3 Lessons H.E.R.’s ‘Hard Place’ can Teach us about Songwriting
Andrea Stolpe walks us through H.E.R.’s song “Hard Place,” and tells us why it’s a great example of prosody, and how you can apply the same principles to your songwriting.
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3 Songwriting Lessons from The 1975’s ‘Give Yourself a Try’
Berklee Online instructor and multiplatinum songwriter Andrea Stolpe discusses how to embrace lyrical and melodic ideas that don’t always agree, using the example of the 1975’s song, “Give Yourself a Try.”
3 Lessons Eric Church’s ‘Some of It’ Can Teach us about Songwriting
Eric Church’s Grammy-nominated song “Some of It” is a great example of the personal and universal “slice of life” that makes this type of writing tick.
Time Management Skills for Songwriters
Having a desire to create without the time or process to create it can feel like an enormous burden. The solution is fairly simple: Make a plan and stick to it.
4 Critical Listening Tips for Songwriters
One of the most important techniques you can learn as a songwriter is how to listen critically. We start by breaking the different components of a song into four large moving parts: Melody, Chords, Lyric, and Groove.
Chord Progressions: 8 Tips for Richer Songwriting
Chords are a driving element of many songs. When we’ve got four elements of songwriting to manipulate (melody, chords, lyrics, and groove), it’s natural to credit them or blame them for a successful song. But how do we songwriters find and use great chords?
Song Ideas: 20 Tips for Songwriting Inspiration
Berklee Online course author Andrea Stolpe provides 20 tips to help you jumpstart your songwriting process and generate song ideas.
How to Write a Bridge to a Song
The problem with bridges is we’re often more clear about what we don’t want them to be than what we do.
How to Write Killer Song Hooks
Great song hooks break boundaries surrounding genre, generational listening preferences, and longevity. Here are five characteristics to consider when writing a hook.
5 Ways to Stop Writing the Same Old Song
When songwriters write with any regularity, it’s natural to reach a point where many of our songs sound similar. Here are 5 ways out of a songwriting rut!