Songwriting: Learning from the Greats with Lily Lyons
This class will meet online - you will receive a Zoom invitation in the orientation email upon registering for the class.
If you want to learn the secrets of how great songwriters write, then this class is for
you! We’ll explore the fundamentals of how to make songs by analyzing the music of
an iconic artist each week and applying our takeaways to our own writing. Whether
we’re learning about creating chord accompaniments like Joni Mitchell or writing
conversational lyrics like Jason Isbell, we’ll approach things in a hands-on way that
will get you writing! This is a workshop-based class where you will receive
individualized feedback to develop your skills and musical identity.
Selected topics we’ll cover:
• Making catchy melodies and hooks
• Common song structures: verse-refrain and verse-chorus forms
• How to write bridges and pre-choruses
• Writing unique, strong lyrics
• Chord 101s
• Ways to vary how you accompany yourself through riffs and alternate
tunings
• Rhyming
Artists we might study include: Bob Dylan, Patsy Cline, The Beatles, Aretha
Franklin, Taylor Swift, John Prine
Goal: you will write weekly song sections and complete 1-2 full songs by the end of
the class!
Prerequisites: this is a songwriting class open to beginners and continuing
students. We will cover songwriting basics in first half of the course, so it’s okay if you are newer to writing. That said you do need to have basic self-
accompanying/chord playing skills and be comfortable singing in class or on a recording. All instruments are welcome.
Contact: Instructor Lily Lyons can be reached at lily@louisvllefolkschool.org for
further questions