Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics

  • 4.8
Approx. 17 hours to complete

Course Summary

Learn the art of songwriting and lyricism with this course. Develop your skills in writing meaningful and impactful lyrics that resonate with your audience.

Key Learning Points

  • Explore the fundamentals of songwriting and lyricism
  • Learn to write lyrics that connect with your audience
  • Develop a unique songwriting style
  • Understand the business of music and how to pitch your songs

Related Topics for further study


Learning Outcomes

  • Write impactful and meaningful lyrics
  • Develop a unique songwriting style
  • Understand the business of music and how to pitch your songs effectively

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

  • No prior experience required
  • Basic knowledge of music and song structure is helpful

Course Difficulty Level

Beginner

Course Format

  • Online
  • Self-paced
  • Video Lectures
  • Assignments

Similar Courses

  • Music Theory for Songwriters
  • The Art of Music Production

Related Education Paths


Related Books

Description

There’s a songwriter lurking somewhere inside you, peeking around corners, wondering if it’s safe to come out. Now it is. This course is an invitation to let your inner songwriter step into the sunlight. All it takes is a simple “yes” and you’ll be climbing that windy hill, marveling at the view.

Knowledge

  • Define and identify the point of view, form, and the "who, what, where, when, and how" in a song
  • Identify whether a lyric is stable or unstable through the use of line lengths, number of lines, stressed and unstressed syllables, and melody
  • Utilize the various rhyming techniques to evoke specific emotions in a song and define the difference between Assonance and Consonance rhyme
  • Use phrasing to clarify your ideas

Outline

  • Welcome to Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics
  • A Note From Pat
  • A Note From Your Course Assistant
  • Connect with Your Classmates
  • Course Resources
  • Earn A Course Certificate
  • Join the Discussion!
  • What Are Your Goals?
  • The Journey of the Song
  • Point of View
  • Boxes: Your Development Engine
  • Six Best Friends
  • Song Form
  • Lesson 1 Suggested Reading
  • Lesson 1 Song List
  • Developing an Idea from the Title
  • "Fool's Gold" Development Example
  • Join Your Study Group
  • Point of View and The Development Engine
  • Reflection: Developing an Idea from the Title
  • Stopping and Going
  • Prosody
  • Practice: Stable or Unstable?
  • Five Compositional Elements
  • Effects of Number of Lines
  • Length of Lines
  • Effects of Length of Lines
  • Lesson 2 Suggested Reading
  • Lesson 2 Song List
  • Join Your Study Group
  • Stopping and Going
  • Sonic GPS—Mapping Your Song with Rhyme
  • Rhyme Scheme, Part 1
  • Rhyme Scheme, Part 2
  • Perfect Rhyme
  • Family Rhyme
  • Finding Family Rhymes
  • Additive and Subtractive Rhyme
  • Assonance Rhyme
  • Consonance Rhyme
  • Using Rhyme to Generate Ideas
  • Organizing Your Ideas by Developing Rhyme Schemes, Part 1
  • Organizing Your Ideas by Developing Rhyme Schemes, Part 2
  • Stable and Unstable Tones, Part 1
  • Stable and Unstable Tones, Part 2
  • Lesson 3 Suggested Reading
  • Lesson 3 Song List
  • Join Your Study Group
  • Sonic GPS—Mapping Your Song with Rhyme
  • Making It Move
  • Multi-Syllable Words
  • One-Syllable Words
  • Stressed vs. Unstressed Syllables
  • Rhythm
  • Developing an Idea Through the Boxes
  • Master Class: Melodic Rhythm and Lyric Rhythm, Part 1
  • Master Class: Melodic Rhythm and Lyric Rhythm, Part 2
  • Master Class: Melodic Rhythm and Lyric Rhythm, Part 3
  • Master Class: Melodic Rhythm and Lyric Rhythm, Part 4
  • "Pieces," Part 1
  • "Pieces," Part 2
  • "Pieces," Part 3
  • Lesson 4 Suggested Reading
  • Join Your Study Group
  • Join Your Study Group
  • Making It Move

Summary of User Reviews

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

Many users found the course to be helpful for improving their songwriting skills.

Pros from User Reviews

  • Great course for beginners
  • Instructors provide valuable feedback
  • Good mix of theory and practice

Cons from User Reviews

  • Length of the course can be daunting
  • Some of the assignments were unclear
  • Not enough focus on melody and composition
English
Available now
Approx. 17 hours to complete
Pat Pattison
Berklee College of Music
Coursera

Instructor

Pat Pattison

  • 4.8 Raiting
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