General Tuition
This course is ideal if you are unsure how you should write or construct your songs. It can be a nightmare knowing if what you’re doing is ‘normal’ or ‘bad’, and it becomes easier to make these judgements if you understand some of the following things.
Songwriting
Let’s look at how songs are written, why those choices are made, what appeals to you about the songs you like, and ultimately how to write in a way which suits you. Ever tried scatting to find the lyrics? It can be surprisingly effective.
Instrument Selection
Unless you’re just using a guitar and your voice, you won’t have many issues selecting your instruments, but as soon are you start adding synthetics or drum samples, learning how to pick the right sound becomes a crucial step. Learn how to make the right sound choices here.
Song Structure
Structure is vital to understand to make sure your songs move smoothly and segue between sections naturally. Let’s look at how to have fun with the different parts of your songs.
Arrangement
Arrangement means which instrument or vocal parts you use in each part of the structure. For example, will you start with the bass and drums or should they be left until the first pre-chorus/bridge? Maybe the backing vocals should be muted in the first chorus repeat? These are kinds of things you’ll think about when considering your song’s arrangement.
Top-Line Writing
This just means your lead vocal melody. You might think you need to be more interesting in your melodies, or you might have no idea where to start at all! Some of it is your influences, and some of it is your confidence. Let’s work out how to get the best from your voice and how to use it to write the fun stuff! After all, if it isn’t fun, why are you doing music?!