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A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition (chords) or melody to songs, or both. Lyrics (in singular form Lyric) are a set of words that accompany music either by speaking or singing Musical composition is an original piece of Music the structure of a musical piece the process of creating a new In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or That is to say,a songwriter is a lyricist, a composer, or both. A lyricist is a Writer who specializes in Song Lyrics, usually paid for by a band to write a custom song(s A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance The word "songwriter" is however more commonly used to describe one who writes popular songs than to describe a writer of art songs. Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more An art song is a Vocal music composition, usually written for one Singer with Piano or Orchestral accompaniment

History and background of songwriters

Songwriters may perform the songs they write themselves, or they may write for somebody else to perform. People who sing their own songs are nowadays typically called singer-songwriters, although the tradition of doing this dates back hundreds of years. Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics More recently, the troubadours of the Middle Ages sang their own works, as did the German Minnesingers. A troubadour ( IPA:, originally) was a composer and performer of Occitan Lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100&ndash1350 Minnesang was the tradition of lyric and Song writing in Germany which flourished in the 12th century and continued into the 14th century In the contemporary era, the songwriting competition has become a valuable venue for aspiring songwriters. A songwriting competition is a contest whereby musicians submit original music to a third party or forum generally to win a prize or some other benefit

Most art songwriting is written for somebody other than the composer to perform, although it is known that Franz Schubert often sang his own songs at private parties. In fact most popular songwriters of today enjoy having their work recorded by a variety of artists and hearing different renditions.

Many modern rock and roll bands have one or two songwriters, usually members of the band. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Then there are songwriters like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Sir Paul McCartney, Prince and others that write songs then record them playing their own instruments or all the instruments using a process called overdubbing (see multi-track recording). Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major William Martin Joel (born May 9 1949 is an American Pianist and Singer-songwriter. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, Prince, from the Latin root Princeps, is a general term for a Monarch, for a member of a monarch's or former monarch's family and is a Multitrack recording ('multitracking' or just 'tracking' for short is a method of Sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create The advantage to being able to play many instruments and operate a studio is one can write the music first then weave the words into the tune, experimenting on the way. Still, many songs or foundations of songs are written with simply the songwriter and one instrument. The guitar and piano are the most popular instruments to use for songwriting because they have chordal as well as melodic capabilities. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers This article describes musical chords in traditional Western styles In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or There are no rules although commercial writers speak of hooks and such required to fit into radio formats but in the 60s and 70s writers broke new ground and forced the radio to make room for them. To become a songwriter it is strongly recommended that one study music theory and poetry, as the craft is one of merging music and words. Music theory is the field of study that deals with the Mechanics of music and how Music works However, many talented songwriters have attained success without formal training.

A few popular songwriters/songwriting teams in no particular order are listed below.

Many songwriters also serve as their own music publishers, while others have outside publishers. The Songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, usually referred to as Lennon/McCartney, is one of the best-known and Cole Albert Porter (June 9 1891 &ndash October 15 1964 was an American Composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. Brian Holland (born February 15, 1941 in Detroit Michigan) is an African American Songwriter and Record producer, best Lamont Dozier (born June 16, 1941) is an American Songwriter and Record producer. See Edward Holland for other people with that name Edward "Eddie" Holland Jr Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio who had great success during the mid-late 1980s Jesse McCartney (born Richard Rodgers (1902 &ndash 1979 and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 &ndash 1960 were a well-known American songwriting duo Irving Berlin (11 May 1888 &ndash 22 September 1989 was a Russian-born American Composer and Lyricist, and one of the most prolific American songwriters Jerome "Jerry" Leiber (born April 25, 1933) and Mike Stoller (born March 13, 1933) are among the most influential Mark Knopfler OBE (born August 12 1949 Glasgow, Scotland) is a British Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter, Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18 1979 better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B Singer-songwriter Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956 in Van Nuys California) is an American Songwriter. Burt Bacharach (ˈbækəræk born May 12, 1928) is an American Pianist and Composer. Hal David (born May 25, 1921 in New York City, New York) is an American Lyricist and Songwriter. Gerry Goffin (born Gerald Goffin February 11 1939, Brooklyn, New York) is an American Lyricist. Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American Singer, Songwriter, and Pianist. Eleanor Louise Greenwich known as Ellie Greenwich (born October 23, 1940, Brooklyn, New York) is an American pop Jeff Barry (born April 3, 1938) is an American pop music Songwriter, Singer, and Record producer. Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942 in Hawthorne, California) is an American Musician best known as the lead The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. George Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001 was an English rock Guitarist Singer - Songwriter, Author Norman Jesse Whitfield ( May 12, 1940  &ndash September 16, 2008) was an American Songwriter and producer, best Barrett Strong (born February 5 1941, West Point, Mississippi) is an American Singer and Songwriter. Cynthia Weil (born October 18 1940, New York) is a prominent American Songwriter. Barry Mann (born Barry Imberman, 9 February 1939, Brooklyn, New York) is an American Songwriter, and part of Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13 1950 name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris) is an Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi Jr on March 2 1962 is an American Musician, Songwriter and Actor. Richard "Richie" Steven Sambora (born on July 11 1959 is an American rock Guitarist, producer musician singer and songwriter who is Doc Pomus ( June 27 1925 - March 14 1991) was a twentieth century American Blues Singer and Songwriter Mort Shuman ( November 12 1936 - January 2 1991) was an American Singer, Pianist and Songwriter, best Daryl Hall (born Daryl Franklin Hohl on October 11, 1946 Pottstown Pennsylvania) is an American singer and songwriter best known as half John William Oates (born April 7, 1949 in New York) is an American Musician and producer best known as the mustachioed Steven Patrick Morrissey (ˈmɒɹɪsiː born May 22, 1959) known primarily as Morrissey, is a British Singer and Lyricist Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is an English Guitarist, Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer Bernie Taupin (born 22 May 1950 is an English Lyricist most famous for his collaboration with Elton John. Alan Jay Lerner ( August 31, 1918 &ndash June 14, 1986) was an American Broadway Lyricist and Librettist Leonard Norman Cohen CC GOQ (born September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974 was an English Singer-songwriter and Musician best known for his acoustic autumnal songs Jeffrey Scott Buckley (November 17 1966 – May 29 1997 raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American Singer-songwriter and Guitarist He was the son The songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, known as Jagger/Richards (and occasionally Richards/Jagger) is a musical Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou on 21 July 1948 best known by his former Stage name Cat Stevens, is a British Musician Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou on 21 July 1948 best known by his former Stage name Cat Stevens, is a British Musician Khia Chambers, born Khia Shamone Finch, (better known as Khia pronounced 'Kye-Ah' is an American rapper, Songwriter, and Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Trent Reznor (born Michael Trent Reznor on May 17 1965 is an American Musician, singer producer, and Multi-instrumentalist. Glorious Gloria Parker is an American Entertainer active during the Swing Era as a Bandleader of an All-female band, Gloria Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967 in Manchester, England is the lead guitarist backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Oasis Ian George Brown (born 20 February 1963) is an English musician and former lead singer of the Alternative rock band The Stone Roses John Squire (born John Thomas Squire on 24 November, 1962) is an English Musician, Songwriter and Artist. Roger Cook may be Roger Cook (songwriter (born 1940 British Roger Cook (journalist (born 1943 New Zealand investigative journalist Roger Greenaway (born Roger John Greenaway 23 August 1938, Fishponds, Bristol) is a popular English Songwriter, best is a Japanese vocalist. His real name is. He graduated from the Faculty of Education at the Yokohama National University, and has a degree in Mathematics is a Japanese guitarist producer arranger composer and songwriter Guy Fletcher, OBE (born in St Albans, England) is a British songwriter who in partnership with Doug Flett, wrote several hits for other artists Geoff Stephens (born 1 October 1934, New Southgate, North London) was one of the top British Songwriters of the 1960s Tony Macaulay (born Anthony Instone April 21, 1944, England) is an Author, Composer for Musical theatre, and Songwriter Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership consisting of the composer Richard Rodgers (1902 &ndash 1979 and the lyricist Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink, April 7 1951 is a Grammy Award -winning American Songwriter, Singer, multi-instrumental Musician John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American rock singer Songwriter, and Guitarist, best known for his The Sherman Brothers are Academy Award -winning American Songwriters who specialize in Musical films. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Christopher John Cheney (born January 2, 1975) is the Guitarist, main Songwriter and Lead vocalist in the Australian Xenomania is one of the UK 's leading pop production houses put together by writer and producer Brian Higgins. Martin Gore (born Martin Lee Gore, 23 July 1961, Basildon, Essex, England) is an English Songwriter, Lyricist Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle Albert Hammond (born 18 May 1944, London, England) is a Singer-songwriter, whose family came originally from Gibraltar Mike Hazelwood (born 1941 England — died 6 May 2001, Florence, Italy) was an English Singer, Composer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002 better known as Joe Strummer, was the co-founder lyricist Rhythm guitarist and lead singer of the Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones (born 26 June 1955 was the lead Guitarist and a vocalist of the British Punk rock band The Nickolas Ashford (born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946 in has gained fame as a Japanese Multi-instrumentalist, Singer-songwriter, and willingness to experiment with music and film Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948 West Bromwich, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter famous for his membership in the James Patrick Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944 is an English Guitarist, Composer and record producer The Toxic Twins is a nickname given to lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry of American Hard rock band Aerosmith. Eddie Galan (born February 4, 1979) is a Los Angeles born singer/musician 4 time #1 Hit Billboard Songwriter and Record producer, with Carl Ashley Raphael Barât (born June 6, 1978) is an English musician Donald Hugh " Don " Henley (born July 22, 1947, in Gilmer Texas, U Glenn Lewis Frey (born November 6, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American Musician, Singer, Songwriter George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943 in Great Bookham, Surrey) is an English rock musician David Jon Gilmour CBE (born 6 March 1946 is an English Musician, best known as the Lead guitarist one of the lead Singers Sean Harris (born 1972 is a British Actor from Bethnal Green, London. James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born on June 6, 1959, in Minneapolis Minnesota) and Terry Steven Lewis (born Daron Vartan Malakian (born 18 July 1975) was the Lead guitarist, songwriter and sang the sub-vocals in System of a Down until their hiatus in Serj Tankian ( Armenian: Սերժ Թանգեան (born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon and started his own software company Robert Forster (born Robert Wallace Foster Jr; July 13, 1941) is an Academy Award -nominated American Actor. Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the Lyricist, bassist and occasional Vocalist with the Welsh rock band Richard "Richey" James Edwards (born 22 December 1967 in Blackwood, Wales, UK) (also known as Richey James Steve Laine (born March 19th1940 is Lead singer and Song writer with The Liverpool Five. Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991 was a Zanzibar -born British Musician, best known as the lead Ryan Benjamin Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American Singer, and Grammy nominated David Scott Mustaine (born September 13, 1961 in La Mesa, California USA) is the lead/rhythm Guitarist, Songwriter James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963, in Downey California) is the main Songwriter, co-founder vocalist and Rhythm guitarist Lars Ulrich (born December 26 1963) is a Danish Drummer best known as the co-founder of the American heavy metal Ian Kevin Curtis ( 15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was the vocalist and lyricist as well as occasional guitarist and keyboardist of the band Alex Turner (slave, a Virginian slave who escaped at the beginning of the American Civil War and fought in the Union army Alex Turner (director James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Guitarist, born in Boston, Massachusetts Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954 is a English Musician, singer and songwriter who with his colleague Chris Lowe, make up the successful Christopher Sean Lowe (born October 4 1959, Blackpool, Lancashire) is an English Musician, who with colleague Desmond Child (born October 28, 1953 in Miami Florida) is an American musician Songwriter, and producer Martin Karl "Max Martin" Sandberg (born February 26, 1971) is an ASCAP -awarded and Grammy -nominated Swedish pop-dance CHEIRON STUDIOS, was a Recording studio located at Kungsholmen, Stockholm, Sweden founded in 1992 by Denniz PoP and Tom Guy Chambers (born January 12, 1963 in London) is an English Songwriter and Record producer best known for his long partnership Cathy Dennis (born Catherine Roseanne Dennis, March 25 1969 Norwich, England) is a Grammy award-winning dance-oriented pop Glen Ballard (born 1953 in Natchez Mississippi, US) is a veteran Songwriter and Record producer, best known as the producer of Alanis Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi (born December 9, 1970) is an American Songwriter, Record producer, and Singer who has Matthew Gerrard is a Canadian Record producer and Songwriter. Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer, Simon & Garfunkel are an American Singer-songwriter duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. This article deals with contemporary Popular music publishing Songs in country music are often written by staff writers; songwriters directly employed by music publishers. Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. Legally, songs may only be copied or performed publicly by permission of the authors. The legal power to grant these permissions may be bought, sold or otherwise transferred. This is governed by copyright law. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for Songwriting and publishing royalties can be a substantial source of income, particularly if a song becomes a hit record. Royalties (sometimes running royalties) are usage-based payments made by one party (the "licensee" to another (the "licensor" for ongoing use of an A Hit record is a Sound recording, usually in the form of a single or Album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or

Songwriters in the popular music genre often also work as record producers, commonly using the professional title Producer-songwriter. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing

The old apprenticeship approach to learning how to write songs is being supplemented by some universities. It is possible to learn how to write songs. For instance, Bangor University has a degree course, English with Songwriting, which teaches the composition of songs by showing how the metaphorical and rhythmical structures of language are combined with music, in history, theory, and practice. Bangor University (Prifysgol Bangor is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in north Wales. A knowledge of modern music technology and business skills are necessary to make a career in songwriting.

References

Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Dictionary

songwriter

-noun

  1. (music) Someone who writes the lyrics and usually the music of songs.
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