tunesmith inside the art of songwriting summary

He takes the song from the idea stage and the brainstorming process through the editing and re-write phase to the “finished” product. Webb then traces the evolution of a song called “Problem Child”, personally, the second most helpful part of the book. He eliminates the “less desirable elements in order to expose the more desirable ones” crafting lyrics that stay true to the song idea and lead to the desired destination. She studies meter and rhyming schemes, counts syllables and checks verb tenses.

He makes use of a thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary (never substituting these for creativity). She brainstorms, making lists of words, phrases, feelings to express the idea.

To accomplish this, a songwriter takes the raw materials (ideas) and begins to shape them into a song: “.a magical marriage between a lyric (some words) and a melody (some notes)”. That story is told through clear lyrics that make a “meaningful contribution” to the whole of the song. Moving to the practical aspects of writing a song, he stresses that every song needs a story to tell. That to exist at all it must function unselfconsciously and without guilt…The primary ingredient in that tranquility might be to pardon ourselves in advance for any real or imagined inadequacies and approach the work with the attitude that we will see what happens, make the best of it and enjoy the journey”. What he was really trying to say was that “…there is no crossed-out, blotted word on paper or half-croaked note or stumbling, tripping step toward the songwriter’s goal that is unseemly or shameful…creativity is a blameless process. I cringed (which says a lot about the lenses I wear). At first read, I thought that Geffen was laying down a strict boundary where perfectionism was required. Showing Webb the room he’d be working in, he said, “In this room you can never make a mistake”. He relates the story of being mentored by Michael Geffen, one of Broadway’s greats. Next, Webb moves into what was for me, the most significant part of the whole book. Without recognizing the good things life has to offer – the priceless gift of the distant laughter of children – we become sour pendants”. “Without being able to expose ourselves to pain – to break down and cry if need be – we won’t have what we need to be songwriters or even human beings. A good songwriter also stays emotionally connected. It will also include a destination which will consume the bulk of the efforts of the songwriter in getting from here to there the best way possible. The ideas come from something about which the writer feels passionately (loathing or hating). Webb says, “Song ideas are the most intense longings of the soul and its deepest regrets”. He begins by talking about where songs come from. I found Tunesmith to be engaging and informative on many levels, discovering many principles within its pages that I began applying immediately. Webb also chronicles the history of modern songwriting and gives an inside view of what it was like in the early days contrasted with today. Weaving stories and personal anecdotes with vital technical and experiential advice as well as giving examples of well-written (or poorly-written) lyrics, Webb has created a valuable resource for even the most novice of beginners, like me. Those pursuing the art of songwriting would do well to pick up Tunesmith by Jimmy Webb, a seasoned songwriter with a wealth of insight and knowledge. For the Essentials In Songwriting Certificate Course with Dan Wilt

Tunesmith inside the art of songwriting summary