Tunesmith Inside the Art of Songwriting

"Jimmy Webb has given the American song book more hits, in more styles, than any other songwriter of his generation. The wunderkind of pop music, Webb became the hottest songwriter around when, starting at age twenty-one, he wrote a string of hits including "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Galveston," "Up, Up and Away", "MacArthur Park." Now, Jimmy Webb uses the grace and eloquence that have characterized his lyrics to write Tunesmith, the ultimate book for aspiring songwriters--the first ever with such an insider's knowledge and experience. In a combination of anecdotes, meditations, humor, and advice, Webb breaks down the entire process of creating a song, including coping with writer's block, song construction, rhyme schemes, chord progression, and the art of collaboration. He then sheds light on the machinations of marketing yourself, selling a song, and coping with big business, be it in Hollywood, Nashville, or on Broadway. From the legendary American songwriter Time magazine called "our best revealer of the blind spots of the heart," Tunesmith is the new bible of songwriting." -- Book cover