Writing Effective Lyrics in Rock and Metal

This essential guide to writing effective, evocative lyrics for a range of modern musical style takes a fresh, original approach to a subject that most songwriting guides tend to ignore. Aimed at those who are struggling to write strong lyrics, because they are not natural linguists or do not have English as a first language, and at those who want to improve and understand the principles behind what they do, this guide uses James Scott's brilliantly entertaining and passionate writing style to great effect.

This essential guide to writing effective, evocative lyrics for a range of modern musical style takes a fresh, original approach to a subject that most songwriting guides tend to ignore. James Scott entertains as much as he informs as he takes the reader through the essential concepts and ideas that separate good lyrics from bad. Subjects covered include rhythm, rhyme, emotional concepts, song structures, managing your creativity and James Scott's own concept of "lyrical detchment" - the relationship between lyrics and their subject matter that separates the cheesy from the evocative. Throughout, James uses practical examples from songs of all genres to illustrate and guide the reader through the concepts he is explaining. This book is a superb resource for anyone who wants to write better lyrics, such as those who do not speak English as a first language or those who are struggling. It is also an excellent read for anyone with an interest in the subject, and James Scott's passion and enthusiasm for the subject makes it a supremely entertaining guide to what is often a dry and technical subject.

James Scott is a songwriter, guitarist, writer and producer from London, UK. He writes regularly for music magazines and websites, both under his own name and as a ghost-writer for other musicians. He has worked with dozens of artists all over the world to assist them with their composition, arrangements, lyrics and production. His first full-length album, Winter’s Eve’s “Shards”, was released in 2010. www.axemanjim.co.uk