A songbook is generally a publication in book form that contains lyrics and musical notation for songs. A songbook can also be a composition book or spiral-bound notebook used by a composer to notate works.

A songbook can exemplify any kind of music – bluegrass, religious, popular, country, jazz, folk, etc., even campfire music. A songbook can be restricted to piano notation, guitar notation, a string instrument (violin, cello), or a songbook can contain both music notation and lyrics. A songbook may contain one piece of music, say, a symphony, or a set of songs from a theatrical play or theatrical production. A songbook can embody music of a particular genre or several pieces of music by one single composer.

Songbooks are in print that portray early American religious traditions, of the long golden era of American movie musicals of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, of Broadway in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, of the origins of country-western, rock and roll, or jazz music. A flourish of songbooks are available that portray only jazz, bluegrass, Cajun, folk traditions, or ethnic traditions in music.

Songbooks can focus on music made famous by Cole Porter, by Neil Simon, by Leonard Bernstein, by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and by Stephen Sondheim, as well as by singers such as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Diana Ross, and Olivia Newton John.

Instructional songbooks aim at teaching various types and aspects of music to music students of all ages, infants to elderly.

This article provides an overview of what a songbook can be. If you would like to submit an article about a songbook or any other music-related subject, please feel free to do so here at Media Positive Radio.