Songwriting Course for Beginners

Learn how to write a song with our music and singing short courses in Sydney.

Have you ever wanted to write a song? Have you ever considered the process of writing a song? Songwriting is an amazing and very rewarding craft. It allows you to let your imagination run wild.

The feeling that you get when you perform a song that you’ve written yourself, to an audience, is truly exhilarating and inspiring. However, in order to write a song, you need to have a grasp of important songwriting elements such as how to make use of the songwriting tools, how to focus on lyrics, melody, harmony and structure while receiving constructive feedback on the songs you are writing.

By the end of this songwriting beginners course, you will have composed at least one song.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this songwriting course, you should be able to:

• Compose songs utilising appropriate lyric, melody and harmony writing techniques
• Utilise a variety of song structures
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of copyright and royalties
• Gain an understanding of songwriting components
• Have a sound knowledge of the components of musical form
• Gain knowledge of the history of songwriting
• Gain an insight into the music industry
• Have an understanding of the well–being of musicians.

Course content

What will be covered in this Songwriting Course for Beginners course?

Session 1

• Developing creativity
• Creativity exercises
• Anyone can write a song
• Brainstorming word lists
• Finding ideas
• Starting to shape a song idea
• Point of View

Session 2

• Song form
• Song components- verse, chorus, bridge etc
• Song idea development
• Song design
• Song energy
• Prosody
• Hooks and motifs
• Examples of song form uses
• Planning your song form
• Instrumental songs

Session 3

• Prosody 
• Number of lines
• Line length
• Stability vs instability
• Chord progressions basics
• Using Chord progressions to build the song
• Strong vs weak progressions
• Chords first vs melody first writing

Session 4

• Chord progressions expanded
• Chord progressions using roman numerals
• Weak vs Strong progressions chart
• Building an idea from chord progressions
• Rhyme types
• Rhyme schemes
• Examples of using rhyme effectively
• Prosody between rhyme and number/length of lines
• Using a rhyming dictionary

Session 5

• Brainstorming with a rhyming dictionary
• Using metaphor
• Using imagery
• Melodic rhythm
• Using language natural rhythm
• Stressed vs unstressed
• Weak vs strong beats

Session 6

• Finishing songs
• Polishing off songs
• Creating from drum loops
• Getting your music out there
• Forming a writing partnership
• Copyright basics
• Song arrangements
• Using arrangements for better prosody
• Roles of different instruments in a song

Intended audience

Who is this songwriting course for?

This course is for beginner to experienced songwriters and is open to all genres of contemporary music.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd on the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)

Course materials

What to bring to class

• Pen and notebook.
• If you do play a portable instrument (eg. guitar) please bring it along.