Songwriting is an art form that combines creativity, technical skill, and emotional expression. Whether you’re a budding lyricist or an experienced musician looking to refine your craft, taking a songwriting course can provide valuable insights and techniques to elevate your work.
In this article, we explore ten of the best songwriting courses available today, each offering unique approaches and expert guidance to help you unlock your melodic potential and write compelling lyrics.
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 hone their craft. With over 10 years of experience in the field, Carter offers valuable insights and practical techniques to improve your lyric writing skills.
The course is structured into six modules, covering essential aspects of songwriting:
- Finding Your Inspiration
- Lyrical Structure and Style
- How to Write Lyrics
- Developing Songwriting Depth
- Understanding Genre
- Learn How to Co-write
Each module includes HD video lessons, practical exercises, and industry insider tips to help students develop their skills. The course is designed to be flexible, allowing students to learn at their own pace and revisit materials as needed.
Students who have taken the course praise its comprehensive approach and the practical skills they’ve gained. Many report feeling more confident in their ability to write meaningful and captivating lyrics after completing the program.
For those interested in personalized guidance, the course also offers an option for one-on-one mentoring at an additional cost.
2. Writing Song Lyrics: Create and Combine with Melody – City Lit
This course is ideal for songwriters and instrumentalists who find creating a melody easy but struggle with writing lyrics. Over six weeks, participants will learn to generate original ideas from everyday experiences, understand the structure and form of a melody, and master both basic and advanced techniques in lyric writing. The course emphasizes practical work and collaboration, culminating in the recording of a song by the end of the course.
Taught by Polly Hewett, a seasoned multi-instrumentalist and composer, this course offers a comprehensive approach to integrating lyrics with melody, making it perfect for those looking to create compelling songs.
3. Lyric Writing: Tools and Strategies – Berklee Online
Authored by Pat Pattison, this 12-week course from Berklee Online is designed to sharpen your lyric writing skills. It covers generating better ideas, finding the right words, and organizing rhythms and rhymes into compelling verses, choruses, and bridges.
The course is suitable for both beginners and seasoned writers, offering techniques that have helped Pattison’s students win Grammys and write number-one songs. By the end of the course, participants will have learned to create more vivid lyrics and effectively structure their songs.
4. Songwriting: Lyric Writing – Elevate with ICMP
This course is entirely dedicated to lyric writing and offers a detailed exploration of various elements such as structure, rhyming schemes, and storytelling. It includes interactive elements like writing to briefs, which simulate real-world songwriting scenarios.
The course is designed to help songwriters at any level refine their skills, with a focus on creative writing and the use of literary devices and language techniques. It is flexible and can be taken at your own pace, making it a convenient option for busy individuals.
5. The Lyric Writer’s Workroom – Songcraft
Songcraft’s Lyric Writer’s Workroom offers a dynamic approach to lyric writing, emphasizing collaboration and real-time feedback. This platform is ideal for songwriters who thrive in a collaborative environment and want to experiment with different lyrical styles and structures.
It provides tools such as rhyming dictionaries and thesauruses, enhancing the songwriter’s palette. The course is designed to help you write better songs by improving your lyrical skills through practice and feedback from peers.
6. The Art of Songwriting – The Open University (FutureLearn)
This six-week course provides a practical introduction to the mechanics of songwriting. It covers fundamental elements such as melody, rhythm, harmony, metre, and key, and explores the relationship between words and music. Participants will learn how to set words to rhythm, create effective melodies, and structure their songs.
The course features insights from established musicians and songwriters, offering a blend of theoretical and practical knowledge. It is suitable for complete novices, budding amateurs, and accomplished professionals looking to brush up on the basics
7. Songwriting Simplified: Music Theory, Melody & Creativity – Udemy
This comprehensive course on Udemy is designed to take you through the entire songwriting process, from understanding music theory to writing complete songs. It covers fundamentals such as chord progressions, melody writing, and lyric writing. By the end of the course, you will have written a complete song.
The course is particularly beneficial for beginners and intermediate songwriters, offering practical tips and tricks used by professional songwriters. It also includes over 20 downloadable PDFs and easy-to-read charts for piano and guitar chords and scales, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to write songs in pop, country, or rock styles.
8. Commercial Songwriting Techniques – Berklee Online
Authored by multiplatinum songwriter Andrea Stolpe, this 12-week course focuses on writing songs for commercial success. It teaches a ten-step process to reproduce the traits of successful songs while maintaining your unique voice.
The course covers techniques such as destination writing, which uses all senses as springboards for creativity, and toggling, which helps control the connection to the audience by moving between detail and broader perspectives. By the end of the course, you will have three completely written songs and firm ideas for future projects.
9. Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics – Berklee Online (Coursera)
Taught by renowned lyricist Pat Pattison, this course on Coursera delves into the intricacies of lyric writing. It covers the use of multi-syllable and one-syllable words, stressed vs. unstressed syllables, and the rhythm of lyrics.
The course also explores the concept of prosody, ensuring that your lyrics and music work together harmoniously. With a mix of videos, readings, quizzes, and peer reviews, this course provides a structured approach to developing compelling lyrics and is highly recommended for both beginners and experienced songwriters.
10. How to Write Lyrics – The Song Foundry
This course by The Song Foundry, created by Ed Bell, is a comprehensive guide to writing impactful lyrics. It includes over five hours of HD video lessons and a 32-page course booklet.
The course covers essential topics such as rhyme, lyric structure, writing singable lyrics, and prosody. It also provides practical strategies for brainstorming, drafting, and rewriting lyrics.
The course is designed to help you develop catchy, well-structured lyrics that leave a lasting impact on your audience, making it suitable for songwriters at any level1020.
