A nice point, that they are tools rather than rules; but it is in the nature of tools to work well when used well.
I also recommend turning out lots of songs. One exercise you can pursue, if you like, is looking up all the old Song Challenges here onthe Cat (threads witht he name "Song Challenge xxx") and try your hand at them, see what others have done. If you're serious about it, turning out volume is a good way to start.