Hal Leonard Book

Songwriting Strategies - A 360-Degree Approach

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Author: Mark Simos

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Song Seeds
Catching Seeds
Varieties Of Song Seeds
Should We Capture Context?
The Art Of Seed Catching
Conclusion: Song Seeds And The Facets
The Songwriter's Compass
The Four Facets
The World
Structure
Traversing The Compass: Songwriting Strategies
Summary Of Compass Elements And Moves
Example: Hurricane Revisited
On To The Facets
Rhythm
The Challenge Of Rhythm In Songwriting
Rhythmic Song Seeds
The Temporal Framework
Accompaniment Rhythm
The Rhythmic Phrase
Lyrics
Sound Aspects Of Lyrics
Mapping Lyrics To Syllabic Rhythm
Anatomy Of A Syllable
Sense/sound Lyric Strategies
Setting From Rhythm To Lyric
Energy Contour Of A Rhythmic Phrase
Melody
Challenges In Melody Writing
Melodic Design
Melody/rhythm Connections
Melody/lyric Connections
Lyric Rhythm And Melodic Contour
Effects And Uses Of Melodic Textures
Harmony
Sound And Sense In Chords
Chordal Song Seeds
Chord Progressions
Harmonic Rhythm
Cyclic Vs. Narrative Progressions
Motivic Progressions
Melody/harmony Connections
Independence Of Melody And Harmony
Melody/harmony Counterpoint
Melody/harmony Contrapuntal Textures
Modal Melody/harmony
Structure
Structure In The Song
Phrase Structure
Motivic Structure
Counterpoint In Motivic Structure
Using the Compass: Further Steps
Revisiting The Compass
From Counterpoint To Irony: Back To The World
Sound And Sense: Facets, World, And Structure
From a Song to the World

Write songs starting from any direction: melody, lyric, harmony, rhythm, or idea. This book will help you expand your range and flexibility as a songwriter. Discussions, hands-on exercises, and notated examples will help you hone your craft. This creatively liberating approach supports the overall integrity of emotion and meaning in your songs. It will help you become more productive, versatile, and innovative in your songwriting.

You will learn to:

• Discover more ideas for songs – song seeds – and capture them in their most powerful and usable form

• Overcome writer's block by having many more pathways through the writing process

• Develop strong song structures by working independently with melody, lyrics, harmony, and rhythm

• Write songs more easily, guided by your well-tuned “songwriter's compass”

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Mark Simos
Mark Simos, associate professor in songwriting at Berklee College of Music, is a renowned songwriter, composer and tunesmith, teacher, and writer. Over four-plus decades, Mark's songs and "tunes from imaginary countries" have stretched musical boundaries with innovative melodies and harmonies and intricately crafted lyrics, bringing a contemporary sensibility to "neo-traditionalist" forms. Over one hundred of Mark's compositions have been recorded by artists, including Americana supergroup Alison Krauss and Union Station, Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury, and Laurie Lewis. He's co-written with artists/writers such as Australian rock icon Jimmy Barnes, Catie Curtis, and the Infamous Stringdusters' Andy Hall.

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    Songwriting Strategies - A 360-Degree Approach

    Write songs starting from any direction: melody, lyric, harmony, rhythm, or idea. This book will help you expand your range and flexibility as a songwriter. Discussions, hands-on exercises, and notated examples will help you hone your craft. This creatively liberating approach supports the overall integrity of emotion and meaning in your songs. It will help you become more productive, versatile, and innovative in your songwriting.

Songwriting Strategies - A 360-Degree Approach is rated 0.0 out of 5 by 0 .
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