In an interview on the radio program Art of the Song, singer and songwriter Jude Johnstone gave a helpful tip that I think also applies to book authors. She said her husband maintains that, if a song isn’t simple enough to be played by a beginner on the piano, the songwriter may not have a keeper.

Johnstone’s husband calls it the “Red River Valley Test.” A songwriter needs to keep going back to rethink his or her approach to find a straight and simple melody that everyone will remember—something like Red River Valley, a song that appears in many beginner music books.

The Red River Valley Test is a good one to remember when you’re working on a book message, and then later on the book argument. Will your message and argument play easily in the average person’s mind? If you don’t know Red River Valley, click here for a short rendition.

The Red River Valley test is a reminder that we all need to work hard on the simple but deeply resonant song. In the same way that a melody should play easily for the amateur musician, a book theme and chapter sequence should play easily for targeted readers.

[Revised January 2020. Originally February 7, 2010]