Songwriting Strategies: A 360-Degree Approach

(Berklee Guide). Write songs starting from any direction: melody, lyric, harmony, rhythm, or idea. This book will help you expand your range and flexibility as a songwriter. Discussions, hands-on exercises, and notated examples will help you hone your craft. This creatively liberating approach supports the overall integrity of emotion and meaning in your songs. It will help you become more productive, versatile, and innovative in your songwriting. You will learn to: * Discover more ideas for songs song seeds and capture them in their most powerful and usable form * Overcome writer's block by having many more pathways through the writing process * Develop strong song structures by working independently with melody, lyrics, harmony, and rhythm * Write songs more easily, guided by your well-tuned "songwriter's compass"

Mark Simos, associate professor in songwriting at Berklee College of Music, is a renowned songwriter, composer and tunesmith, teacher and writer. Over four-plus decades, Mark's songs and tunes from imaginary countries have stretched musical boundaries with innovative melodies and harmonies and intricately crafted lyrics, bringing a contemporary sensibility to neo-traditionalist forms. Over one hundred of Mark's compositions have been recorded by artists, including Americana supergroup Alison Krauss and Union Station, Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury, and Laurie Lewis. He's co-written with artists/writers such as Australian rock icon Jimmie Barnes, Catie Curtis, and the Infamous Stringdusters' Andy Hall. He's featured on many recordings as fiddler and guitar accompanist, and has recorded an acclaimed song-cycle album, Crazy Faith, and four albums of original and traditional fiddle music. At Berklee, Mark creates innovative curriculum in 360 degree songwriting, collaboration, guitar techniques for songwriters, and tunewriting, and leads Berklee's American Old-Time Ensemble. He also continues to perform and teach at workshops, camps, festivals, and retreats worldwide.