How To Write A Song

by E.J. Gold

BK329

How To Write A Song by E.J. Gold

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Book Summary

This songwriting guide by E. J. Gold offers a practical, "gonzo" approach to the craft, emphasizing instinct over formal music theory. The text serves as a comprehensive manual, covering everything from rhythmic foundations and vivid imagery to the structural role of bridges and hooks. Gold encourages writers to treat words as living entities and suggests using daily rituals and creative constraints to bypass mental blocks. A significant portion of the material focuses on modern technology, specifically how to use AI tools like Suno to generate demos and experiment with genre-shifting. By framing songwriting as a shamanic practice of rhythm and repetition, the author provides a roadmap for transforming raw ideas into finished, professional works. Overarching themes include the power of persona, the necessity of revelatory bridges, and the strategic use of style sheets to target specific musical markets.

How to Write a Song by E.J. Gold: Unlock the Craft, Ditch the Theory

  1. The Promise: If You Can Tap a Rhythm, You Can Write a Song

    Most people freeze when you tell them to “write a song.” The blank page can feel like an impossible challenge, a mystery reserved for the specially gifted. This book starts by dismantling that fear with a simple, foundational truth. It throws complex theory out the window and hands you a direct key to the heart of creation. As author E.J. Gold states, the only prerequisite is this:

    "If you can tap a rhythm, you can write a song."

    How to Write a Song is a guide that delivers on this promise, page after page. It turns songwriting from a mystery into a craft—one anyone can learn.

  2. A Different Kind of Songwriting Guide: A Living Method, Not a Dry Textbook

    This book is different from all others because it focuses on practical application over abstract knowledge. As the author makes clear, "I’m not teaching theory. I’m teaching the core craft." This isn't an academic exercise; it's a deep dive into the real-world methods used by generations of musicians.

    This "core craft" is described as "the way the Village writers, Greenwich folkies, jazz cats, blues players, and studio pros all actually worked." It’s a hands-on approach born from diners, studios, and late-night sessions—not classrooms. The result is a process that feels authentic and immediate, an approach the author calls:

    • "a living method. Not academic. Not stiff. Not technical. And damn effective."

    Prepare to learn the skills that have powered iconic music for decades, distilled into a direct and accessible guide.

  3. What You'll Discover Inside: A Chapter-by-Chapter Glimpse

    This book provides a step-by-step journey into the architecture of a song. Here’s a preview of the practical skills you’ll develop along the way:

    • • Start with the Beat: Discover the foundational method of turning a simple rhythmic tap—like "dah DAH dah dah"—into the structural core of your first verse, getting you past the blank page and into the music instantly.
    • • Master the Hook: Learn how to find, polish, and place the memorable "heart of the song." This isn't just a catchy line; it's a musical "abduction" that grabs the listener by the collar and makes their brain say, "Yeah, that. Again."
    • • Build with Purpose: Explore the architectural approach to songwriting, constructing verses with symmetry and tension, and crafting bridges that "change everything" by breaking the pattern with a moment of revelation or truth.
    • • Rhyme Without Pain: Master the art of making rhymes serve the song. You'll learn to wield slant rhymes—the songwriter's version of "jazz voicings—subtle, expressive, slightly dangerous, and always cool"—to avoid the forced rhymes that ruin great lines.
    • • Write in Pictures: Uncover the technique of using concrete imagery to evoke powerful emotion without being sentimental—like telling a story of loss with nothing more than "a half-eaten sandwich left on a plate like someone got abducted mid-bite."
    • • Unlock Melody & Chords (Even for Non-Musicians): Find melody without formal training by letting your voice discover the natural line—it’s just “talking with style.” Learn to understand chords simply as "emotional colors" that paint the mood of your song.
    • • Collaborate Like a Pro: Learn the modern workflow of the pros, moving from lyricist to arranger to band. This guide includes how to work effectively with musicians, producers, and even AI tools to bring your songs to life.
    • • Ignite Your Creativity: Get equipped with practical tools to break through any creative block, including "Ten Song Seeds to Get You Started" and powerful exercises on "Writing With Limits" that prove constraints don't just help creativity—they ignite it.
  4. An Unfiltered, Authentic Voice

    The style of this book is as unique and direct as its method. It’s not a polished, over-edited manual; it’s a direct transmission of the author’s voice and process as it happened. As the opening note to the reader explains:

    "This book is drawn directly from E.J. Gold’s original blog posts, presented here without revision or smoothing."

    This approach preserves the author’s distinctively surrealist and "gonzo" style. In the chapter "Words That Sing," for instance, words are described as "wild animals hiding in the bushes of your brain," while troublesome words are compared to "drunken moose... with knives." What you get is not a reinterpretation but a "faithful gathering of the original voice as it unfolded in real time."

  5. Who is This Book For?

    This book is a toolkit for the creatively restless, the musician in waiting, and the seasoned pro who’s forgotten the fun part.

    • • Aspiring Songwriters who feel intimidated by music theory and are looking for a practical, accessible starting point.
    • • Experienced Writers searching for a fresh, hands-on method to break through creative blocks and rediscover the core of their craft.
    • • Poets and Lyricists who want to understand how to give their words musical structure and make them sing.
    • • Musicians and Producers seeking to deepen their understanding of songwriting from a non-academic, craft-based perspective.
    • • Creative Individuals using AI tools like Suno who want to master the foundational principles of song construction to generate better, more compelling demos.
  6. Get the Keys to the Kingdom

    This isn't just a book; it's a passport. It gives you a craft that works anywhere, that you can take with you and use "in a diner, on a bus, on the back of a receipt." It demystifies the process, making it accessible, repeatable, and deeply rewarding. This book doesn't just show you how to write a song—it gives you the tools to become a songwriter. As the author promises, by the end of this journey:

    "You have the Keys to the Kingdom."

  7. Start Writing Your First Song Today

    Inspiration is fleeting, but craft is forever. Stop waiting for the muse and start building your songs today.

    Download your copy of How to Write a Song and start turning your ideas into music today!