Popular Lyric Writing: 10 Steps to Effective Storytelling Songwriting | Learn Professional Lyric and Techniques Guide for Students and Artists | Creative Writing Method Book for Crafting Hit Songs

by Andrea Stolpe

(Berklee Guide). Write songs that sell! Hit-songwriter/educator Andrea Stolpe shares time-tested tools of commercial songwriting. Her ten-step process will help you to craft lyrics that communicate heart to heart with your audience. She analyzes hit lyrics from artists such as Faith Hill and John Mayer, and reveals why they are successful and how you can make your own songs successful too. Stolpe advises on how to: streamline and accelerate your writing process; use lyric structures and techniques at the heart of countless hit songs; write even when you're not inspired; more!

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Writing

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gonna keep it short and simple: i've read many books on lyric writing, and maybe it says more about where I am with writing these days, but this book was awesome. It's short, to the point, with a lot of exercises but it gives you a writing method that seems adaptable to any style. It really made me feel more confident and comfortable when it comes to writing lyrics, and has helped me get through many writer blocks.

[christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical methodology for writing cohesive and compelling lyrics.

Andrea Stople does a great job of explaining why each step is important and gives several examples to help you understand how to execute them. Touches on rhyme, song structure and form, freewriting.

There are two incredibly helpful ideas I took away from this book.

One is Stople's freewriting method which develops an almost endless bank of phrases and words to draw from as you're writing.

The other is a method of intentionally using internal and external details in a section (I forget what she calls it) to ground the story while strengthening the main idea of the song.

Songwriting can feel nebulous. This book helps give it some structure.

[Tyler Presley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Popular Lyric Writing” by Andrea Stolpe is an incredible resource for songwriters looking to improve their lyric writing ability.

Stolpe explains fundamental songwriting concepts in an in-depth yet easy-to-understand way while also providing helpful examples of these concepts in action.

This book gave me a better understanding of why I am captivated by particular songs and also taught me how I can apply the same techniques to my own lyrics.

[Steven Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really gets into the "how to" details

This book really goes into the details of how to get lyric writing done. It goes well beyond the other books I have read on the topic. Those covered the basics of structure and a few thoughts for finding ideas, but this book offers a truly detailed creative process.

[John Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book . . . . . describes a structured approach that you can alter.

[Melvin Hein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really intriguing deep-dive into songwriting. Quite a fascinating experience to become aware of all the different techniques to write a good story I’ve been using subconsciously for years.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far the most practical and eye opening songwriting book I have read. Highly recommend.

[Carlos Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and concise book for song writing, with checklist each chapter.
Serves as quick reference, with a summary at the end that you can check all the points after your song writing has ended... and the editing process begins.

[Caitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

AWESOME!

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great foundation and reference book for lyric writing