Progressions: Songwriting
Section 1 -Getting Started

Week 1
"You write a hit the smae way you write a flop" - Alan Jay Lerner
Tuesday, August 30th, 2022
​
Thursday, September 1, 2022
Tuesday - Introduction
​
- How to navigate this course
- Presenting songs
- Workshopping
- Giving good feedback
- Receiving feedback
- Asking for advice
​
Assignments -
1. Buy a notebook! (one you can work in for the entire course)
2. Find a song and break it down. Write a short description of the song thinking about form, chords, rhyme scheme, imagery, etc. Tell me why you like it, and why you don't
3. Explore the rhyming dictionary as well as the resource section in this progressions course.
​
______________________________________
​
Thursday - Doing the work!
​
- The Audience
- Finding Inspiration
​
- Habits to develop
- Carry a notebook
- Observe and listen
- Ask questions and be in your head
- Write, write, write!
- Read lots of books
- Make decisions
- Power through or let it rest
​
- Show up to the easel
- Your writing space
- Obstacles
- Reviewing your repertoire
- what songs have you started? Finish those.
​
Assignments:
​
1. Find at least one song that is unfinished, either in your mind or in your writings and finish it this weekend.
​
2. Notebook - Somewhere near the front of your notebook, make a list of songwriting topics and a list of titles that you can draw from for this class. You need to have ten topics and twenty titles.
​
​
​
Class Recordings
Week 2
"I started being a songwriter by pretending I could do it, and it turned out I could." - James Taylor
Tuesday, September 6, 2022
​
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Tuesday - No class - Martin Out
​
​
​
​
Thursday - Workshop #1
- Bring a song that is incomplete
Class Recordings
Tuesday
Passcode:
​
Thursday
Passcode:
Week 3
“My advice for songwriters? Sit down and work at it! The more songs you write, the more good songs you’ll have." - Roger McGuinn
Tuesday, September 13th, 2022
​
Thursday, September 15th, 2022
Tuesday - Form and Structure - Instruction
​
- Charts
-----------------------
​
​
​
Thursday - Workshop #2
​
- Bring a song to share.
Class Recordings
Week 4
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison
Tuesday, September 20th, 2022
​
Thursday, September 22nd, 2022
Tuesday - Finding Inspiration - Creation - Discussion class
​
​
Assignments -
​
1. Free write for ten minutes using your non-dominant hand.
​
Notebook - Make a list of five things that make you feel creative.
​
-----------------
​
​
​
Thursday - Section 1 Workshop (In Person)
Bring a song written from Section 1 writing prompts
​