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Getting Started

Which comes first - music or lyric? That's up to you! There's no wrong way to start writing a song. Whatever your method may be, you'll benefit from shaking things up sometimes.

This section gives you tips and techniques for finding your way from inspiration to action. You'll find practical information on creativity, destination writing, showing - not telling, finding titles, writing the chorus first and developing a story line. These videos will show you how to approach your craft with your eyes, ears, heart and mind wide open. No more writers block!

Video Lectures

Inspiration and Creativity

Creativity and Inspiration
0:25:36
How does creativity really work? Is it magic? Spiritual? or is it ... really work?

Songwriting Techniques

Writing Without Limits: Part 1: Destination Writing
0:18:39
Similar to object-writing, destination will help you use both sense-bound and non sense-bound language.
Where Songs Come From
0:29:02
The ways songs are born: how to take those beginning ideas and expand them into a theme, verse, or chorus.
Object Writing
0:26:27
Here's an exercise that will get you using imagery in your songs that an audience can relate to.

Music Theory

Theory with Bonnie: Part 4: Chords and Triads
0:10:04
Learn about major, minor, augmented, diminished and perfect triads.
Theory with Bonnie: Part 5: Diatonic Chords
0:09:25
Further your learning about "keys" by taking a closer look at "diatonic chords."
Theory with Bonnie: Part 3: Intervals, The Distance Beween…
0:07:25
Learn about major, minor and perfect intervals and how they relate to chords.
Theory with Bonnie: Part 2: The Major Scale and Keys
0:05:17
Find out what makes a scale "major."
Theory with Bonnie: Part 7: Chord Functions in Keys
0:10:35
When you say, I - IV - V, what does it all mean? It means functionality and feelings!
Theory with Bonnie: Part 6: The Circle of Fifths
0:09:06
Learn about the relationship between all the keys in this quick and easy to understand class about The Circle of 5ths.
Theory with Bonnie: Part 1: The Chromatic Scale and the Names of…
0:05:21
Learn about the chromatic scale: how it works, and what it looks and sounds like.
Introduction to Theory with Bonnie
0:01:48
If you're interested in learning a little more about music theory, check out Bonnie's Music Theory videos (there are 10 of them!)

Lyric Writing

Establishing a Journey
0:47:30
What makes a song exciting to listen to from start to finish?

Song Form and Structure

Hooks, Titles and Payoffs
0:33:37
What is a hook exactly and where should you put it?