Song Building: Mastering Lyric Writing: SongTown Songwriting Series, Book 1

Writing the storyline to my songs are challenging for me. Coming up with a story is not difficult for me, (though this book does show how to come up with lots of song ideas) but structuring it so that others can follow and understand is where I have trouble. This book provides a format that shows me how to, quickly, break down my song idea into sections using simple everyday words that we speak naturally. It also provides the resources to come up with great titles, different angles and assuring that there is an adequate amount of images to keep the listener interested and engaged.This book is interesting and enjoyable to read. In fact, I couldn't put it down until I finished reading it! I now use it as a reference book that I refer to daily until using the tools it offers become second-nature.Because of this book, the quality and speed of my songwriting has improved significantly!Thank you, Marty and Bill, for sharing your methods and expertise that is helping me become a better songwriter!-Michael Rossa

Trying to create a song from thim air does not work for most of us. This book provides a clear process with exercises and questions to help you produce a song. Great starting point.

There are lots of books that talk about songwriting lyrics and I've read some. The ones I've read are pretty dense, even pedantic. Sheila Davis. Pat Pattinson. Andrea Stolpe. They are all talking about the same thing which is crafting lyrics that "show the listener" the story rather than telling the listener what to feel. Seeing the movie of your song in your mind as you write the lyrics is the key. This 100 page book focuses exactly on that. Chapter after chapter lays out the fundamental tools the pro use to create these "movies." I am not a great reader so simple and relatively brief books like this is what I like. This is BY FAR the most digestible book on lyric writing that I have read. The other books I've mentioned are great. I just found them to be less inspiring and a bit dry. Not this book. A++++

I have read 5 books on song writing in the last 4 weeks. There is some really good books on song writing, and all the books have helped me in some manner. To date this may be my favorite song writing book. Someone mentioned that this book is tailored to country music. It's only tailored to country music because lyrics are king in country music. Do you really want to read a book about song writing where the author says you don't need to write good lyrics? I don't! I want to write the best lyrics I can write....I am going to post a small part from Marty's book...... I don't know how many times I have had writers tell me "Well country music has to make sense but pop music doesn't." My answer is always "But what if it did.?" How huge would some of those big pop hits be if they made sense?......My question to all of you would be if you and I sent a song to a publisher, and my lyrics are strong and your lyrics are generic, who would have the edge in getting their song picked?

I discovered songtown in my quest to find songwriting mentorship. I saw that they had book and thought that would be a good entry into their world.I was really impressed by the quality of info in this book. It’s not very long, but every page has useful actionable information on how to write lyrics better. I actually like the shorter books because there is less fluff.The main theme of this book is song blueprinting and it’s definitely I’m going to start implementing it because I think it will save a ton of time. The authors also go in depth on countless other ways to make your lyrics more engaging such as us using imagery, types of tenses to use, and stories that work.I think even if you have read other songwriting books this one is definitely worth picking up!

I enjoyed reading this, my second from the Songtown folks. Solid, practical advice without getting into the weeds. An easy read that I’m sure will help me improve my craft.

"Song Building" is the ultimate guide for serious songwriters. Of all the excellent guides to songwriting available, if you were forced to narrow your selection to just one, this is it. Clear, concise, and efficient tools for you to layout your song's blueprint perfectly. IMO the authors of this book are genuinely concerned that their readers are successful. That sincerity comes through in the way it is written. I would highly recommend this book for those looking to take their songs to the next level.

This book has taught me how to write a better song by blue printing. Along with many important things to keep in mind, like writing from your heart and don’t make it to personal. I highly recommend this book. It’s a quick read but needs time for digesting. Enjoy.

This book has given me so many insights, I can't count them all.Worth every penny. I'll definitely read it a second time.Thanks for the great book!

I was afraid this book would dispel the magic of songwriting but I ended up just writing better songs lol

It contains a lot of pro tips for songwriting and examples. I would recommend this book!!!

Whilst I found a few useful things to think about, most of the book was geared towards country music and songwriting. If I ever need to use a car as a metaphor for a girl in a song, I'll come back to this book, but probably take a long hard look at myself and re-evaluate what I'm doing first.