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Courses in songwriting can enhance any songwriter’s capabilities, regardless of his or her experience. If you believe you are capable of being a good songwriter but need a boost in getting started, songwriting classes can be a good first step. 
Most successful songwriters I know never took a formal class. They learned by experimentation, interaction with peers, and lots of hard work. But that isn’t to say that songwriting courses aren’t beneficial for even the most proficient songwriters. There’s always more to learn!
Beginning songwriters can take advantage of a variety of instructional learning methods.
Classes can be taken at your own pace. If you want to jump into the craft full-time, you can attend schools and universities that offer degrees and certificates upon course completion. On the other end of the spectrum, you can take occasional classes online in the privacy of your home.
Songwriter courses vs individual classes
A songwriting course is a series of songwriting classes that a school recommends for completion of the course in order to earn a degree or certificate. If you take a course, you’ll learn a variety of songwriting skills.
Or you can concentrate on your particular area of interest by taking classes in specific facets of songwriting. For example, if you think you can benefit most from focusing on lyric writing, perhaps you should consider honing your lyric skills first, and later learning other aspects of the craft.
Individual songwriting classes include melody, lyrics, rhythm, music theory, harmony, commercial songwriting, writing for film, writing advertising jingles, hit song characteristics, writing hip-hop, music notation, and many more.
Where to learn
- Colleges. Some of the top songwriting schools are Berklee School of Music, Belmont University School of Music, and Middle Tennessee State University, among others. There are most likely some very good smaller colleges in your area that offer songwriting classes. Check it out.
- Online. Many online classes, courses, and tutorials are available. Some are from private instructors, but prestigious schools like the ones mentioned above also offer online songwriting courses.
- Private lessons. One-on-one classes from a qualified instructor can be extremely beneficial.
- Correspondence classes. This isn’t my favorite option, but correspondence classes in songwriting are offered by mail.
- Songwriting workshops and camps. Workshops and camps can be highly constructive from a networking standpoint. Interaction with other songwriters is an essential part of the songwriting process.
- Other venues. You can learn a lot from online forums and by joining songwriting associations in your area. Critical feedback is important, and the more you associate with others who share your passion for songwriting the better.
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