Udemy
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
Turn what you know into an opportunity and reach millions around the world.
Learn More
Your cart is empty.
Keep shopping
Song on the Spot
Rating: 4.0 out of 5(1 rating)
293 students

Song on the Spot

A Step by Step Guide to Songwriting
Created byJim Gaven
Last updated 6/2023
English
English [Auto],

What you'll learn

  • How to Write a Simple Song
  • Song Structure
  • Stringing Words Together that Make Sense with One Another
  • Creative Writing

Course content

1 section • 14 lectures • 40m total length

  • Introduction to Songwriting0:52

    Explore the art of songwriting through brainstorming, collaboration, and confidence-building exercises that transform a topic into rhymed phrases, rhythm, melody, and a full song.

  • Choose a Topic1:38

    Choose a topic for your song through collaborative discussion, compromise, and give and take, then brainstorm ideas on a board to hone in on the final theme.

  • Brainstorming Ideas on a Topic1:55

    Brainstorm with your group to generate words about the sky, noting high, colors like blue and white, and items such as airplanes and birds, then shape a song.

  • Finding Rhymes3:36

    Brainstorm with your group to write a sky-themed rhyme, evaluating rhymes for white such as height, night, and flight, and selecting options that make sense and sound good.

  • Lyrics in Poetry Form2:16

    Explore lyric ideas, rhyme, and abstract tangents to craft a starting line about the sky and white clouds, then build a verse or chorus around it and plan adding music.

  • Putting a Melody or Rhythm Along to Lyrics4:11

    Turn lyrics into a song by turning ideas into lines, tapping syllables for rhythm, and choosing an instrument—from bongo to guitar or ukulele—to shape the melody.

  • Alternative Rhyming Options3:36

    Explore flexible rhyming options for songs, showing that exact rhymes aren’t mandatory and that sound, rhythm, and delivery can make near-rhymes and playful word choices work.

  • Choose a Genre or Style1:29

    Choose your instrument and a genre to shape your song, practice and iterate on ideas, and enjoy the freedom to pick any music style you want.

  • Choose a Musical Key3:38

    Explore how to choose a musical key, weigh major and minor options, and apply flats and sharps with practical chord progressions in G major to shape your song's mood.

  • Choose a Tempo3:38

    Choose a tempo for your song by adjusting beats per minute (BPM). Explore how tempo pairs with genre and style, and practice slow, mid, and fast grooves.

  • Parts of a Song3:59

    Explore the parts of a song—intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and coda—and see how they build a beginning, middle, and end toward a memorable finish.

  • Making Musical Melodies (Special Book)5:46

    Explore a playful tour of musical instruments from a to z, including steel drums, with demonstrations and tips to use body and voice to make music.

  • Recap With Encouragement2:48

    Turn topics into ideas, rhyme, and phrases, then layer melody and lyrics by selecting instrument, genre, key, and tempo until a finished song comes together.

  • Congratulations, You Did it!0:50

    In this song writing lesson, combine topic, lyrics, ideas, instrument, genre, style, key, and tempo to finish a song, then share it with friends and family, celebrating perseverance.

Requirements

  • No prior songwriting or musical experience needed. You will learn everything you need to know.

Description

**This course is a beginner's guide to songwriting, and is not the 'end all be all' way to learn how to write songs. It is merely a demonstration of how to go about piecing a song together in its most basic form.**

During the course of 'Song on the Spot', students will work their way through the process of songwriting in a fun, engaging, and educational way. Feel free to follow the steps to the 'T' or pick and choose some of the steps, creating your own unique ones to help aid you in your songwriting journey. As you'll see, songs come in all shapes and sizes and no two songs are exactly alike. This is what makes it interesting and new every time you sit down to write a song. And, the best part is that there is no timeline or deadline on songwriting. You can take as short or as long as you want to finish it once you start. For these reasons, this is a judgment free zone where you will be encouraged to write about whatever you want, whenever you want. By the end of this course, we hope you are inspired to write not only your first song, but a whole string of songs on your way to your first album...and beyond.

Let today be the day you join the wonderful world of songwriting!

We look forward to seeing you here.

Who this course is for:

  • Beginner composers/songwriters/poets/storytellers.

Report abuse