The Songwriter's Handbook

By Tom T. Hall

Book Overview

"I remember when I first got to Nashville," says Tom T. Hall. "I would have like to have had a book like this. It would have saved me a lot of time finding answers to questions."

To help other songwriters, Tom T. Hall has put the answers in this book. "Songwriting is as much a craft as it is a talent," he says. "In order to write songs, you have to be able to recognize what a song is. You have to recognize the importance of something that is entertaining, and you have to say what you want to say very briefly."

In this down-to-earth handbook, the Storyteller teaches the secrets of becoming a successful songwriter. Among the important topics treated are:

What is a song and how will I know when I have one?How can I find edeas for songs?How do I combine words with music?What is the Nashville music industry really like?Definitions of terms and expressions used in the music business

The Songwriter's Handbook also includes stories of how he wrote some of his own hits, such as "I Flew Over Our House Last Night," "Ravishing Ruby," "I See," and "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine." He analyzes the songs, showing how he uses his own rules for successful songwriting.

Included in the book are words and music to many of Tom T. Hall's most successful songs along with personal photos. An earlier version of The Songwriter's Handbook was published as How I Write Songs; Why You Can

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558538607
• ISBN13: 9781558538603
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 164 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Well Worth Reading

As a singer/songwriter, this book provides me with refreshing and humorous inspirations for the next songs that find their way to my writing space. One has already found it's way as a result of this book.

The Songwriters Handbook by TOM T. HALL

My name is Ray Burton and a songwriter myself. I am the MAN who wrote "I Am Woman" for/with Helen Reddy. I am always looking to see how other songwriters approach their craft and TOM T. HALL is right on the money with this book. In fact, he thinks much like myself by being very observant of life's situations around you, looking at life through a magnifying glass, describing it as briefly and as cleverly as you are capable of and then putting it into song form. I firmly recommend this book to all songwriters who want to know the fundamentals of great songwritng. Congratulations Tom, I have the utmost respect for your songwriting. Ray Burton [..]

Short and Sweet

This Book is Short but oh so Sweet. The little tid-bits of information and ways of how to go about putting words on paper that can set, at some times the world on fire, is straight from a man who has been there and done that... I recommend it if nothing more than amusing your muse. Great Work Tom!...

Too Simple.

The Songwriters handbook is an outstanding book all in all, over all.It just has one drawback that weighs the heightened excellency down...and that is the creativity point of view.Tom Hall does a wonderful job of explaining the different ways to approach and take up songwriting, but he also tends to pull your creativity out of you.I bought this book hoping it would help me make my lyrics more creative...you know, make you dig more to reveal the idea and point the song is trying to bring across.The songwriter's handbook wants you to make everything simple and clear.Besides that, this book is a goody.