berklee Guide is for you. It shares proven tools and techniques that you can learn and use to write strong melodies.

4. Writing Better Lyrics

By Pat Pattison

Written by Berklee professor Pat Pattison, this book dives deep into songwriting and teaches you some great things like how to enhance a song’s emotional impact, avoiding cliches, creating imaginative metaphors, and using repetition as an asset.

+ Related: 8 Steps to Become a Successful Full-Time Singer-Songwriter

5. Songwriting Without Boundaries

By Pat Pattison

Pat Pattison’s follow-up to ‘Writing Better Lyrics,’ this book is full of sensory writing exercises that will strengthen your lyrical muscles and make you a much better songwriter in the process.

6. The Craft of Lyric Writing

By Sheila Davis

Written in 1984 by songwriting expert Shelia Davis, this book is still relevant today and gets into the science and inner workings of songwriting.

7. Song Building: How To Write Better Songs Faster

By Marty Dodson

This book was written by Nashville-based songwriting veteran Marty Dodson, who has written over 7,500 songs in just about every genre, including six #1 hits. In it, you’ll learn how to become more efficient in your songwriting.

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8. Murphy’s Law of Songwriting

By Ralph Murphy

Written by Ralph Murphy, another Nashville-based songwriter with decades of experience, this book focuses on how to write hits, versus just songs in general.

+ Related: Add These 12 Music Career Hacking Podcasts to Your Playlist

9. The Artist’s Way

By Julia Cameron

Looking for something a little different? Instead of getting into the technicalities of writing and song structure, this book steps back and takes a spiritual approach to artistic creation, including songwriting. 

10. The Art of Songwriting

By Ed Bell

Another book that avoids tricks and techniques and instead looks at how to think, create, and live like a songwriter.

11. How Music Really Works

By Wayne Chase

This visually oriented book focuses on how to seize the attention of listeners and move them emotionally through song.

12. The Addiction Formula

By Friedmann Findeisen

This book looks at subtle psychological triggers that can be used to captivate an audience with your songs.

+ Watch: 8 Steps To Become a Full Time Singer Songwriter

Definitely check some of these books out and tell us what you think. Do you have a favorite book that we missed? Let us know in the comment section below.

Also, here’s a great article from our friends at Indie on the Move about How to Write Lyrics with Depth.

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