Short courses

Summary

Is country music really just ‘three chords and the truth’? Can writing a song really be that mystically simple? What about other genres like punk, pop, rap, blues, or ballads? What kind of musical and lyrical structures do they combine to create a hit? What kind of process do you go through to create a song? Do you write the words first or the tune?  

Join this hands-on creative course to learn the practical fundamentals of writing a song.  Exploring different kinds of music, you'll learn to work with lyrics, pitch, melody, chord progressions and more to build your own song over the course of the term. Whether or not you’ve tried your hand at music composition in the past or just looking to improve on some basic musical knowledge, this course gives you the opportunity to get creative as you learn more about how a song works and is made. 

Over a series of inspiring examples, approachable exercises and opportunities to share your work, our expert and experienced tutor will explain: 

• The key musical and lyrical structures that lie behind different types of song 
• Key techniques and tips that help you write and compose a song 
• (optional) how to share what you’ve written and improve with mutual feedback  
• More about how the business side of song writing and publishing works 

You will also have the chance to discuss and reflect on what you learn with other students and the tutor in seminars. In fact, discussions of students' songwriting will lie at the centre of the course. 

Choose this course if you want to learn: 

• The key musical and lyrical structures that lie behind different kinds of songs 
• writing tips that kickstart and refresh your own song writing practice 
• how to share your work and improve with mutual feedback  
• how to follow a regular writing and sharing routine