Course Description

Part 1 – The Fundamentals
The 5 Key Principles Behind all Great songs
  • The Three Journeys – What they are and why all great songs take at least one of them
  • Dramatic Tension – Conflict and contrast. Why it’s essential and how to get it
  • Listener Identity – How to make them feel as powerfully about your as you do
  • The Open Window – The Hope Factor and why your songs must have it
  • The Music/Lyric Connection – Making sure your music sounds like it belongs in the same song as your great lyric
    • 10 Successful Songs - And Why They All Work According to the Same 5 Key Principles
  • The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra.
  • Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
  • New York Minute - Don Henley
  • You Belong with Me - Taylor Swift
  • Enter Sandman - Metallica
  • Imagine - John Lennon
  • Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks
  • So What - Pink
  • Out among the Stars - Merle Haggard
  • Case of You - Joni Mitchell
    • Part 2 – The Mechanics - Writing Your Song
  • Picking your target – who are you actually writing for? You? An artist?
  • Finding a good idea – they’re actually all around and don’t necessarily have to do with “clever” titles.
  • Setting tempo and tone. What is the emotional landscape of your song going to be?
  • The opening lines, both musically and lyrically. Why they’re so critical to engaging the listener.
  • Why needs are more important that wants in songs
  • How to make the song “build” from beginning to end.
  • Constructing a consistent logic thru line
  • Constructing a consistent emotional thru line
  • The “golden thread”. What it is and why it must never be severed, not even for one word. Trust me on this one!
  • Creating powerful melodies and chord structures that complement your lyric.
  • Tricks for not getting song fatigue (yes, getting over that deadly second vs hump!)
  • The bridge and why some of the greatest songs ever written have no bridge at all
  • Common writing problems and their solutions!
  • How to let your song tell you what it wants
  • The Pro’s Check List – Why review and re-write are absolutely critical to great work
    • Part 3 – The Demo
  • Guitar/piano vocal or full band? How to know which way to choose.
  • Pro studio vs home studio
  • Picking the right singer (if not you!)
  • And how not to make the one common mistake that ruins everything!
  • Did I mention, how not to make the one common mistake that ruins everything!!!
    • Part 4 – The Business of Music – A Primer
  • How to get your songs heard. Who counts and who doesn’t.
  • The first thing publishers look for in your song
  • Copyright – What it is and how to get it.
  • BMI, ASCAP and SESAC. Who they are and what they do
    • Part 5 – Conclusion
  • How to make songwriting not simply something you do, but a way you look at life.