Product Description

Stop pulling out your hair and crumpling up paper - The Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook blasts away your mental roadblocks so you can tap into your deepest creative resources. Whether you're a total novice or a seasoned pro, whether you're a pencil-and-paper songwriter or a gearhead with way too much recording equipment, whether you just want to go further as a songwriter or throw out everything and start over, The Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook will revolutionize the way you write music. It outlines a radical new system - Immersion Music Method - designed to help you smash through creative block, become recklessly prolific, and make quantum leaps in your musical and compositional skills. Bursting with mind-blowing tips and games and tales from the trenches of extreme songwriting, The Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook will show you how to summon those elusive moments of inspiration on command, resulting in rogue creativity and fulfillment you never dreamed possible. You'll learn how to: * Confront and slay your biggest songwriting phobias * Roll over procrastination like an armored tank * Form a self-motivated group of composer friends (a "songwriter lodge") * Concoct new musical styles like a mad scientist * Use technology to supercharge your creativity

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34942 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Customer Reviews

Great book, but has its flaws...

First off, there are a LOT of great ideas in here. A TON!!! You have to have a general knowledge of computer recording to do a lot of them, though.

Now, the flaws - it seems to talk too much about the whole songwriter lodge thing... where friends gather once a week and share the ideas they've made during the week. This is a great idea in theory, but in my 15+ years of writing music, I haven't met anyone who is truly into this idea... if anyone wants to get together to share songs, they form a band.

Aside from that, the "Start" and "Stuck" decks are fantastic, and I've used ideas from the book and added my own. They always, always are helpful.

There are a lot of great ideas overall in this book, and it's a lot of fun to read. Sure, I'd like to form a songwriter's lodge, but there's just no one around here who would be dedicated or committed enough to give it a full try. I've searched, too.

But if you are a solitary/introverted/DIY songwriter, this book is really helpful. Backbeat Books always puts out high-quality songwriting books, and this is truly no exception.

Buzzing with inspiration!
I don't care if you have writer's block or not, get this book. Your creative juices will be buzzing within 30 minutes of turning the first page. Must go write...

Greatly Surprised
I have been a musician for over 30 years. And with that, I have only written a handful of songs without a collaborator. I read this entire book, then followed the idea of locking myself away for an entire day while attempting to write 20 (yes 20) songs. Now, I came away with 4 songs. I didn't follow the program exactly as it recommended, or I most likely would have come away with quite a few more ideas. Instead, I went for 'finished' songs, and in my opinion, 4 songs in one day(especially for someone with my writing history) is REAL GOOD.
The book has alot of recommendations about generating new ideas. But remember this; YOU must write the songs. It is not magic or everyone would buy it and write a billion songs. It WILL open your mind to what you can use and see around you to inspire your songwriting. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!
Oh..I am reading it again....this time taking notes!