Foreword xv

Introduction 1

Part 1: So You Want to Be a Songwriter 5

Chapter 1: Capturing That Solid-Gold Nugget 7

Chapter 2: Looking at the Genres: From Country to Rock and Everything in Between 31

Chapter 3: Working It Out: Getting Your Song into Shape 53

Part 2: Unleashing the Lyricist in You 73

Chapter 4: Snagging Your Listeners with a Hook 75

Chapter 5: Making an Impact with Lyrics 91

Chapter 6: Finding Your Voice in the Lyrics 111

Chapter 7: Using Rhymes in Your Songs 137

Part 3: Creating Memorable Music 155

Chapter 8: Feel the Rhythm, Feel the Ride 157

Chapter 9: Making Melody Magic 171

Chapter 10: Using Chords in Songwriting 189

Chapter 11: The Cheating Side of Town: Shortcuts and Cool Technologies 201

Part 4: Cooperation, Collaboration, and Community 217

Chapter 12: Bringing Talent Together: Collaboration and Networking 219

Chapter 13: Online Marketing and Social Networking for Songwriters 239

Chapter 14: Writing for the Stage, Screen, Television, and More 251

Chapter 15: Getting Your Songs Heard: Making the Demo 267

Part 5: Getting Down to Business 291

Chapter 16: Creating Goals and Meeting Deadlines 293

Chapter 17: Ka-Ching: How Your Song Makes Money 303

Chapter 18: Introducing the Business Players 319

Chapter 19: Looking at the Legal End: Dealing with Paperwork 339

Part 6: The Part of Tens 357

Chapter 20: Ten Songs You Should Know 359

Chapter 21: Ten Common Song-Related Contracts You Should Know 365

Index 369

Songwriting For Dummies