5 Best Songwriting Courses of 2024

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Even with lots of talent, songwriting can be tough. Writer's block is real, and here at American Songwriter, we're determined to help you get started. Check out Songwriter U for guides on how to write lyrics. There are lots of useful tips, including writing with an instrument and collaboration.

Although, if you're looking for specific songwriting courses, we also recommend an online songwriting course. They'll light the fire under you to get started on your first EP and more. Here are five of the best online songwriting courses.

Quick Summary of the Best Songwriting Courses

  1. MasterClass (A Top Pick for Beginner Singer-Songwriters)
  2. Skillshare (Great for Honing Skills in Your Favorite Genre)
  3. Outschool (Kid-Friendly Writing Courses)
  4. Udemy (A Course for Curious Guitarists)
  5. Skillshare (A Course for Pianists)

Best Songwriting Courses

1. A Top Pick for Beginner Singer-Songwriters – MasterClass

best online songwriting courses

MasterClass is a great resource for sourcing skills from well... the best of the best. You'll find lots of household names sharing their skills and secrets of their profession. For example, EGOT winner, John Legend teaches his songwriting process in this course.

You can browse the lesson plan for free. There are 18 video lessons (about four hours and four minutes total). You can totally break this into pieces over a week easily. Get into the swing of creating a melody, song structure, choosing a subject, and even editing and performing the song live. There is a lot to learn. So, consider checking out the class trailer and sample.

2. Great for Honing Skills in Your Favorite Genre – Skillshare

best online songwriting courses

Skillshare is a neat platform for all kinds of creative professions – filmmaking, photography, illustration, etc. It also caters to singer/songwriters and musicians.

If you're looking for a starting point for songwriting for a specific genre, check out Skillshare. For example, you can search "rap songwriting" and find lots of courses. Learn how to write just about anything, including EDM and worship music.

3. Kid-Friendly Writing Courses – Outschool

best online songwriting courses

Just think, many of our favorites were making music as teens. Billie Eilish, Paramore, and Elvis Presley are a few of the many, many artists who started young. So, if your child has expressed an interest in music, it wouldn't hurt to invest in their new interest.

They'll be able to learn how to write songs safely from home – all you need to do is pick a time slot and pay the course fee. Be sure to have a room and a laptop, tablet, or phone ready for a weekly video meeting. Kids will learn from professional educators, performers, playwrights, and more.

The course curriculum consists of song structures, styles, melody, rhythm, lyrics, and even software and recording tools. There's a lecture and activity each week for five weeks. Kids are going to have a blast exploring chord progressions and co-writing their first song!

4. A Course for Curious Guitarists – Udemy

best online songwriting courses

If you play guitar and have always wanted to venture out into songwriting, consider Udemy's Course for Curious Songwriters. The course is for beginner songwriters, as you'll learn how to arrange a song, choose chord changes, create melodies, and add rhythm and strum patterns.

You'll have access to video lessons and downloaded tabs, chords, and text lessons. It's a great course for any guitar player level. You'll be singing and playing guitar solos in no time. Also, having this course in your guitar player toolbox is going to be a plus when you're ready to join a band and collab on songwriting.

5. A Course for Pianists – Skillshare

best online songwriting courses

Beginner, intermediate, and advanced pianists will love this course. There are 12 lessons (including an intro and exit). Some topics covered are song structure, brainstorming ideas, setting the scene (perfect for writer's block), rhyming, piano notes, chords, melodies, and editing your song.

The videos are short and simple! The course is only 1 hour long, so you can definitely knock it out quickly. Many students are giving the course excellent ratings. April Keez is a Berklee College of Music grad and is a singer/songwriter and music teacher.

Photo Courtesy Skillshare

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