What you'll learn

Compose a song in any style or genre without needing to read or write music, and without needing to play an instrument.

Course content

4 sections • 16 lectures • 1h 19m total length

Intro: Welcome & Getting Started3:00
This is a course for anyone wishing to become a songwriter, whether you are a musician or have no training at all.

Have you ever seen Behind The Music or an interview with a famous composer or band on how they actually write their songs? They almost always play chords on a guitar or piano which generates melodies in their mind. This happens for everyone. If you don't play an instrument, no problem! You can use inexpensive software apps to program the chords and beat, creating the musical accompaniment and rhythm track for your song.

Think of composers such as Paul McCartney, who admit to no formal training in music. Or singers, who even at an early age can sing in perfect pitch.

The Ability to create music is in everyone.

This is an interactive course, where I play chord progressions on the guitar as you sing melodies. By the end of this course you will have written your first song, and you will be able to compose as many songs as you wish, in any style - pop, jazz, rock, country, and more!

Let's get started!
1: Creating a Musical Phrase4:56
In this lesson you will learn about the construction of a musical phrase, and the relationship of the phrase to chords.
2: The Construction of Two Musical Phrases2:46
In this lecture you will create two phrases using various techniques and connect them.
The Various Methods Utilized to Create Three Phrases4:37
In this lecture you will create three phrases through the use of repetition, variation, sequences, and the introduction of a totally different melody for the third phrase.

Review of Musical Phrases and Chord Progressions3:14
This lesson sums up the creation and development of the musical phrase, which will now be joined into a complete section in the form of a verse.
The Creation of the Verse and Its Importance In the Development of the Song10:42
In this lecture we review what we've learned about the creation of the musical phrase, and discuss its evolution into the verse of the song. We also look at chord progressions and their use in songwriting.
In this lecture you will learn about the creation of a verse using the musical phrases you've developed.
Continuation of the Verse Development and Ideas on Construction4:08
More practice with verse development, including the addition of a musical introduction.

The Pre-Chorus5:39
The introduction of the pre-chorus, its role in the ongoing development of the song, and introduction of a new chord, plus further explanation of chord progressions.
Chords and Keys3:55
In this lecture you will learn how to create your own chord progressions, based on an understanding of key construction.
The Role of the Chorus as the Main Body of the Song5:37
In this lecture you learn about the use of chords in the chorus, the main part of the song.
Review: Intro, Verse, Pre-Chorus and Chorus2:26
This lecture serves as a review of all material covered up to this point. At this point you have learned the basic elements of song construction and section development. In the next section we will learn how to join these into the main body of the song.

In this lecture we cover the combining of the intro, verse, pre-chorus and chorus.

The Importance and Function of Repetition in All Music6:31
Now that we've assembled the elements of the song (intro,verse, pre-chorus, and chorus), we will now repeat these sections, completing the main body of your song.
The Bridge: a Brand New Section Used in Many Modern Songs4:17
In this lecture you will learn about the role of the bridge in modern song construction, using Stay by Rihanna as an example. We also discuss the concept of song architecture and the hierarchy of sections.
Review4:16
A review of everything that we've done up until this point.
The Completed Song5:42
In this lecture we will put it all together, combining the elements you've created into a complete song.
Summing Up - Final Thoughts on Songwriting7:42
In this lecture, I share some final thoughts on songwriting and composing, using references to modern songwriters and songs including Ed Sheeran, Adele, Sia, the Beatles, Nirvana, Stevie Wonder, Eric Church, and Steven Tyler.

Requirements

No previous experience or preparation necessary, just the desire to write songs!

Description

This is a songwriting course for everyone, whether you're already a musician, or someone with no training at all but the desire to create music.

Think of composers such as Paul McCartney, who admits to no formal training in music. Or singers, who even at an early age can sing in perfect pitch. The ability to create music is in everyone.

Have you ever seen Behind The Music or an interview with a famous composer or band on how they actually write their songs? They almost always play chords on a guitar or piano which generates melodies in their mind.

In this course you will learn how melodies are generated in the mind as chords are played. You will see how musical phrases are joined into sentences, and then combined into sections, which form songs. Throughout the course I use real world examples of contemporary hit songs such as Rihanna's "Stay" and Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself." I also discuss and demonstrate the application of basic songwriting techniques and song elements in classic rock songs from Led Zeppelin to Nirvana.

These sections - Introduction, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus and Bridge - are the main elements of today's modern music. At the end of this course you will be able to compose as many songs as you wish, in any style or genre!

This is an interactive course, where I play chord progressions on the guitar as you sing melodies. By the end of this course you will have written your first song, and you will be able to compose as many songs as you wish, in any style - pop, jazz, rock, country, and more!

Who this course is for:

ANYONE interested in songwriting, from total newcomers to experienced and even professional musicians.

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Section 1: Musical Phrases - the Foundation of all Musical Composition4 lectures • 15min

Section 2: Connecting Musical Phrases Into Sections3 lectures • 18min

Section 3: Completing the Main Body of Your Song4 lectures • 18min

Section 4: Other Sections (Bridge, More)5 lectures • 28min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: