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Summary: A MUST HAVE for songwriters
Review: I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's so dang COMPLETE. I've never seen anything like it! If you're a songwriter this book is a MUST HAVE. One warning: this book isn't for raw beginners. You should have basic knowledge of guitar and song structure before going in, otherwise you'll quickly bog down in unfamiliar terms and become frustrated. But for those who have been working on guitar and songwriting and have hit a plateau (you know what I'm talking about -- when you're using the same techniques, progressions, and melodies over and over again and you can't seem to break out of it) this book will inspire you and give you the tools to do better/different things.
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Summary: More than just a songwriters book!
Review: I discovered this book at my local library and was so impressed with it that I had to buy a copy for my bookshelf. There is certainly a wealth of information of great interest to the aspiring songwriter but beyond that there is also a wealth of information for people who want to be better at playing the guitar. Rikky Rooksby goes into the intricacies of chords and progressions in a way that makes the complex simple and understandable to anyone with even a passing understanding of theory. If you're looking for a songbook full of tabs this ain't it. If you're looking for a book that *will* make you a better guitarist and/or songwriter, I can't recommend this book highly enough. An enthusiastic five stars!
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Summary: Don't let his name fool you!
Review: I had this book on my table and somebody laughed, "Ricky Rocksbys Writes Songs on Guitar"...They scoffed... but honest this is a very good book... Will get you thinking in patterns like a jazz musician without overwhelming you with theory... lots of fresh ideas (and looking at old ideas in a fresh new light).
Rating:
Summary: Don't let his name fool you!
Review: I had this book on my table and somebody laughed, "Ricky Rocksbys Writes Songs on Guitar"... They scoffed... but honest this is a very good book... Will get you thinking in patterns like a jazz musician without overwhelming you with theory... lots of fresh ideas (and looking at old ideas in a fresh new light).
Rating:
Summary: The best songwriting book for guitar!
Review: I haven't finished the book yet so my 5 stars is a little early. From what i've seen so far, the book is very good. Its written very well and you can tell the author is extremely knowledgeable. The author writes clearly and is understandable. The format is clear and professional looking. There is tab in here and if you dont understand I,III,V even after it is explained in the book then maybe this isn't for you. So far its very enjoyable and I can honestly recommend it for people who want to get into songwriting and understanding songs themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: I haven't finished the book yet so my 5 stars is a little early. From what i've seen so far, the book is very good. Its written very well and you can tell the author is extremely knowledgeable. The author writes clearly and is understandable. The format is clear and professional looking. There is tab in here and if you dont understand I,III,V even after it is explained in the book then maybe this isn't for you. So far its very enjoyable and I can honestly recommend it for people who want to get into songwriting and understanding songs themselves.
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Summary: The cream of songwriting books
Review: I looked at a lot of books on songwriting before I bought this one. I felt that if I read one more book that told me I had to write songs just like the ones I heard on the radio, I'd vomit. I'm not interested in writing crap - or taking advice from people who are. Then I found this book. Rooksby clearly believes that a great song transcends whatever is "popular" at the moment. He breaks down some of the great songs of the past 50 years and shines a light on what makes them so timeless and evocative. While this is basically a theory book (covering chord types, chord progressions, key changes, etc.), don't let that scare you off. He keeps it as uncomplicated as possible and in all honesty, these are things you really should know if you aspire to write top quality songs. All the greats have this knowledge, despite the myth of the "self-taught" musician. The author uses hundreds of examples from classic songs of every era and every style (the diversity is amazing - just about anyone will find something that clicks) to illustrate the way these things work in a real song. There are also sections on lyric writing and recording demos but the real strength, in my opinion, lies in the musical ideas Rooksby so efficiently imparts and the respect he shows for great songs and the artistry behind them, not just of-the-moment "hit" songwriting. What a refreshing change from the vast majority of songwriting books on the market! No book can really make you a songwriter but if your goal is to write quality songs that you can be proud of, whether or not they make you an instant millionaire, this book will teach and inspire you. It would be a bargain at twice the price! Even if you don't play guitar!
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Summary: Complete and excellent guide!
Review: I never thought I'd buy something like a songwriting guide for popular music. Having years of classical music study and theory learning, I never thought I would need the same information all over again. Of course, my songwriting attempts were always pitiable, so lost was I in the middle of the complex harmony techniques I knew...
I had no idea of how much I needed this book. It's not for every starter though, because it requires a bit of theory knowledge and it's hard to follow if you're not willing to learn musical harmony concepts. But this is not to get you scared, it's full of exciting ideas for every aspect of songwriting.
Among its highlights, it has a guide for the chords you'll really need, and why and where you'll need them in your songs. The analysis of a huge number of songs is very useful, and an invitation for you to further develop your ear skills. I don't think the lack of a CD is a problem, since that's what iTunes and others are here for - you'll learn a lot, even from musical styles you may not like. Well, and if you don't already know many of the songs quoted there, what kind of a musician are you anyway?...
In short, this is a theory and harmony book with practical applications for popular music. Don't get fooled by the idea that you can't learn how to write a song from a book. This book lets you master the tools that set the logic behind a song, and this is a big part of what music is all about.
You won't just sit down and read this book once. It'll be a longtime companion.
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Summary: Buy this and you will write songs!
Review: I wish I had this book 5 years ago. I would be so much further along. This book is similar to a boy scout manual. Turn to any page and you *will* find something vital to making music. The author never explicitly supports any one way of playing guitar or writing a song. On the contrary, the book teaches "if it works, and you like it, then who can say something is done wrong." The one criticism I can recall is when the author lambasts singers, esp. Whitney Houston, for endless and mindless scales decorating every other word in their songs. If you have the patience to really STUDY and DIGEST this book, it will teach you the following: *Basic chord shapes (many of which are left out of other books) *Non-Basic chords (but later in the book and only the ones that you will actually use. WooHoo! No more Fm13b5b7 chords cluttering the world!) *All of the chords in each key (You had better make a copy of this page and use that or you will wear out this page and lose it. I promise. Substitutions for the blues and hard rock are also included and explained.) *Exhaustive 'study' of the basic chord progressions (e.g., I VI IV V, I V IV III, etc. and many examples of songs from the 50s to Fatboy Slim so you know what they sound like. The 'study' part is mostly left to you. This makes practice much more interesting. Play "Message in a Bottle" or "Smells Like Teen Spirit" instead of "Greensleeves". You are given the progressions for thousands of songs. Find the right key and the words and commence to rockin'.) *Lots of tips on creating non-standard progressions (if it sounds good and you like it...) *How others go about using inversions and keychanges in the real world (worth the price just for this info) *Tips on lyrics (Don't sing "I Love You", rather sing "I Love You But You're Broke". In other words, it sends you on tangents and helps you develop your basic thoughts into more interesting lyrics. "I Love You But You Ran Off With A Monkey On My Birthday") Like the other guy said, if you have ever felt like you could write a song but you are clueless as to how to go about it, this book will pull a song out of you. Since I bought this book a year ago, I have it open every time I practice. My mouth waters every time I touch it because I know I will find something new and very useful. It is absolutely the most information I have found in one place. I really can't say enough about this book, but I'm tired of typing and I think I've gotten my point across... Oh yeah, buy this book.
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Summary: Finally! A book that helps me understand *my* songs
Review: I've bought half a dozen guitar chord books over the years, always trying to figure out just why something I play on guitar sounds good/interesting/different to me. Most of those "2000+ Chords!" books had none of the chords I played. Not only did this book actually contain those chords (a coincidence? it's not at all a chord dictionary), it helped me understand their relationships to one another. The only thing that would make this book better is if the publisher could get a deal with the 1,000+ songs referenced by the book so I could get them all in MP3 format on a single DVD. Then I could instantly follow the theory and the practice in my practice.
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