Songwriting For Real

 

 

 

 

 

Aims of the course

 

• Inspire and encourage your work as a songwriter

 

• Develop lyric writing skills

 

• Develop use of song elements: tempo, rhythm, verse & chorus, bridges, melody, chord structures and dynamics

 

• Learn from what great songwriters have done with folk, rock, blues, pop, & show music

 

• Facilitate writing and playing with others, where useful

 

• Provide group and individual instruction

 

• Create finished work to your satisfaction

 

• Improve the performance of your work   

 

Course structure

 

There will be morning and afternoon two-hour sessions M, T, Th and Fr, plus a morning session on W. Individual work sessions will also be scheduled as needed. Evenings we’ll have informal jams and open mikes, and some video from Rod’s lectures at FAU (see below). 

 

Thus:
 

 Group sessions will focus on new writing, and also present the following topics for discussion:
 
1.   Using the writing instruments: guitar, keys, voice, brain
2.   Begin a song: words or music, reaching your audience
3.   Imagine there’s music: melody, chords, and mood
4.   Now the time has come: tempos, rhythms, and dynamics   
5.   The architecture of song: verses, choruses, and bridges
6.   The sound of words: lyrics, rhyme, meter, and style
7.   Awaken your inner poet: meaning, emotion, the senses
8.   Thinking out loud: storytelling, expression, and what’s unsaid
9.   Songwriting as art: editing, evaluating, and performing
 

Methods

 

Participants are encourage to bring recent songs, lyrics, and chord charts with them to share in a relaxed and supportive environment. Group members will be encouraged to learn from each other and to share musical ideas. The evenings form an important part of the week and there will be ample time to jam and work on projects. There will also be some information made available on the business of songwriting.

 

It is not necessary to read music or tab for this course. We will use the standard form of chord charts familiar to most musicians:

 

(Example:  For a 12 bar blues in the Key of A major:

 

   A     D     A     A7

  D7   D7    A      A

  E7   D7    A     E7

 

An integral part of blues music are vocals so everyone will be encouraged to exercise their tonsils during the week.

 

Outcomes

 

We hope that participating students will have had a great week and will go home with more skills, confidence and enthusiasm for writing their own songs.

 

Who’s it For ?

 

The course hopes to cater for guitarists who have passed the absolute beginners stage, who perhaps would describe themselves as a 'competent beginner', up to intermediate level.

 

‘Returner’ or ‘lapsed’ guitarists would also be most welcome and would be given a refresher boost at the start of the course.

 

Participants will have a working knowledge of major chord shapes, including 7ths, as well as the most commonly used minor chords.

 

What do I bring?

 

Your acoustic guitar, uke or portable keyboard

A note pad and pen

Your voice. Singing will be positively encouraged.

 

Note About Wednesday

 

Wednesday afternoon you will have the option of going to the nearby famous Banos hot springs for a relaxing sauna, soak, or full treatment with mud baths, etc.  It's very inexpensive.  Or you can take a trip into the heart of the historic downtown UNESCO city of Cuenca and take a tour guided, double-decker bus ride around the city, or simply stroll the historic streets, churches, and other sites. We will all gather at a wonderful restaurant in the city for a (complementary) group dinner before heading back up the mountain.

 

 

The Fun Continues On Saturday

 

The course is officially five days long, but the fun continues on Saturday for anyone wishing to participate.  There will be a concert held in Cuenca with Guy Davis as the headliner.  Any students wishing to do a song or two are welcome to participate as an opening act.  We will be looking to rent inexpensive rooms at a fantastic hostel in town for after the show hanging out and rest.  Let us know if you're interested in adding this to your artistic getaway.

 

BIO:

 

Rod MacDonald began his performing career in NYC clubs and coffeehouses, and is a co-producer and President of the Greenwich Village Folk Festival. He has been named “one of the finest songwriters working today” by Fast Folk Magazine/Smithsonian, who published 21 of his songs, and has made 11 cds of his original songs, many of them covered by other artists. He began teaching “Songwriting For Self-Expression” at the NY Open Center in 1987, continuing there for several years, and has since taught at Common Ground On The Hill, Camp Commmon Ground and numerous music festivals. Living in Florida since 1995, he’s been named one of “"Ten Greatest South Florida Folksingers Of All Time" by New Times, and has presented more than 100 two-hour video lectures on popular music and songwriting for Florida Atlantic U.’s Lifelong Learning program, who named him Distinguished Faculty Member in 2012.