The Songwriter's Toolkit: Learning from the Masters

Course details

There's a logical underpinning to most great pop tunes. In this course, musician Julian Velard digs into this logic, pulling back the curtain on how the masters approach songwriting—and how you can leverage the time-tested principles they employ to craft your own original material. Julian shows how to put each of these techniques into action using songs he crafted specifically for this course. Learn how to add an outro to your tunes, experiment with multiple bridges, use modulation in a duet, and more.

Learning objectives
Using your bridge as an intro
Adding an outro to your song
Reharmonizing a chorus as an outro
Ditching a verse
Experimenting with multiple bridges
Using modulation in a duet
Using the tonic chord

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Learn techniques from master songwriters
02 - What you should know before watching

1. Songwriting Techniques Learned from the Masters

03 - Use your bridge as an intro
04 - Add an outro to your song
05 - Create a completely different outro
06 - Write an outro and intro that are the same
07 - Re-harmonize the chorus as an outro
08 - Break up the verse and chorus with a pre-chorus
09 - Ditch the verse
10 - Experiment with multiple bridges
11 - Use the rondo song form
12 - Use modulation in a duet
13 - Modulate a verse, then return to the original key
14 - Continue to modulate
15 - Use the tonic chord in an unexpected place
16 - Never use the tonic chord
17 - Consistent melody in the verse and chorus

Conclusion

18 - Next steps

The Songwriter's Toolkit: Learning from the Masters

Authors

Julian Velard

Course details

Skills covered

Concepts

0. Introduction

1. Songwriting Techniques Learned from the Masters

Conclusion

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