How to Write Your First Song

The University of Sheffield via FutureLearn

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Details

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Provider

FutureLearn
Pricing

Free Online Course (Audit)
Languages

English
Certificate

$134.00 Certificate Available
Duration & workload

6 weeks, 3 hours a week
Sessions

On-Demand

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Ever wanted to write a song, but not known how?

This course will introduce you to the tools and techniques you need to write your first song. You’ll look at some of the fundamentals of songwriting, building your knowledge as you progress.

By the time you’re done, you’ll have gone through the process of writing your own song, working with pitch, melody, chord progressions and more.

Learn how to write a song

The art of songwriting is one that just about anyone can learn. Whether or not you’ve tried your hand at music composition in the past, this course gives you the opportunity to get creative.

As you work your way through, you’ll learn how to make a song, exploring the main steps involved in the process.

Explore the principles of songwriting

Writing songs is an enjoyable and creative way to express yourself. With this course, you’ll discover the underlying principles of song composition.

As well as looking at how to set words to a rhythm, you’ll examine what an effective melody looks like, and how to structure your piece. These techniques can help you write future songs on your own.

Create a song of your own

If you’re struggling with how to write song lyrics or what to write a song about, we’ve got you covered. Each week, using specially-commissioned lyrics, we’ll build up a song and encourage you to do the same.

World-renowned musician, Martin Simpson, will use the same words and techniques and we’ll check in with him each week for inspiration and guidance on the songwriting process.

We’ll also talk to experts in music and psychology as well as established musicians and songwriters to find out what makes a song successful.

Whether you’re a complete novice who has never written a song in their life, a budding amateur looking to develop further skills or an accomplished professional brushing up on the basics, this course will deliver comprehensive practical and theoretical knowledge to help set you on your path.

While it will be useful to have access to a musical instrument this is not a requirement, you can participate in the course just using your voice or with freely available music software.

Syllabus

What's involved in songwriting?

Welcome to the course
Getting started
Writing your song
The songwriting challenge

Words, music and time

Welcome to Week 2
The five musical elements
Setting words to music
Time and pitch
The songwriting challenge

Working with melody

Welcome to Week 3
The ingredients of melody
What makes an effective melody?
The songwriting challenge

Chords and chord progressions

Welcome to Week 4
Major and minor chords
Chord types and chord progressions
The songwriting challenge

Song forms

Welcome to Week 5
Chorus, verse, refrain
The songwriting challenge

Putting the elements together

Welcome to Week 6
Arranging your song
Final course assessment
The songwriting challenge

Taught by

Adam White

Reviews

4.8 rating, based on 168 Class Central reviews

Start your review of How to Write Your First Song

Anonymous

I am sorry to leave a rather negative review. I stayed through the course and I am trying to put some of the advice into practice, but in the end, I didn’t find the course particularly engaging or effective. The course is heavily based on music…

I am sorry to leave a rather negative review. I stayed through the course and I am trying to put some of the advice into practice, but in the end, I didn’t find the course particularly engaging or effective.

The course is heavily based on music theory, much of which is skimmed over too quickly if you are new to it. It is also based around a set of lyrics or a poem which is not tailor made for a simple introduction to song writing. Many of the contributions from song writers are rather anecdotal. Perhaps this is why there were rather few musical contributions from course participants - the dropout rate might have been quite high or perhaps people simply stopped adding comments. This lack of interaction certainly didn’t encourage me to contribute my own efforts.

I have picked up a few tips but nothing very much that was not already available on the internet. The most useful thing was the list of musical components that make up a song. The least useful thing was treating the list as a sort of recipe for song writing. Nowhere were we introduced to or made to think about the motives for writing, the audiences we might write for or the purpose of songs. In the end, the lack of context might have been the biggest weakness.
Anonymous

If you're aiming to write your first song, this course has a lot to offer you. I enjoyed learning how experienced song writers pursue their craft through listening to their talks in the many videos. This course is well worth pursuing!
Ashaylia Da'lynn Charm Chavis

I love this class and it helps me alot and it can help you to try to make a song your self and i think it just going to work out great for who ever decided you take it.

Ashaylia Chavis
Pam Gould

Fabulous course. The emphasis is on music rather than lyrics. The 'lyrics' are provided by poet Matt Black, to use as you see fit. The song writing process is broken down into its basic elements with wonderful interviews with performers and video demonstrations. There are also excellent interviews with songwriters and producers, And Martin Simpson, folk singer/songwriter and stunning guitarist, writes his song along with you, laying bare his process. You'll listen to wide variety of music, and you can share your own music with fellow students.
Kathleen Littlejohn

This course has taught me a lot about writing music to go with lyrics, and it's enabled me to have fun composing melodies using free online software and sharing them online. A few people were disappointed because the title doesn't make it clear tha…

This course has taught me a lot about writing music to go with lyrics, and it's enabled me to have fun composing melodies using free online software and sharing them online.

A few people were disappointed because the title doesn't make it clear that this course doesn't teach lyric-writing but, because the course team provided three versions of a poem/lyric, most of us didn't need to learn to write words in order to learn the music part. I tried all three versions, as well as my own, so I've created four melodies and received useful feedback from my fellow learners. I've also learned a few tips on writing lyrics with music in mind.

I didn't find the study group idea very useful but that might be because there were so many friendly and supportive learners writing helpful comments and replies at the bottom of most pages. It was also nice to see occasional contributions from people who'd been in the videos.

The music theory felt like heavy-going to me, because I didn't know many relevant technical words before the course. However, because I've kept full notes. I plan to apply the theory to my practise and improve my knowledge of the terms, alongside my melodies.
Anonymous

An excellent course which I've very much enjoyed. Wrote a song though didn't share it as I just can't sing! I've been a sax player for some years and love improvising but have found traditional chordal theory too overwhelming for my brain so do it…

An excellent course which I've very much enjoyed. Wrote a song though didn't share it as I just can't sing! I've been a sax player for some years and love improvising but have found traditional chordal theory too overwhelming for my brain so do it instinctively. But I must admit the section of this course on chord progressions really helped me. Not only with playing the sax but with enriching the songs that I write. I've always been aware of their simplistic chord progressions but never really known how to correct that. I wrote a song called Their Town right at the beginning of the course and as the weeks have gone on it's become enriched with chord progressions that I'm really proud of. So thanks Adam and everyone. I look forward to developing my skills further. In particular have bought a book called Chord Progressions: Theory and Practice by Dan Fox and Dick Weissman and chord sequences are now really beginning to make sense!
Anonymous

Great course covering lots of ground. You don't need to be able to write or read music, though if you play an instrument it helps! The vdeos were good, not only the tutor's videos, but those from songwriters - how they go about the process of writi…

Great course covering lots of ground. You don't need to be able to write or read music, though if you play an instrument it helps! The vdeos were good, not only the tutor's videos, but those from songwriters - how they go about the process of writing songs. There are playlists each week to emphasise points covered that week. There was one week I struggled, but mostly I was okay. One thing I did find overwhelming was the technology. Most people used music software to record their song. Although I used Audacity, it was at a very basic level. I didn't have the time to get to grips with better ones. However, now I have completed the course I can look into these at my leisure. The course discusses the structure of songwriting, scansion, chord progression, writing the catchy chorus. I felt the course progressed steadily and, apart from that one week, I didn't find there was too much to deal with each week. If you've ever wanted to have a go, this is the course. If you've written before, then this will help you write a better song.
Anonymous

A very high quality & enjoyable course. The tutors, presenters and guest musicians are all excellent - well-informed & engaging personalities. We were exposed to a broad range of musical styles and influences, from the weekly playlists for listening…

A very high quality & enjoyable course. The tutors, presenters and guest musicians are all excellent - well-informed & engaging personalities. We were exposed to a broad range of musical styles and influences, from the weekly playlists for listening & discussion, and the guests musicians talking about their creative processes. There is a great deal of complex material to be taken on board (even people with some previous music experience will probably still learn a lot), but many complex musical ideas are all presented in a friendly & relaxed manner. At the same time, several of the presenters discussed their craft and sources of inspiration in a very low-key, non-technical manner (which made for a interesting contrast). I should also say that for those who wish to get deeply immersed in the course and attempt to craft their own song versions - the course can involve quite a lot of time & effort. But the commitment & effort will, I suppose, vary considerably between individual students, depending on what they wish to get out of the course.
David Parkin

The course starts slowly and builds at just the right pace, the amount of work you put in is up to you but if you work on the song around the weeks topic it is probably easier, I didn’t do that and am now backtracking, revising little bits to refres…

The course starts slowly and builds at just the right pace, the amount of work you put in is up to you but if you work on the song around the weeks topic it is probably easier, I didn’t do that and am now backtracking, revising little bits to refresh my memory.
I haven’t used the lyrics provided but worked on the theme of My Town in my own way. Perhaps a less focused poem would be better. Adam is a great communicator and the interviews with musicians were very helpful. I would have liked a bit more detail, chords etc and more weekly visits from Martin Simpson. I didn’t fully understand or find the link to hear other students songs on I cloud, perhaps this could be highlighted more.
I am still working on my song and need to look back on a couple of the weeks. I will also have a go using the poem as well in the coming weeks. Thank you for a really well structured, entertaining and inspirational course.
Anonymous

It is a very well-made and generous course for those who are trying to communicate their ideas by writing songs and song lyrics. However, I found that this course is specifically made for people who don't know a lot about songwriting in general, not…

It is a very well-made and generous course for those who are trying to communicate their ideas by writing songs and song lyrics.
However, I found that this course is specifically made for people who don't know a lot about songwriting in general, not for those searching for the right way to produce their song (an example would be those who are looking forward to learning how electronic softwares work, learning about wave shapes or reverb, etc).
But it is still an opportunity not to be missed to learn or even re-learn the basic ingredients of the songs, and the layering of different aspects of it.

I finally want to thank everybody who was involved in this course, and a huge thank you to The University of Sheffield for making this course. I will definitely be looking forward to seeing other powerful courses on FutureLearn like this one.
Anonymous

A really interesting course on many levels. I enjoyed the weekly selection of tracks to illustrate the focus of each week's learning, which has really enriched both my learning and how I listen to music. Having the opportunity to hear professional m…

A really interesting course on many levels. I enjoyed the weekly selection of tracks to illustrate the focus of each week's learning, which has really enriched both my learning and how I listen to music. Having the opportunity to hear professional musicians discuss their work was a great opportunity too, and added extra interest and motivation to get writing.

The core of the course was interesting, thought provoking, and provided a good balance between theory and practice, with discussion points from other learners often providing interesting further links to follow up.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the course and learned a great deal in relation to my main aim of developing my early song writing, I also find myself motivated to improve my playing, and am looking to learn more about music theory.
Anonymous

Fantastic course. I started this course as a lyricist only with no idea how to write a song. The course has given me an intro into writing music and the basic knowledge to start creating a song. I regret that I don’t play an instrument as I would ha…

Fantastic course. I started this course as a lyricist only with no idea how to write a song. The course has given me an intro into writing music and the basic knowledge to start creating a song. I regret that I don’t play an instrument as I would have gotten so much more from the course had I been able to add accompaniment. It has made me determined to master at least one instrument. It has also introduced me to apps such as Hookpad and to SoundCloud although I’m still trying to master them, too. Thank you to everyone involved in the course. I know from writing management courses myself just how much work is involved in bringing it altogether as a structured, cohesive and flowing learning experience for the student. I would expect nothing less from the OU. Thank you.
Carole Tucker
Anonymous

This course has definitely de-mystified songwriting for me. It is a brilliant course, and I would recommend it to all musicians who have never written a song, as well as those those who have taken tentative steps into writing but are unsure what to…

This course has definitely de-mystified songwriting for me. It is a brilliant course, and I would recommend it to all musicians who have never written a song, as well as those those who have taken tentative steps into writing but are unsure what to make of it all. It is clearly structured, with achievable learning outcomes and all the necessary information to start writing your own song.

Adam highlights the most important things about songwriting again and again. In addition to form, melody, rhythm, scansion and all the other musical considerations, Adam reminds us that the most important thing in music is to experiment, have fun, and keep writing. It can be so easy to forget it when thinking of all the different components that make up a song. Thank-you Adam for reminding me of this.
Anonymous

This course was really well presented . It covered all the principal elements of music in a way that was clearly understandable. The staging and course layout was highly commendable. The demonstrations and activities, interviews to accompany the e…

This course was really well presented . It covered all the principal elements of music in a way that was clearly understandable. The staging and course layout was highly commendable.

The demonstrations and activities, interviews to accompany the educational instruction really brought everything to life.
The insights into the songwriting process; how to use texts; scansion; melodic phrases; rhythmic units; scales; modes; keys; to understand the techniques used so as to find your own voice and express what you want to say were all excellent.
One thing, however, that could have been given more attention was tempo. It was mentioned but there was no clear outline or attempt to represent tempo or , I might add, expressive markings in music. This was quite a serious omission!

Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Anonymous

I am very greatful to Adam and the team. I have just started playing an instrument (in my retirement) and could not understand music theory.
This course has clarified the mystery of how music works. I cannot believe how much difference it has made in just six weeks.
I now understand what I am seeing and hearing when I learn or (unbelievably) compose/construct a piece. I am only allowed, by my children and grandchildren, nephews nieces, friends and neighbours to sing in private. Despite this I enjoy putting words to the chords and notes I string together, they now sound like music, whereas before they sounded like my singing.
I am so happy.
Thankyou
RK
Anonymous

I found the six weeks course very enjoyable and instructive. I had already written and recorded several songs, but I had never had any instruction before. The course has provided me with a better understanding of the process of producing a good song.
I now feel more confident about writing my next song with a number of extra techniques for improving the quality of a song.
The structure of the course and the quality the presentations were of a high standard.
When I started the course I had no intention of upgrading it, but I did so.
David Potter

The tutors, interviewees/artistes and general advice to/encouragement of participants (students) were always helpful, inspiring and positive. I found the musical theory the hardest part of the course to grasp and understand, which is where other st…

The tutors, interviewees/artistes and general advice to/encouragement of participants (students) were always helpful, inspiring and positive. I found the musical theory the hardest part of the course to grasp and understand, which is where other students comments and advice was always useful. Most songwriters feel that the music and words are equally important but I thought the course gave much more attention and importance to the music and more could have been done with the lyric writing (and ways to inspire this) content. Some of the artists interviewed were rather flippant about the words which maybe reflects the current dearth of meaningful songwriting in mainstream pop / rock with the emphasis more on beat ,rhythm
and repetitiveness rather than melody and story-telling and more imaginative writing and/or social comment. I don't think using someone else's poem was the best way to encourage a student to write their first song - better if one had been encouraged to dip into one's own inner store and unlock ideas and inspiration there. Adapting / putting a poem to music could then be looked at as a later stage / way of exploring a different avenue /offshoot of songwriting. I did not connect with the poem used in the course or wish to make a musical construct of it but the examples made by students in the last part of the course were all excellent and original and Martin Simpson showed what can be done by a true musical genius. And I was pleased with the song that I wrote as a result of doing the course. A big thank- you to all involved.
Anonymous

Frankly speaking, I find this course really engaging and didn't expect it to share so much mindset I've never encountered. Some parts made me want to keep going and learn more that I couldn't stop. A big thanks and thumbs up! I learnt so much from this course! Gonna dive into my songwriting world now~
Anonymous

This was a great course for someone who has been writing songs but without any musical background. It has enhanced my skills and given more meaning to what I am doing and would be doing in the future. Hope to get more courses that will continue to make me grow. Thank you very much!
Anonymous

This was such a great course for learning how to song write and to develop my skills and deepen my understanding in music. Learning to clean up my songs and give them proper shape it has helped my songwriting considerably. I highly recommend this course for all levels of study as even the basics can be just as important to study again and giving you a different perspective for your music writing. Thank you for developing such a beneficial course!

Go to class

Ever wanted to write a song, but not known how?

Learn how to write a song

Explore the principles of songwriting

Create a song of your own

Taught by

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