Top 5 Tips for Songwriting Workshops

Song Writing Workshop Top 5 Hints & Tips from Wall2Wall Music.

Songwriting is a fairly elusive topic to analyse. Once you get past a certain point, a song tends to dictate where it wants to go – perhaps a facilitators job is to get it started and keep it on course. As such any plan for a songwriting workshop can only be an ideal course of events. Here are some tips on how to grease the wheels and keep them on the track . . . as it were.

1.There is no right or wrong method . . . . but don’t throw out the “rule book”. Most songs have common components, verses usually have different lyrics each verse, chorus’ largely stay the same, often with a repeated catchy line (“Somebody that I used to know”, GOTYE or “Domino” by Jesse J ). Some song styles are more musically formulaic, blues or Reggae songs are particularly prescriptive. As a student’s first serious attempt at songwriting, following some recognised structures “rules” often lends a mature structure and coherency to a song.

2. Simplicity is good!

Songs do not need to be musically or lyrically complex. Chorus’ tend to be the most straight forward. Often the more complex a song is the less powerful it can be. “bee bop-a-lula she’s my baby” or ”Let it be” are examples of non complex chorus that are undeniably powerful

3. Emphasise that it’s the songwriting process that’s important, not the product…

and keep the process moving forward. This takes the pressure off students who are over critical of their own creative output. Evaluating created material and recording as a group, is essential at regular intervals to process created material, after which it’s a good idea to draw a line on creative u-turns.

4. Encourage students to bring in instruments to the workshop, and make a list of what’s available on the first day.

Students bringing in instruments helps transfer skills and ideas developed in the workshop to their wider environment outside school. Friendship groups, though a positive way to form bands don’t always give the best dispersion of instruments for facilitating song development. Students x, y, and z may be friends but may all be drummers- a challenge for any environment! Making a register on the first day of what instruments are available is a good way to manage the band formation.

5. Students who play instruments often bring their own pre-formed ideas

It’s important to emphasise that group ideas are the aim of the class, while supporting student’s endeavours to write on their own outside the class.