How to Write Your First Song - The University of Sheffield

Ever wanted to write a song, but not known how? This free online course will give you the practical and theoretical understanding you need to create a finished song of your own.

Over six weeks, we’ll be exploring the basic musical concepts that underpin successful songs. From the fundamental elements of melody, rhythm, harmony, metre and key, to the relationship between words and music.

We’ll uncover the tools and techniques that songwriters use to create effective melodies and discover how chords combine to give shape and structure to your songs. We’ll also learn how giving your song a musical form or structure can help to make it captivating and memorable.

As well as experts in music and psychology at the University of Sheffield, we’ll be talking to established musicians to find out what makes their songs successful. Special guests include:

• Martin Simpson (award-winning folk songwriter)

• Tom Ravenscroft (BBC Radio 6 Music presenter)

• Christopher Hague (Producer, Sheffield Steelworks Studios)

• Shahbaz Hussein (Tabla player)

• Martin Curtis Powell (Cradle of Filth)

• Kate Jackson (The Long Blondes)

• Nat Johnson (singer-songwriter)

• MC Matic Mouth (Clubs and Spades)

• Mat Welsh and Sean Long (While She Sleeps)

• Jon McClure (Reverend and the Makers)

• Neil McSweeney (singer-songwriter)

• Toddla T (DJ and producer)

• Anastasia Walker (Bang Bang Romeo)

• Paul Wolinski (65daysofstatic)

To help get you started, we have commissioned Sheffield poet Matt Black to write some song lyrics. Each week, we’ll be using these lyrics to build up a song and encouraging you to do the same: setting the words to rhythm; writing a melody; harmonising the melody with chords; and structuring your ideas into a satisfying musical form.

World-renowned musician, Martin Simpson, will be using the same words and the same set of techniques to write a song. We’ll be checking in with him each week for inspiration and guidance on the songwriting process.