Seven Books I Recommend for Songwriters

Here’s a list of some of the most inspirational, useful, and informative books for songwriters. They are all unique, inspiring, and packed with incredibly practical tips.

1) The first book is Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. This is one of the best books for creators of all types. Gilbert dives into the nitty-gritty of the creative process and helps you find your mojo – in a supportive, non-intrusive way. The

author shares her own experience as a struggling writer who eventually went onto write bestsellers. A must-read or listen (as the book is also available on

Audible).

2) The second book is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It is also motivational, but the author takes more of a kick-in-the-ass approach, reminding creators that the real enemy is themselves. Most creators find all sorts of excuses for not completing projects. The author refers to whatever stands in the way as resistance. Like Gilbert, Pressfield spent many years struggling as a writer, battling internal resistance until he finally figured out how to overcome it. This is what the book is mainly about. The book also explores

the attitudes, habits, and practices that separate professionals from amateurs.

3,4) The third and fourth books are part of a series of books by Rikky Rooksby. I recommend the ones called How to Write Songs on Guitar and How to Write Songs on Keyboards.  These books show examples of chord progressions and how specific chord types (dominant 7s, augmented, diminished, relative minor, etc.) can change emotion in a song. Rooksby also focuses on song structure – how to sculpt verses and pre-chorus to lead into the chorus, and how to write turnarounds. Rooksby’s other books on writing melody lines, lyrics, and arranging are also useful and worth checking out.

5) The fifth book is one of the best books on music theory ever written expressly for guitarists. Music Theory: Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask, provides a thorough understanding of keys, scales, intervals, and chord structures. You will learn some amazing jazz chords and how to solo over them. Comes with a CD with 94 illustrative tracks performed by the highly experienced studio session guitarist Tom Kolb, in standard and tablature notation.

6) The sixth book is for every jazz guitarist in the world. Joe Pass on Guitar is a must-have because arguably the greatest jazz guitarist of all time explains his musical and improvisational approach to guitarists at all levels. The book includes 50 musical examples and 3 complete transcriptions in standard and tablature notation, performed by the jazz virtuoso himself, recorded on CD.

7) The seventh book is one of the best books on mixing and home studio recording. It’s called Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Sound On Sound editor Mike Senior. Whenever I’m recording or editing music in my DAW, I always have this book on hand. It’s truly indispensable for producing decent mixes and high-quality recordings. 

I hope you get a chance to check out these publications. They helped me out a great deal, and I'm sure they will inspire and guide you as well on your musical journey.