6 Steps to Songwriting Success: The Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Marketing Hit Songs

Rating:
Summary: How to be a "hack" songwriter
Review: I can't take anything Jason Blume writes seriously. I have fully read both of his books at Barnes and Noble, and all I get from each book is "sell your soul, make really cheesy top 40 songs like I did. I couldn't make money as an honest songwriter, so I used the formula of tried and true (and stale) pop songs from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and made tons of money."

I can't take books like this seriously. I'd like to see Sarah McLachlan write a book on songwriting success. Or Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker/Jets To Brazil. Songs with meaning, songs with soul, songs that MOVE people emotionally, not move their butts and hormones.

Jason makes some ok points here and there, but most of it is just filler, and how he went from a pot-smoking folkie who wrote acoustic songs on guitar, to penning top 40 hits. Like that's something to be proud of. I don't care how much money top 40 artists make. 97% of the songs in the top 100 SUCK (with the exception of Coldplay, Dido, Sarah McLachlan, and others).

The best books on songwriting are Rikky Rooksby's "How To Write Songs On Guitar" and "Songwriting". That guy knows his stuff. And no, I am not connected with him in any way. But any writer/songwriter who uses The Smiths as references for chord progressions and song info in general, is ace in my book.

Don't buy anything by Jason Blume unless you are wanting to make a career writing terrible, predictable pop songs for The Backstreet Boys, Jodeci, Avril Lavigne, etc.

Oh, and side note--- he actually mentions that Avril Lavigne writes her own music, in his second book "Inside Songwriting". That is about the funniest thing I've ever read. Avril couldn't write her way out of a paper bag, let alone a good song.

If you're into GOOD music, stay away from this book and any books that claim to make you superstars in the world of songwriting.

The best songs don't make millions. They MOVE millions.

-Skip from Beauty's Confusion

Rating:
Summary: Recommend Highly
Review: I had a chance to attend one of the author's lectures at Taxi in Los Angeles. He is an amazing teacher and this book is just like listening to him speak. It's extremely easy to understand and apply to my own writing. I write pop and country songs and the insights in this book are already making my writing much stronger. The section about writing melodies made it so much easier for me and the business part of the book is the clearest I've seen. I finally understand about how to get a publisher and what they do. I would have to say that this is the best songwriting book and I believe I have read all of them. This book really inspired me and I recommend it highly.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Songwriting Tool
Review: It is a great book. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly organized guide for aspiring professionals
Review: Jason Blume has demystified and illuminated the process of professional songwriting. Using straightforward language and tracing a logical progression of ideas that any songwriter could follow, he guides readers through the six steps indicated in the book's title:

(1) understanding pop song structures;
(2) writing effective lyrics;
(3) creating appealing melodies;
(4) producing professional demos, even at a relatively modest budget;
(5) navigating the realities of the publishing business; and
(6) acquiring the inner tools to persist and achieve realistic goals.

Each step is broken down into specific topics, with real-world examples and comments from industry veterans. Checklist summaries follow each section, so that the reader can create a personalized workbook of notes for quick reference. One especially helpful section examines the frequently overlooked but vitally important process of reworking lyrics. By contrasting cliché first drafts with often radically different rewrites, Blume argues for the vitality of the unexpected turn of phrase, the indirect approach to translating emotions into word images.

As a professional songwriter whose work is recorded by mainstream artists, he offers pragmatic advice for gaining the attention of busy music executives who will often judge a song as much by its arrangement and production values as by its artistic merits. Yet at no point are the efforts of creative musicians to write from the heart disparaged. The book provides useful commentary on smaller specialty markets such as cabaret, Christian and Latin pop, and alt-folk. Leonard Cohen and Janis Ian, whose work often lies far outside the contemporary mainstream, are cited for their important contributions to the art of songwriting.

Jason Blume honors the efforts of all committed songwriters by offering hard-learned advice and clear-sighted observations of an often misunderstood and mythologized profession.

No aspiring songwriter should miss Six Steps to Songwriting Success.


Rating:
Summary: this is an excellent songwriting book
Review: Jason Blume's "6 Steps to Songwriting Success: The Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Marketing Hit Songs" is an excellent songwriting book. I've read just about all the songwriting books that exist and Jason's is one of the best. If I could only read one songwriting book, this one is it.

Ande Rasmussen
Editor and Publisher of "Inspirations for Songwriters"
past president of the Austin Songwriters Group
www.AndeRasmussen.com



Rating:
Summary: The BEST Guide to Writing HITS
Review: This book is exactly what you need if you want to write and market the kind of songs that are on the radio. I read the first edition and it was excellent -- but this one is even better. It's very easy to read and explains things in nontechnical ways.

Writers who hate the kind of songs the author uses as examples (Britney, Madonna, Lonestar, Avril LaVigne, Sheryl Crow, Shaggy, etc.) shouldn't be reading this. It's about writing commercial radio HITS -- not self-indulgent "artsy" songs (not that there's anything wrong with them). So, if you want to write songs that could be hits on Top 40, Pop, AC, Urban, or Country radio -- for yourself or for other artists -- read this book. It's also the best book (and I've read them all) in terms of explaining the business side in plain English.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST Guide to Writing HITS
Review: This book is exactly what you need if you want to write and market the kind of songs that are on the radio. I read the first edition and it was excellent -- but this one is even better. It's very easy to read and explains things in nontechnical ways.

Writers who hate the kind of songs the author uses as examples (Britney, Madonna, Lonestar, Avril LaVigne, Sheryl Crow, Shaggy, etc.) shouldn't be reading this. It's about writing commercial radio HITS -- not self-indulgent "artsy" songs (not that there's anything wrong with them). So, if you want to write songs that could be hits on Top 40, Pop, AC, Urban, or Country radio -- for yourself or for other artists -- read this book. It's also the best book (and I've read them all) in terms of explaining the business side in plain English.

Rating:
Summary: A Beginner's Manual
Review: This book provides a rather simplistic and basic overview of how to become a successful songwriter.

Some of the self-proclaimed valuable "insights" are rather self-explanatory, and the more technical aspects (e.g., how to write a song or great lyrics) only scratch the surface of what other books cover in much greater detail. For example, the book doesn't cover even the most basic music theory, e.g., modulation, harmonies, scales, etc. The book isn't as "comprehensive" as it claims to be--the opposite in fact.

As for tips on how to break into the industry, BMI, ASCAP and SESAC offer more insightful and free courses. Author Jason Blume only valuable "insight": network and collaborate with others.

Save your money and buy Jai Josef's "Writing Music For Hit Songs" or Jack Perricone's "Melody In Songwriting" instead.

Rating:
Summary: The best songwriting book I've *EVER* read.
Review: This is the best FRIGGIN songwriting book for popular music I've ever read! What makes it good are 1) extremely clear explanations, 2)easy to use, IMMEDIATELY applicable exercises, 3) applies to all popular styles of writing (I write hard modern rock, techno, house & indie rock and still I found the song structure examples of "Strawberry Wine" and other different styles helpful!) 4)the author's positive, yet realistic attitude (which so many music success books LACK, I find).

If you write 'popular music' (pop, rock, R&B, metal, indie, rap, country, easy) and you buy only one songwriting book this year, get this one.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome new edition!!
Review: This is the best songwriting book. I've got them all - and this is the only one you need. It totally covers the writing side AND the business.