How to Write Songs on Keyboards: A Complete Course to Help You Write Better Songs

This book helps both keyboard and guitar players to find and develop interesting chords and chord sequences on a keyboard, and then use them to write their own songs. Rather than trying to teach intricate pieces of music, the book breaks things down into a simpler style and concentrates on basic chords and ideas, starting with a simple three-chord song and gradually adding more complex structures. A visual system that virtually eliminates the use of standard music notation allows guitarists who are used to using guitar tablature to feel totally at home. Songwriting issues are also analyzed, including key changes and writing songs in minor keys. The straightforward style of this book will have musicians writing on a keyboard with ease – even if they never have before. All 90 examples are recorded and accessed online for download or streaming.

Rikky Rooksby is a guitar teacher, songwriter, and music journalist. Author of Chord Master, The Songwriting Sourcebook, Inside Classic Rock Tracks, Riffs, The Complete Guide to the Music of Fleetwood Mac and The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, he has also written 14 Fastforward guitar tutor books. Rooksby has transcribed and arranged two dozen chord songbooks on various leading artists, including The Complete Beatles.