The Songwriter's Handbook

No matter what kind of career you want in music, learning how to write good song is foundational. Based on his decades of experience as a successful songwriter, Mark Winkler provides sound information, advice, witty anecdotes, and exercises for people of all skill levels, walking readers through the steps to write great lyrics.

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No matter what kind of career you want in music, learning how to write good song is the foundation of the music industry.

Platinum award-winning singer/lyricist Mark Winkler has a long, flourishing career in pop, jazz, cabaret and special material songwriting with over 250 songs recorded and/or sung by major vocal luminaries. Mark also has enjoyed an equally-successful career as a songwriting instructor at UCLA Extension and the Los Angeles School of Songwriting. In this book, he adapts his classroom curriculum with sound information, advice, witty anecdotes, and exercises for songwriters of all skill levels.

The book includes:



Highlights of great songwriters and their songs
Exercises that focus on storytelling and rhyming, while adding specificity and color to one’s songs
Mark’s top ten tips for writing great lyrics with accompanying templates
Annotated examples of songs written by Mark’s students to illustrate exercises
Information about people you need on your creative and business team
Steps for what to do after you’ve written a great song
Tips on being a successful live performer
Stories of Mark’s professional experiences in the trenches as a working songwriter in Los Angeles, on Broadway, and as a touring performer