“How did you write that? I mean, where do you start – melody first? Lyrics? What made you think of it in the first place?” I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked these questions! Some people are simply curious to know how it’s done; others are budding songwriters wanting cues and guidance. So this tutorial has been created to show how I came to songwriting and the methodology I use once the first creative spark has been lit.
The angle I’ve taken is to use my songs as vehicles to illustrate the various themes in this tutorial. This has mainly been to save time seeking permissions. I’ve been able to give examples of almost all the themes in this tutorial using songs from my repertoire which has speeded up the process of making this tutorial. I have also used examples from other songwriters, many of whom have inspired my work and choir singers around the world.
The tutorial is divided into different chapters. If you want to get straight into the nuts & bolts of songwriting you may want to skip the ‘Helen’s Story’ chapter. At the end there are two chapters on creating a test recording and scoring your song. The scoring chapter is for those who have some familiarity with music writing. The test recording chapter is the only technical section and does require the use of a computer. However, I have deliberately kept this chapter as simple & low-tech as possible. For further information on GarageBand visit YouTube for tutorial videos and download the PDF document further down this page for a synopsis on how to create a recording.
This is what I have learnt from 20 years of songwriting; it isn’t exhaustive by any means – it’s how I do it – and hopefully a very good start.
So…. go create!
Donate below to access the full masterclass.
Half the donations will go to HelpMusicians.org.uk which is helping musicians whose work has been affected by Coronavirus.
Summary of each chapter:
Helen’s Story How I came to writing songs for choirs in my mid 30’s, after other careers, travelling & children. |
Chapter 1 The Initial Idea: What to do when you only have a tune or some words in your head? Finding inspiration. |
| Chapter 2 The Style Of Your Song: A brief look at song genres and styles.
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Chapter 3 Developing Your Song – Placement of Melody & Harmony: The relationship between melody & harmony, vocal part ranges. |
Chapter 4 Other Musical Themes Which Affect Your Song: The key you choose, time signature, the feel & vibe, syncopation, song formats, polyphony v homophony, ‘crunch’ moments. |
Chapter 5 Writing For Male & Female Voice, Ensembles & Soloists: How to write parts you can’t sing! Different kinds of backing.
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Chapter 6 Lyric Development & Sing-ability: Complexity, how to make memorising easy, transitions, phrasing, vowel shapes, articulation, other languages. Plagiarism. |
Chapter 7 Creating A Test Recording: How to make a simple test recording of your song using GarageBand. The free guidance notes available below accompany this chapter.
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| Chapter 8 Scoring Your Song: Using Sibelius First, a simple and cheap scoring software.
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Chapter 9 Promoting Your Music & End Notes: Tips on sharing your music. My 3 key tips to take away. |
Donate to access the full Masterclass Tutorial!
You can view all ten password protected videos in 1080p HD quality by clicking one of the links below, either full price, or concession. Concession applies if you are unemployed, disabled, a senior citizen, under 18 or a student. I don’t want to exclude anyone for financial reasons so if you want to donate a smaller amount or request a waived fee, please email me.
On completing the purchase you will receive an email with a link to a PDF document containing instructions and passwords to view the videos online for an indefinite period.
50% of donations will go to HelpMusicians.org.uk which is helping musicians whose work has been affected by Coronavirus.
Full price (£50)
Concession (£25)
Making a Test Recording in GarageBand
This free downloadable document accompanies Chapter 7 of the Masterclass Tutorial.
Making a Test Recording in GarageBand PDF
For anyone wanting an ongoing course on songwriting for choirs, I highly recommend Ali Burns’ Songbirds songwriting space. This course takes you step-by-step towards writing a different kind of song, using videos and worksheets. Different charges apply depending on mentoring from Ali. For further information, visit Ali’s website