Songwriting magic and craft
What you'll learn
- From award-winning Scottish songwriter Jim Byrne you will learn how to access your creativity, write better lyrics, create more compelling melodies and find inspiring chord progressions.
- Learn the techniques I discovered that helped me find 'my own voice' as a songwriter (from my 40 years experience writing over 400 songs). You will learn to write the songs that only you can write.
- Learn how hit songs are written. Discover the system used by todays most successful songwriter; based on the science of attention.
- Learn song structure, rhythm and song arrangement. Producer Mark Freegard tells you how he helps songwriters arrange their songs when working in a professional studio. Mark has worked in the UK's top studios (including George Martin's Air Studio) with bands such as Del Amitri, The Breeders, The Manic Street Preachers, Siouxie Sioux, Eddi Reader and Maria McKee.
- Learn the techniques used by professional songwriters - interviewed exclusively for this course. For example, Ivor Novello winner Boo Hewerdine, Carol Laula, Duglas T Stewart (BMX Bandits), Michael Rooney (Primevals), Martha L Healy.
- Use my list of mobile and tablet Apps to record and organise your song ideas and to find new ideas. And my list of recommended Podcasts to keep on learning.
- Learn how my own songs have enabled me to travel the world, win awards, get played on the radio, write with Pop stars, Jazz singers and indie rock artists, have a number 1 (UK Americana) and release critically acclaimed albums. Learning to write songs has changed my life - it can change yours.
- Learn songwriting from a tutor who really believes in you and your potential to write great songs. As the songwriter Chiara Berardelli says, 'songwriting is a form of magic, but, the songwriter is the source of that magic'.
- Each month one songwriter will get one to one feedback from me to help improve one of your songs.
Requirements
- An instrument (e.g. guitar or piano) and a desire to learn how to write great songs. No music theory required.
Description
Songwriting Magic will educate and inspire you. It will give you the skills to write better songs, songs unique to you. The time has come to write the songs you will always be proud of.
Songwriting is a form of magic; as songwriter Chiara Berardelli says, 'the magic does not come from some mysterious outside force, the magic comes from you'.
Learn the techniques used by professional songwriters, interviewed exclusively for this course. Including, Ivor Novello winner Boo Hewerdine, Duglas T Stewart (BMX Bandits - reputedly Kurt Cobain's favourite band), Michael Rooney (Primevals), Martha L Healy, Lizzie Reid, Chiara Berardelli, Carol Laula and more.
You will learn to create song structure, melody, chords progressions, lyrics and song arrangement.
You will learn how hit songs are written. Discover the system used by todays most successful songwriter; based on the science of attention.
You will learn the techniques I discovered that helped me find 'my own voice' as a songwriter (from my 40 years experience writing over 400 songs). Learn to write the songs that only you can write.
You will continue to learn by listening to my recommended list of Podcasts and mobile and tablet Apps.
Learn how writings songs enabled me to travel the world, win awards, get played on the radio, write with Pop stars, Jazz singers and indie rock artists, have a number 1 (UK Americana, Reverb Nation) and release critically acclaimed albums. Learning to write songs has changed my life - it can change yours.
Who this course is for:
- This course is for you if you have never written a song or if you write songs but want to take your songwriting to a new level. I.e. beginners and intermediate level.
- Whether your goal is a career in music or you just love to write songs, you will learn a great deal from this course. I will pass on the skills I have learned form my 40 years of writing songs: over 400 songs. I have won awards, wrote with pops stars, Jazz artists, indie rock bands, toured, had a No. 1 (UK Americana), released critically acclaimed albums.
Course content
- Preview03:01
- Preview06:23
- 00:25Introduce Yourself
- 03:10Assignment: Start a new song right now!
- 07:12Assignment: Start a new song from a title
- 3 questionsAre you a beginner or already writing songs?
- 00:09I Believe in you!
- 09:25Bonus: How to write a hit song
- 00:09Don't wait, start now
- 01:00Bonus: One2One song feedback session - how it will work
- 18:34Bonus: 50 Songwriting Tips & Songwriters Glossary
- 00:11Bonus: audio versions of all video tutorials
- 00:55Even More Course Bonuses: Tips, Songwriting Guide
- 00:40A summary of section one and what's next
Instructor
![Jim Byrne](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 64 64"%3E%3C/svg%3E){kind=avatar}
- 4.8 Instructor Rating
- 42 Reviews
- 2,788 Students
- 1 Course
Jim Byrne has been a musician and songwriter for over forty years. He spent his teenage years playing in punk bands and many subsequent years playing in garage bands including The Primevals, Dexter Slim & The Pickups, Loris and the Bearpit Brothers (still a member). He is a restless seeker of new experiences and new music. As a solo artist he plays and records in the folk and Americana style.
As a songwriter he has written hundreds of songs for his own bands and solo projects as well as co-written with other musicians including Marti Pellow (their song, Lay with me is on Marti's Boulevard of Life album) and Jazz singer Carol Kidd OBE (Carol played support to Frank Sinatra). Jim has released several critically acclaimed albums and has toured America, Canada, France, Italy and the UK.
For the collector of unusual facts; he has met Tom Waits and received an award from the King of Sweden.