Is the new book by Jimmy Kachulis about Hit Song Forms worth your time? Most likely you have heard about The Songwriter’s Workshop book series. Let’s find out if the new book Hit Song Forms lives up to his previous songwriting books!
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It is often overlooked how important song form is. People think about melodies and harmonies first. I will not deny that these parameters are very important. But if they are used in the wrong song form they will never flourish and come to life.
Hit Song Forms by Jimmy Kachulis
Book Review Hit Song Forms
As always, the most important question is why bother reading this book? What can you learn and how will it help you to become a better songwriter and composer? This is what the author has to say about it:
In this book, you’ll learn how the great songwriters choose and create the forms of their songs. Choosing the most effective son form for your song is a skill like the others you’ve learned: how to create melodies, harmonies and lyrics. Now, you’ll learn how to set those great ideas in the best, most memorable structures.
The book has 4 units and 34 lessons. The 4 units are:
- Verse-Chorus songs
- Pre-chorus songs
- Verse/Refrain songs
- Surprising Forms
Each unit has multiple lessons that explain what’s important to that particular song form. All in all, I like how the book is set up. And the information flow comes naturally. There is enough to learn. Even for more advanced songwriters.
What I like about the book
I like the introduction. When I read a book I mostly skip the introduction because it is boring. Or I scan it as quickly as possible. But here there are some valuable and interesting things to be learned. For example:
- The two approaches to song form
- Reminding you that you should not forget about your audience.
- The importance of tempo.
I also made an interesting article and video about how important tempo is in your music.
The introduction is like a summary of everything you are going to learn. And I find that to be very inspiring and engaging. When I finished reading the introduction I was looking forward to continuing reading. It made me hungry to learn more!
Also, the book is full of great listening examples from famous hit songs. And I especially like that it includes new and old hit songs! Often with these books, you have outdated examples. I especially like the small boxes with short music theory explanations that you will find throughout the book.
What could be better
I feel that the book ‘Hit Song Forms‘ should take you more by the hand. At times it seems an extra explanation is missing. Sometimes it is assumed that you already know certain music theory things. And that’s why I am unsure if this book is for ultimate beginners. And if you are a beginner I advise you read this together with a songwriting teacher.
I love that you get so many listening suggestions with each section. But it would have been nice to have an extra explanation if certain things exactly don’t fit that lesson’s topic. Sometimes while listening to a suggestion I was confused. This is because when the song is different you are not 100% sure if what you are hearing is correct. That’s why it’s nice to know when it deviates from the regular song mould or topic.
One thing that I mind is that there are small mistakes in the scores and text. It’s quite confusing if what you read is not being played. Or if a certain key is mentioned, but you can’t find it in the text/score.
Video Review: Hit Song Forms by Jimmy Kachulis
Conclusion
So is ‘The Songwriter’s Workshop Hit Song Forms‘ for you? The answer is yes if you are a songwriter or composer who wants to learn. After reading this book I was left with many ideas and lots of inspiration. It’s one of those books that you read now and then to get your creative juices flowing.
Other Songwriting and Composition Books
If you want to become a better musician, songwriter, producer, or composer, then you need to invest time in learning new things. I have curated a list of the best books on songwriting for songwriters and the best books on music composition for composers. If you want to learn more about music theory or music production I’ve got you covered as well!
