10 Best Songwriting Courses
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Songwriting is an art form that combines creativity, emotion, and technical skill. Whether you’re a budding musician looking to pen your first hit or an experienced songwriter aiming to refine your craft, there’s always room for growth and learning.
In this article, we’ll explore ten of the best songwriting courses available online, each offering unique insights and techniques to help you elevate your lyrical and musical prowess.
1. Lyrics Writing Course by Jacob Carter
Jacob Carter’s Lyrics Writing Course is a comprehensive online program designed to help aspiring songwriters and lyricists enhance their skills and unleash their creativity. This course offers a deep dive into the art of lyric writing, covering essential aspects of songwriting from finding inspiration to collaborating with other artists.
Key Features:
- Comprehensive Curriculum: The course is structured into six modules, covering topics such as finding inspiration, understanding lyrical structure and style, crafting impactful lyrics, developing songwriting depth, understanding genre conventions, and learning how to co-write.
- Experienced Instructor: Led by Jacob Carter, a seasoned lyricist with over 10 years of experience in the field, students benefit from his industry knowledge and practical insights.
- Diverse Learning Resources: Students receive HD video lessons, printable PDF course packs, and access to practical exercises designed to enhance their lyric writing skills.
- Practical Application: Throughout the course, students engage in hands-on exercises and receive writing prompts to practice their skills from various perspectives.
- Song Analysis: Students learn to analyze hit songs by artists like The Beatles, Ed Sheeran, and Joni Mitchell, gaining insights into effective lyric writing techniques.You can also read how Jacob Carter analyzes the lyrics meaning of hundreds of songs.
The Lyrics Writing Course by Jacob Carter is suitable for beginners with no prior experience, as well as more seasoned writers looking to refine their skills. It aims to help students develop their unique writing style, gain confidence in their abilities, and learn practical strategies for overcoming writer’s block.
2. The Singer-Songwriter Specialization – Berklee Online (Coursera)
The Singer-Songwriter Specialization offered by Berklee Online on Coursera is a comprehensive program designed to help aspiring songwriters develop their skills in writing, performing, and recording original music. This specialization consists of four courses that cover various aspects of songwriting and music production.
Key Features:
- Course Structure: The specialization includes courses on guitar basics, vocal techniques, songwriting tools, and music production using MIDI and audio.
- Skills Developed: Students will learn to play the guitar, sing healthily with proper techniques, utilize songwriting tools, and produce professional-sounding recordings.
- Instructors: The courses are taught by Erin Barra, a renowned music educator and performer.
- Target Audience: This specialization is ideal for beginners with a passion for music and a desire to write and perform original songs.
By the end of the specialization, students will have the skills to transform their ideas and emotions into unique songs and produce high-quality music recordings.
3. The Lyric Writer’s Workroom – Songcraft
The Lyric Writer’s Workroom by Songcraft is a focused course that delves into the art of lyric writing. It offers practical tips and techniques to help songwriters enhance their lyrical creativity and effectiveness.
Key Features:
- Content Focus: The course covers various aspects of lyric writing, including rhyme schemes, melody creation, and the use of specific details to enhance lyrics.
- Practical Exercises: Students are encouraged to practice writing lyrics using different rhyme schemes and to find fresh song ideas from everyday observations.
- Resources: The course provides a wealth of resources, including articles on finding song ideas, writing memorable choruses, and setting lyrics to music.
- Community Support: Participants can join a supportive community of songwriters and share their progress and ideas.
This course is perfect for songwriters looking to improve their lyric writing skills and create songs that resonate with listeners.
4. How to Write Lyrics – The Song Foundry
How to Write Lyrics by The Song Foundry is an in-depth course designed to help songwriters craft compelling and singable lyrics. The course is structured into seven modules, each packed with valuable techniques and real-life applications.
Key Features:
- Modules: The course covers essential topics such as rhyme, lyric structure, singable lyrics, and prosody (the fitting of lyrics to a melody).
- Course Materials: Students receive over five hours of HD video lessons and a 32-page course booklet.
- Skill Level: Suitable for beginner to intermediate songwriters.
- Lifetime Access: Enrollees get lifetime access to all video modules and PDF course materials.
By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of how lyrics work and the confidence to develop and refine their song ideas18.
5. The Art of Songwriting – The Open University (FutureLearn)
The Art of Songwriting offered by The Open University on FutureLearn is a beginner-friendly course that introduces the fundamental tools and techniques needed to write a song.
Key Features:
- Course Duration: The course spans six weeks, with an estimated study time of three hours per week.
- Topics Covered: Students will learn about setting words to rhythm, creating effective melodies, understanding chord progressions, and structuring songs.
- Practical Approach: The course includes practical activities where students write their own songs using specially commissioned lyrics.
- Expert Guidance: The course features insights from established musicians and songwriters, providing inspiration and guidance.
This course is ideal for complete novices, budding amateurs, and accomplished professionals looking to brush up on the basics of songwriting.
6. Commercial Songwriting Techniques – Berklee Online
Commercial Songwriting Techniques, authored by Andrea Stolpe and offered by Berklee Online, focuses on writing songs for commercial success while maintaining a unique voice.
Key Features:
- Course Structure: The 12-week course guides students through a ten-step process to create memorable melodies and lyrics.
- Content Focus: Topics include toggling between detail and broader perspectives, using senses for creativity, and destination writing.
- Outcome: By the end of the course, students will have three completed songs and several developed ideas.
- Instructor Expertise: Andrea Stolpe, a multiplatinum songwriter, brings extensive industry experience to the course.
This course is perfect for songwriters aiming to write commercially successful songs that connect emotionally with listeners.
7. Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics – Berklee Online (Coursera)
Offered by Berklee College of Music through Coursera, this course is designed to help budding songwriters develop their lyrical skills. Taught by Pat Pattison, a professor at Berklee, the course covers fundamental aspects of lyric writing.
Key Features:
- Course Content: Students learn to define and identify the point of view, form, and the “who, what, where, when, and how” in a song. They also explore the stability of lyrics through line lengths, stressed and unstressed syllables, and melody.
- Skills Developed: The course emphasizes various rhyming techniques, the difference between assonance and consonance rhyme, and the use of phrasing to clarify ideas.
- Structure: The course includes 12 videos, one reading, one quiz, one peer review, and one discussion prompt, totaling around 96 minutes of video content.
- Audience: Suitable for beginners with no prior experience required.
This course is part of multiple specializations, including Songwriting: Writing, Arranging, and Producing Music, The Singer-Songwriter, and The DIY Musician.
8. Lyric Writing: Tools and Strategies – Berklee Online
Authored by Pat Pattison, this 12-week course aims to sharpen students’ lyric writing skills by teaching them how to generate better ideas and find the right words to express those ideas.
Key Features:
- Course Content: The course covers generating ideas, finding interesting words, creating rhythms with words, and organizing rhymes into compelling verses, choruses, and bridges.
- Skills Developed: Students learn to create effective contrast between sections, use rhyme structures to enhance emotional intent, and brainstorm ideas more freely.
- Structure: The course includes daily object writing activities and lessons on rhyme paradigms, creating forward motion with rhyme, and balancing rhyme.
- Audience: Suitable for both beginners and seasoned writers.
This course is part of Berklee’s Professional Certificate in Lyric Writing, which includes other courses like Lyric Writing: Writing From the Title and Lyric Writing: Writing Lyrics to Music.
9. Songwriting: Lyric Writing – Elevate with ICMP
This course from Elevate by ICMP focuses exclusively on lyric writing, helping students develop the skills to tell powerful and emotive stories through song.
Key Features:
- Course Content: The course covers creative writing techniques, rhyme schemes, literary devices, and writing strategies. Students will also write to various briefs to diversify their skills.
- Practical Exercises: The course includes tasks like free writing and storyboarding to help students write lyrics from different viewpoints.
- Structure: The course is flexible and can be accessed on demand, allowing students to learn at their own pace.
- Audience: Suitable for beginners and those looking to improve their lyric writing skills.
Students gain lifetime access to the course materials and can benefit from industry discounts and additional mentoring sessions.
10. Writing Song Lyrics: Create and Combine with Melody – City Lit
This online course from City Lit is ideal for songwriters and instrumentalists who find creating a melody easy but struggle with writing lyrics.
Key Features:
- Course Content: Students learn to generate original ideas, structure melodies, and use advanced techniques in lyrics and meter. The course also covers themes, subjects, and perspectives.
- Collaborative Learning: The course emphasizes practical work and collaboration, with opportunities to work with class members and receive feedback.
- Structure: The course runs for six weeks with two-hour sessions each week.
- Audience: Suitable for songwriters and singer-songwriters with some knowledge of music theory.
By the end of the course, students will have created original lyrics and melodies and developed their own lyric writing style.
