Songwriting Lessons with Sari Brown - Topics & Concepts Taught

topics & concepts taught

Writing Music

Melodic and rhythmic strucuring—understanding it in other songs and creating it in your own

Various modes and approaches to writing music

Exercises and assignments to spark musical ideas—to create new melodies and song structures

Combining vocal and instrumental parts melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically

Utilizing music theory and scales in songwriting

“The Classics”—employing standard progressions and classic styles for your songs

“Writing for a band”—writing songs with particular genres, instruments, and arrangements in mind; rhythmical logic and utilizing “the band feel” to its fullest potential

“The film score” approach—writing on musical themes

Various basics of stringed instrument playing and music theory, whenever applicable and neccesary in the songwriting process

Writing Lyrics

Various lyrical styles and approaches

Rhyming patterns and techniques

Excersises and assignments to spark lyrical and poetic creation

Combining music and lyrics

Self-expression in songwriting—daring to be vulnerable, sounding how you want to sound and not how you think you should sound

Specific tools to employ to avoid cliches

Writing on themes—writing for a cause, writing songs in a series, making lyrics cohesive and thematic within individual songs as well as strings of songs

Dramatic elements—“drawing people in”, storytelling, and building a case for your lyrics using your music

Making songs accessible to an audience, while not compromising your vision

Comparing songs to other written forms (novels, poetry, journaling, etc.) and how to borrow from these forms to aid your songwriting

Performing

Would work with the student dynamically in the area of the music world they are interested in, and would focus on their own personal songwriting goals and visions

Performing techniques, encouragement, and counsel

Help with translating the student’s artistic vision into performing abilities and stage presence

Support and counsel on performing one’s own songs, and the vulnerability that goes along with that

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