If you’ve ever found yourself humming a tune or scribbling down lyrics on a napkin, you know the magic of songwriting. It’s a unique blend of creativity and technique, where emotions find their voice and stories come to life through melody and words. Whether you’re a budding songwriter looking to pen your first hit or an experienced musician eager to refine your craft, there’s always something new to learn in the world of songwriting.
With countless courses available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. That’s why I’ve curated a list of the 10 best songwriting courses that cater to various skill levels and musical interests. From crafting compelling lyrics to mastering the art of melody, these courses offer invaluable insights and techniques to help you unleash your inner songwriter.
So grab your guitar, sit back, and let’s explore the courses that could transform your songwriting journey.
1. The Fine Art of Songwriting (Steve Leslie)
Steve Leslie, a Grammy-winning songwriter, offers a comprehensive course titled The Fine Art of Songwriting through the Indie Music Academy. With over 25 years of experience, Leslie brings a wealth of knowledge to this five-week online course, which is designed for all artists and genres. The curriculum covers essential aspects of songwriting, including song structure, chord functions, melody writing, and lyric crafting. The course is highly interactive, featuring video lessons and downloadable resources, and aims to connect songwriters with their listeners on a deeper level. Leslie’s unique “burn the ships” money-back guarantee ensures that students commit fully to their songwriting journey.
Jacob Carter’s Lyrics Writing Course is a comprehensive online program designed to elevate the skills and creativity of aspiring lyricists and songwriters. With over a decade of experience, Jacob Carter guides students through an engaging curriculum consisting of six modules that cover essential aspects of lyric writing.
The course begins with finding inspiration, teaching students various creative writing methods to develop their unique style. As participants progress, they delve into lyrical structure and style, exploring different writing formats and analyzing famous song lyrics to understand effective songwriting techniques. You can also read how Jacob Carter analyzes the
lyrics meaning of hundreds of songs.
The course emphasizes crafting impactful lyrics by turning initial ideas into complete song drafts that resonate with audiences. Students learn to master literary tools such as imagery, metaphor, tense, and characterization, which are crucial for creating memorable and unique lyrics.
Additionally, the course provides genre-specific knowledge, helping students tailor their lyrics to different musical styles by understanding the common themes and signs of each genre.
Collaboration is another key focus, as students learn the art of co-writing and working effectively with other artists and songwriters. The course offers practical experience through hands-on exercises and real-life applications, ensuring that students can apply what they learn in practical settings. Participants also gain valuable industry insights from Carter’s extensive experience, equipping them with the knowledge needed to navigate the music industry.
This course is suitable for beginners, songwriters, and singer-songwriters who wish to improve their lyric writing skills. It provides lifetime access to comprehensive HD video lessons, printable resources, and all future course updates.
3. Songwriting Simplified: Music Theory, Melody & Creativity – Udemy
Songwriting Simplified on Udemy, taught by Steve Glazer, is a beginner-friendly course that demystifies the songwriting process. The course covers the fundamentals of music theory, chord progressions, melody writing, and lyric writing. Students will write a complete song by the end of the course, following a structured five-step process. The course is designed for those with basic guitar or piano skills and does not require prior music theory knowledge. It includes practical tips for writing catchy melodies, transposing songs, and over 20 downloadable PDFs to aid learning.
4. Commercial Songwriting Techniques – Berklee Online
Berklee Online’s Commercial Songwriting Techniques course, authored by multiplatinum songwriter Andrea Stolpe, focuses on the key elements of writing a hit song. The 12-week course teaches a ten-step process for creating memorable melodies and lyrics that resonate with listeners. Students learn to use sensory details and a technique called “destination writing” to enhance their descriptive skills. The course is designed to help songwriters streamline their writing process and produce songs that are both unique and commercially viable. By the end of the course, students will have written three complete songs.
5. How to Write Your First Song (The University of Sheffield)
Offered by the University of Sheffield, How to Write Your First Song is a free online course that provides a practical introduction to the mechanics of songwriting. The course features insights from established songwriters and covers essential topics such as melody, chords, and song structure. It is designed for beginners and aims to help students develop their first song from scratch. The course includes video sessions with songwriters discussing their creative processes and practical exercises to apply the concepts learned.
6. Songwriting and Composing Melodies (Lauren Buchter)
Lauren Buchter’s course on Skillshare, Songwriting and Composing Melodies, is ideal for aspiring songwriters and composers. This short, 30-minute course consists of eight videos that delve into creating memorable melodies and songs that tell stories. Buchter, a film and TV composer, shares techniques for crafting melodies that evoke specific emotions, such as heroic, romantic, or sad. The course includes a practical project where students create a custom piece of music based on a “creative brief,” simulating real-world composing scenarios. While some prior musical knowledge is helpful, the course is suitable for beginners.
7. Writing Song Lyrics: Create and Combine with Melody – City Lit
This course, offered by City Lit and taught by Polly Hewett, is ideal for songwriters and instrumentalists who find creating a melody easy but struggle with writing lyrics. The six-week online course focuses on generating original ideas and imagery from everyday experiences, structuring melodies, and using advanced lyrical techniques. Students will collaborate with class members, work on practical assignments, and aim to record their songs by the end of the course. The course covers various genres and provides a supportive environment for developing a unique lyric writing style.
8. Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics (Berklee College of Music)
Berklee College of Music offers a focused course on lyric writing, taught by Pat Pattison. This course is designed for beginners and experienced songwriters alike, aiming to show an efficient process for tailoring songs to express ideas and emotions. The course covers essential concepts like prosody, rhyme techniques, and phrasing to enhance lyrical messages. Students will engage in practical assignments, peer reviews, and quizzes to develop their songwriting skills. The course emphasizes the importance of the relationship between lyrics and melody, helping students create compelling and emotionally resonant songs.
9. Songwriting: Create Lyric Writing Approaches (Academy of Music and Sound Online)
This free course, available on Udemy and developed by the Academy of Music and Sound Online, is suitable for songwriters at all levels. Over four weeks, students will explore various lyric writing techniques, including journaling, sensory writing, and narrative creation. The course aims to invigorate or reinvigorate students’ lyrical output by providing practical, creative activities. Topics include “Show, Don’t Tell,” collecting inspiration, storytelling, and prosody. The course is designed to help songwriters overcome writer’s block and develop a consistent writing practice.
10. Songwriting: Writing, Arranging, and Producing Music (Berklee College of Music)
This comprehensive course from Berklee College of Music covers the entire songwriting process, from writing and arranging to producing music. It is part of multiple specializations, including The Singer-Songwriter and The DIY Musician. The course is structured into modules that focus on various aspects of songwriting, such as melodic design, harmonic techniques, and song structure. Students will learn to integrate lyrics and melody, develop emotional expression in their songs, and produce polished song demos. The course includes practical assignments, peer feedback, and insights into the music industry.
11. MasterClass: Songwriting with Alicia Keys
In her MasterClass, Alicia Keys shares her soulful approach to songwriting, including her methods for writing, recording, and producing music. With 15 Grammy Awards and over 40 million albums sold, Alicia Keys offers invaluable insights into her creative process. The course covers topics such as developing lyrics and melodies, exploring sonics, and using empathy in songwriting. Alicia breaks down her hit songs, like “Fallin’,” and provides practical advice on journaling, collaboration, and maintaining creative energy. This course is ideal for songwriters looking to learn from one of the industry’s most successful artists.
