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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The four members of The 1975 band.

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.

A woman applying critical listening to four different songs.

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.

A piano with 100 dollar bills tucked into the keys.

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?

A musician sitting at a piano generating song ideas.

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.

A musician with their guitar sitting on a bridge.

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.

Learn how to write a killer song hook.

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!