Hit Songwriting

Hit Songwriting Super-Course | London

Taken on its own or as part of our Songwriting & Production Master Diploma, our two comprehensive songwriting courses comprise an exciting 8-session programme that will transform the way you write, record, produce, perform-and even sell-your music.

We’re confident that our courses present superb value-why sit through 2 or 3-year degree courses that are padded out with filler material and spend £10,000+ in the process? Or spend further thousands on retreats and bootcamps that offer beautiful scenery and perhaps even genuine camaraderie, but very little in the way of the “hardcore” information that our courses contain? Or, even worse, acquire the knowledge you need in piecemeal fashion from Youtube videos, cheap online tutorials or ineffective weekend courses? Plus, much of the material presented here is simply not available anywhere else, because it is based on our own obsessive research into what makes a great song great!

Allow us to take a guess: many of you will have experienced the painful reality of being turned away by industry gatekeepers, or struggling to build a fanbase. Help is at hand! Have a look at the exciting topics we will be covering in these courses:

Hit Songwriting 101: The 3 Traditional Pillars of Songwriting: Lyrics, Melody & Chords (£499)

• Is there a formula for writing a hit song without sounding formulaic? There is!
• Melodies that move people-how to write from the heart whilst knowing exactly what you’re doing as you learn how every note has its own distinct emotional value
• Lyrics that tell a story or describe a special moment in time-no more generic filler or embarrassing rhymes!
• Start writing your own lyric from scratch and rewrite and polish it with the help of the tutor and the whole group.
• Chords that build the emotional foundation for the song – no more head-scratching or relying on clinical chord writing apps.
• Melodic Rhythm-a hugely underrated skill that will make a big difference to your songwriting if you master it.
• Chorus development and insider hook writing tricks that you’ll wish you’d heard about sooner.
• Song structure and melodic development to keep your listener captivated throughout the whole song.
• Many unique concepts and practical exercises that are far removed from boring music lessons: The Zookeeper, The Assassin, The Brainwash.
• Advanced melody, harmony and lyrics concepts including in-depth analysis of a massive hit song with the help of a unique, high-tech songwriting “dashboard”.
• Finish the song you started on day one and walk home with a polished professional lyric you can use for your own songwriting career.
• Bring in your own material (optional) and have it optimised by our instructor Alex Von Soos, which will be like a mini co-writing session with a No.1 writer without having to give up any of your publishing share!
• “Career Advice”: a personalised training plan (focusing on “pure” songwriting) for the time after the course so you can get to where you want to get without too many detours!

Hit Songwriting 201 : The 21^st Century 4^th Pillar: Song Arrangement & Production (£499)

• How to listen to music-really listen-to reveal the beauty of modern songwriting and production and how you can use examples from the best craftspeople in the business to polish your own songs to a higher degree than ever before.
• The importance of rhythm and groove how to build exciting drum tracks.
• The value of determining your bass line and sound early on in the writing process.
• How to quickly research any genre to make sure your take on it sounds legit rather than like a karaoke version.
• Assemble a professional sound palette to supercharge your songwriting-you will be amazed at how much more inspiration you’ll get from using pro sounds rather than what is built into Garageband or smartphone/tablet apps! Some of these sounds and effects are free or very cheap-but you need to know where the pros look!
• The multi-dimensional “axes” of sound that allow you to paint a picture with your music.
• How to produce singers like a pro-the mysteries of vocal technique, recording, editing and mixing revealed, including the all-important psychology of singing!
• Bring in your own productions (optional) and have them critiqued by our instructor Alex Von Soos which will be like a mini co-producing session with a No.1 writer/producer!
• “Career Advice”: a personalised training plan (focusing on arrangement/production) for the time after the course so you can get to where you want to get without too many detours!
• “Path To Success”: how every choice you make in songwriting and production filters through to what friends, fans, consumers, tastemakers and industry gatekeepers will eventually like-or skip! Shorten the odds in your favour by seeing the whole picture in this exciting and brand-new module!

The main focus of the 201 course is not so much the technical production aspect-we cover this in much greater depth in our other courses-but the emotional side of music. Taking the listener on a journey from beginning to middle to end involves a deep knowledge of all the elements that are under our control as writers, producers and performers. And the first elements that any listener will hear are: the vibe and the sound!

To put it a different way, you may well be proficient in one area (i.e. lyrics, programming, singing), but in today’s music business you really need to understand how the many different facets of modern music creation are brought together and have a good grasp of all the skills involved, even if you don’t do everything yourself and end up collaborating with someone who complements your strengths-which is something we recommend anyway. You might even find a great collaborator during our courses-and afterwards you will be able to “talk shop” in every department. This is so much better than not being able to get your ideas across and then being frustrated after having spent a lot of time (and sometimes a lot of money too) on a production that doesn’t sound like you!

So that’s why we really advocate taking both courses together (the Super Course) for the reduced price of £799. Quite apart from the substantial savings (£199), you will learn a complete, totally integrated system for coming up with beautiful music that moves people. You will appreciate music-including your own-like never before and whether you want to become professional songwriters yourselves one day or simply write your best songs ever, you will find all the secrets revealed in these courses-just bring your own talent and luck!

And yes it’s nice to buy a new guitar or the latest toys for your studio-but how about acquiring a wizard-like superpower that lets you write and produce with flair and confidence? If you’re really serious about your songwriting, then this is what we promise-no less…

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Songwriting Super Course | 11:30am to 6:30pm | £799

2019

E) Winter Intensive: January 19 – 27 with a rest/assignment day on 23 January

F) Easter Intensive: April 20–28 with a rest/assignment day on 24 April

G) Summer Weekend: June 22 & 23, 29 & 30, July 6 & 7, 13 & 14

2020: Similar schedule

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