Techniques for Songwriting with Christian Wethered

Course Summary

This course will consist of a 6-week workshop, entitled ‘Techniques for Songwriting’, and will focus on lyric-writing as it corresponds to instrumentation.

We will adopt a series of compositional techniques and learn how to align more succinctly our words with music. Such techniques will bring us closer to writing more authentic, visceral and unique songs.

Course Outline

Week 1: Foundations of Songwriting

Objective: Understand the basics of songwriting and build a creative foundation:

• Setting expectations and goals for the course.
• What makes a good song?
• Overview of song structures (verse, chorus, bridge).
• Lyric-writing basics: concretisation / sense-bound writing / ‘show, don’t tell’ / visualisation and meditation.
• Assignment: Write a short verse inspired by a personal experience.

Week 2: Lyric-Form

Objective: Learn how to structure your lyrics:

• Lyrics in more detail (rhyme, metre, song-structure and development, metaphor and simile).
• Examples of lyric-form.
• Use of poetic sound.
• Assignment: Write lyrics for an entire song.

Week 3: Song-Structures and Genres

Objective: Dive deeper into song structures and explore different genres:

• Basics of melody-creation: intervals, repetition and variation.
• Chord basics and how they support a melody.
• Creating chord-progressions (I-IV-V-I, II-V-I).
• Assignment: Write a simple melody over a chord progression.

Week 4: Lyric-Editing and Aligning with Music

Objective: Finesse your lyrics and start incorporating instrumentation:

• Basics of melody-creation: intervals, repetition and variation.
• Chord basics and how they support a melody.
• Creating chord-progressions (I-IV-V-I, II-V-I).
• Avoiding cliché, cutting adjectives & adverbs, clarity & mystery.
• Assignment:  Write a 4-line stanza with an ABAB rhyme scheme.

Week 5: Putting it all Together: Workshop

Objective: Workshop songs together while incorporating rudimentary software application (GarageBand et al):

• Introduction to GarageBand; incorporation of MIDI and loops.
• Composition as collaboration.
• Creating chord-progressions (I-IV-V-I, II-V-I).
• Assignment:  Make a recording and lyric-sheet for a song.

Week 6: Performance and Refinement

Objective: Polish your songs and prepare them for performance:

• Performance techniques.
• Final edits.
• Sharing your work.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will:

1. Understand the fundamental elements of songwriting.
2. Have completed a full, original song.
3. Be equipped with tools and techniques to continue developing their craft.

Christian Wethered is a poet and songwriter based in Dublin. His poetry has featured in Poetry Ireland Review, Poetry Wales, The Moth, The London Magazine, and a series of anthologies by Dedalus Press. His most recent songs have been broadcast on RTE1, RTE Culture and Today FM. Last year he played concerts with Selective Memory, including a main-stage performance at Beyond the Pale festival. He has also performed at The Ruby Sessions, Electric Picnic and First Fortnight. The music video for his single ‘La Madeleine’ (by Darn Skippy Productions) won ‘Best Music Video’ at the Dublin International Short Film and Music Festival, and was an ‘Official Selection’ at the Prague Short-film Festival 2023. A folk columnist for The Goo, he also writes music and poetry reviews for Totally Dublin, KLOF Magazine, Poetry Wales and PN Review. He currently teaches poetry and songwriting at University College Dublin.

www.christianwethered.com

Booked out? To be added to the waiting list for this course, please email info@irishwriterscentre.ie.