 This songwriting course is designed for the first time songwriter who is interested in writing great songs. The course will take the learner through the simplest building blocks of contemporary hits, through to the creative essentials that the most successful writers rely on every day. To be able to participate fully, students will need to have the ability to play an instrument such as a guitar or keyboard and the facility to record the instrument and some vocal parts to submit to Point Blank as part of the course work.
Course contents:
Lesson 1: Songs and the Music Industry
- The value of a song within the music industry
- Publishing
- Attributes of a successful song
- Common factors that every hit song has
- How to spot a great song (critical analysis)
Lesson 2: The basics of song structure
- The components of a successful song
- The principle of light and shade
- Choruses - Verses - Prechoruses
- Other structural possibilities
- How to structure your song for best musical effect
Lesson 3: Hooks
- What is a hook?
- Where do we find hooks in hit songs?
- How to write a hook
- The ‘energy' of a successful song
- How to incorporate your hooks into your songs
Lesson 4: Music theory for songwriters Part 1
- Keys
- Modes
- Scales
- Time signatures
Lesson 5: Music theory for songwriters Part 2
- Extended chords
- Bass parts
- Simple notation
- How knowledge of music theory basics can help you to write songs
Lesson 6: Music theory for songwriters Part 3
- Chord sequences
- Key changes (modulation)
- Extended chords
- How to break the rules and still have a song that people will like
Lesson 7: Melodies
- Melody construction
- Melodies and harmony
- The relationship between melodies and chord sequences
- How to construct strong melodies that are easy to remember
Lesson 8: Lyrics
- Song styles
- Rhyme
- Rhyming structure
- How to write a lyric that works with an existing melody
Lesson 9: Lyrics part 2
- The essentials of a successful lyric
- Writing from a title
- Writing a lyric without an existing melody
- Tools that can help you with lyric writing
Lesson 10: Creative Essentials - Generating ideas for great songs
- What is inspiration?
- Where to find inspiration
- How to cope with ‘writer's block'
- How generate exciting and innovative ideas for songs
Lesson 11: Production for songwriters - part 1
- What ideas work best with a large audience?
- How to refresh a cliché and make it work for your song
- Commercial songwriting techniques
Lesson 12: Production for songwriters - part 2
- How to present your song for other musicians
- Basic skills required for demo recordings
- Effective arrangements for songwriters
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Student feedback:
"Very helpful course: Thanks a lot to my tutor Dave for your help and support, understanding... and of course constructive criticism :)" (John Osborne - UK)
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