The Songwriter's Toolkit
Essential Concepts in Songwriting, Composition, and Song Structure. Western Music Theory, Recording and Production
2 MONTHS programme
batch starts September 2026
Duration: 2 months (8 weeks).
Frequency: 3 lessons per week.
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes.
Class Size: Groups of up to 8 people.
Available: Online and On Campus Access
Ages: 16+
Skill Level: Intermediates to Advanced.
Beginner Singer-Songwriters
Instrumentalists Transitioning to Songwriting
Aspiring Producers & Beat-Makers
Lyricists/Poets Entering Music
syllabus
Introduction to Harmony and Songwriting:
1. Scales and modes as the foundational tools of melody and harmony.
2. Understanding chord families and harmonic function to analyse and learn from existing songs.
3. Creating chord progressions that flow, resolve, and connect musically.
4. The principles behind writing clear, effective, and meaningful melodies.
Ear Training and Rhythm:
1. Introduction to the solfège system and development of sight-singing skills.
2. Pulse and beat as the fundamental elements of musical rhythm.
3. Time signatures and rhythmic notation.
4. Identifying drum and percussion parts, including rhythmic subdivisions.
Music Production:
1. Principles of digital audio production.
2. Audio and MIDI recording techniques.
3. Musical arrangement and structural flow.
4. Fundamentals of mixing.
syllabus
Introduction to Harmony and Songwriting:
1. Scales and modes as the foundational tools of melody and harmony.
2. Understanding chord families and harmonic function to analyse and learn from existing songs.
3. Creating chord progressions that flow, resolve, and connect musically.
4. The principles behind writing clear, effective, and meaningful melodies.
Ear Training and Rhythm:
1. Introduction to the solfège system and development of sight-singing skills.
2. Pulse and beat as the fundamental elements of musical rhythm.
3. Time signatures and rhythmic notation.
4. Identifying drum and percussion parts, including rhythmic subdivisions.
Music Production:
1. Principles of digital audio production.
2. Audio and MIDI recording techniques.
3. Musical arrangement and structural flow.
4. Fundamentals of mixing.
