As an experienced musician, and a student of music who has been studying music theory for the past four years, I can not stress enough that you absolutely should not follow the advice in this book given in regards to music theory. This author seems to have absolutely no credentials in regards to to the teaching or learning of music, and yet he makes the bold claim that music theory is not useful to beginning musicians, and that simply is not true. He even goes as far as to say you should not be proficient on the instrument you are writing with, because it would hinder your creativity. Absolutely ridiculous. If you wish to become a song writer, I urge you to find a different book from a more qualified authour who actually knows what he is talking about.