This course is part of the Songwriting: Writing, Arranging, and Producing Music Specialization

4.9
stars
32 ratings

Scarlet Keys

8,317 already enrolled

Offered By

Songwriting: Writing, Arranging, and Producing Music SpecializationBerklee

About this Course

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If your notebook is full of unused lyrics and you’re struggling to find inspiration for the music, this course is for you. Whether you are an experienced songwriter looking for new ideas or a beginning songwriter learning to read music, this course will lead you to a rich source of songwriting possibilities. 
Led by award winning songwriter and Berklee College of Music professor Scarlet Keys, you’ll learn to construct strong, expressive melodies that your audience will remember as well as experiment with new chords to break out of any harmonic rut. Whether you are new to writing music or are looking for new ideas to change up your songs, this class will teach you how to make deliberate choices with your harmonies and melodies to best emulate the emotions you want your audience to feel. You will start by discovering common chord progression and tying specific emotions to each chords in a scale. Then you will practice changing the harmonic and melodic rhythm of a song to better highlight important lyrics. Finally, you will learn to create melodic hooks and simple techniques to help you generate new melodic ideas.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 4 in the

Songwriting: Writing, Arranging, and Producing Music Specialization

Intermediate Level

Experience creating original lyrics and some knowledge of basic music theory.

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

Melodic Hooks
Melody
Music
Harmony
Songwriting

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 4 in the

Songwriting: Writing, Arranging, and Producing Music Specialization

Intermediate Level

Experience creating original lyrics and some knowledge of basic music theory.

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.93/5 (15 Ratings)

Scarlet Keys

Professor

Songwriting

8,317 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

Berklee

Established in 1945, Berklee is at the forefront of contemporary music education, bringing its award-winning curriculum to more than 3.5 million students around the world. Currently comprising Berklee College of Music, Berklee Online, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee NYC, Berklee Summer Programs, and more, Berklee is shaping the key players of tomorrow’s music industry. With innovative programs in performance, production, business, theater, dance, and more, students come away from their Berklee experience with a professional portfolio, practical job skills, and a strong sense of community.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Welcome to Songwriting: Writing the Music

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 2 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz

2 hours to complete

Choosing Emotive Chords

2 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 31 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

8 videos

What You'll Learn in Lesson 156sDiatonic Chords in a Major Key2mHow to Choose the Perfect Storytelling Chords6mCommon Chord Progressions4mNon-diatonic Chords in Major Keys5mChords that Break Your Soul3mDiatonic Chords in a Minor Key2mMinor Key Chord Progressions4m

3 readings

Lesson 1 Suggested Reading10mLesson 1 Listening List10mJoin Your Study Group10m

2 practice exercises

Choosing Emotive Chords30mSelf-Assessment: Add Chords to a Verse15m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Creating Contrast with Harmonic Rhythm

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 19 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

6 videos

What You'll Learn in Lesson 242sAdding Tensions to Major Key Progressions4mAdding Tensions to Minor Key Progressions3mHarmonic Rhythm1mCreate Contrast with Harmonic Rhythm2mHighlighting Lyrics with Harmonic Rhythm6m

4 readings

Lesson 2 Suggested Reading10mLesson 2 Listening List10mTypes of 7th Chords10mJoin Your Study Group10m

2 practice exercises

Create Contrast with Harmonic Rhythm30mSelf-Assessment: Create Contrasting Song Sections30m

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Developing Interesting Melodies

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 28 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Telling a Story with the Music

In this final lesson, we will begin to put everything together to help our lyrics tell their story. We will discover how to highlight our melodies by using chord tones and non-chord tones from our harmonies. We will also focus on setting our lyrics to the melody and harmony in a way that highlights the meaning we want to convey to the audience. Finally, we will practice creating melodies in minor keys.

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 28 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

Reviews

4.9

13 reviews

5 stars
93.75%
4 stars
6.25%

TOP REVIEWS FROM SONGWRITING: WRITING THE MUSIC

by HVMar 17, 2022

Super helpful primer on the key things to think about when selecting chords and rhythms for a song!

by BMJul 10, 2022

That was a great course and I loved the chords lessons in songwriting.

Thanks.

by HCJan 8, 2022

It really helped me understand how the music plays a part in a song, working with the lyrics. It encouraged me to try out stuff and write fearlessly.

View all reviews

About the Songwriting: Writing, Arranging, and Producing Music Specialization

This specialization will provide aspiring and established songwriters with the strategies and practices to develop hit songs. The award-winning Berklee Songwriting Faculty have selected four comprehensive courses, each one devoted to a different song element, to help you get the most out of your musical ideas. Starting with the lyrics and music, you will learn how to generate thought-provoking ways to express the emotions you wish to portray. From there, you will develop your song into a balanced musical arrangement with complete accompaniment. The final project will take you through the process of producing your own demos using Ableton Live, one of the most exciting digital audio workstations (DAW) on the market today.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Songwriting: Writing the Music

About this Course

Skills you will gain