Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome to your songwriting course!
This course is great for beginners, but we advise having a working knowledge of chords, melodies, and general music composition practises. You don't have to be great, but if you want to write your own songs alongside this course you will need some basic musicianship skills behind you!
Let's dive in! This is an introduction to who we are, who Irwin is, and the goals of this course.
Chapter 2: Lyric Writing
In this chapter, we are going to cover how songwriters approach writing lyrics.
This process will be different for everyone, but the hardest part is always getting started. Choosing your theme, getting your core ideas down on paper, and constructing that narrative that'll hold your musical vision together!
Chapter 3: Melody and Harmony
In this episode, we are exploring ways of building and developing your song's melody and chord structure - let's dive in!
Chapter 4: Rhythm
Rhythm and meter is such a core part of contemporary music that it really requires a course all on it's own, but here we're digging into the fundamentals.
Remember, rhythm extends much further than just the drum part. Accented strumming patterns, piano chord 'vamping', and (of course) the bass line all greatly contribute to the overall rhythmic feel of a piece of music or section - think carefully about this when writing and recording your music!
Chapter 5: A New Approach
What you'll see in these videos is Irwin Sparkes' preferred way of writing. We're looking at a totally new piece of music from what came earlier in the course, so we can see how a professional songwriter starts with nothing and slowly builds the song from scratch.
Have you seen our 'Learn Music Theory' course?
For beginners, we cover note names, chords, scales, basics of notation, and more. For intermediates we look at taking these skills to the next level, as well as exploring topics like modes, extended chords, and an introduction to the orchestra.
Have you seen our 'How To Write Music' course?
Whether you are just starting out, or looking to take your skills to the next level, How To Write Music explores the fundamental skills that underpin every great piece of music whether it’s a song or a film score, string quartet or video game soundtrack.
The course aims to give you a process for writing effective music, regardless of genre - so check it out!