The Songwriter's Toolkit: New Perspectives

Learn songwriting techniques to look at tunes through a different lens. Discover how to play with melody, form, and chords to gain a fresh perspective when a song has you stuck.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Who is this course for?

1. Form

• Extending the second verse
• Trimming the second verse
• Pre-chorus without a chorus
• Using a pre-chorus as a bridge
• The intro as its own section
• Saving the chorus until the end

2. Melody

• The post chorus
• Melody that defines song form
• Phrasing outside the time signature
• Finding chords from a melody
• Changing the second verse melody
• Elaborating on the chorus

3. Chords

• Half-step modulation
• Modulation by other intervals
• Modulation within the song form
• Borrowed chords with a diatonic melody
• Changing the harmonic rhythm
• Reharmonizing a chorus

Conclusion

• Next steps