Songwriting Lessons

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Imagine driving down the road and hearing one of your songs being played on the radio!

Have you always wanted to write a song just for the fun of it? Do you have dreams of becoming a songwriter but don’t know where to start? Are you already writing songs and want to know how to get your song recorded and published?

ZOT Zin Music provides quality instruction for both aspiring and active songwriters. Our professional instructors will work with you to help bring out your creativity. They will provide you with the knowledge and skills to greatly improve the quality of your songs instantly.

If this is your very first song, we have to warn you: you are about to enter a very addictive, rewarding, and exhilarating journey. If on the other hand, you dream of possibly pursuing a career in songwriting: we offer advanced songwriting sessions and can give you priceless pointers and guidance to get your career started.

Songwriting can be a very rewarding and lucrative career, though it is a very competitive and complex business. As popular music is based on personal taste, most music executives and artists can only choose which songs to select based on their own personal opinion and musical preferences. In all honesty, there are very few people in the music industry that can actually “hear” a hit song with any certainty.

So just remember that your belief in yourself and your songs is the only real opinion that matters. However, we at ZOT Zin Music will help you hone your craft and teach you how to capture and present the truest sound and emotion of your songs.


Do I need to know how to play an instrument to write songs?

While being able to play a musical instrument proficiently isn’t necessary to write songs, it helps a lot to have an understanding of some basic music theory and song structure. Experience has taught us that generally, the better songs are written by musicians with a better understanding of music theory and songwriting knowledge.

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You might then bring up: “Well, The Beatles never learned music theory or songwriting, and look at how amazing the songs are that THEY have written”.

The point missed when people bring this up, is that

  1. The Beatles for one wrote about 50 something songs before they wrote “Please Please Me”, which was the first song considered “acceptable and workable” by their producer George Martin.
  2. John Lennon and Paul McCartney had a top producer and classically trained musician, George Martin, on their team. He was their mentor (because that is what producers do), and he had an extensive understanding and knowledge of everything music, songwriting, and composition. It was George’s input and guidance that provided The Beatles with their “songwriting lessons”.

Melissa Etheridge and John Mayer had Berklee College of Music, Elton John studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Billy Joel’s dad was an accomplished classical pianist, and so on. Point being made: the artist you love, who might appear to be a “natural talent” or “self-taught”, typically had the guidance of a musically trained individual operating behind the scenes.

Another option is to have a writing partner who complements your skills.
As most popular songs consist of words and music, you may consider finding a collaborator or writing partner who complements your skills.
For example, if you love writing lyrics and stories but lack instrumental skills, you may partner with someone who can provide the instrumental abilities that you lack.
Conversely: there are many great musicians, who may lack your talent for writing lyrics.
So, by combining the best of each of your talents, you may find a valuable working relationship writing songs together.


I already have an idea in my head and want to know how to turn it into a hit song!

As songs are made up of sound and emotions, there are basically no rules or specific formulas for writing a hit song. As a matter of fact, you should not really concentrate on trying to write a hit song but learn to bring out the words and/or music that is inside you naturally.

Since hit songs are really only determined by mass appeal, we will help you focus on how to deliver your musical message in a way that can relate to human emotions.


What do your songwriting lessons cover?

Our songwriting lessons will help you to understand more than just songwriting and basic music theory, as there are many aspects that songwriters need to consider when making that journey into songwriting as a career.

Additionally, if you have a few songs you have written already and want to learn how to get a popular artist to record them, we can provide you with insights on how to find and approach agents, publishers, and other music executives, to present your songs and yourself in a professional manner.
Some of the most relevant topics you will learn include:

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    • How to figure out chords to melodies
    • How to write better melodies how.
    • Why you don’t need to know how to “write” music notation.
    • Which Musical Genres May Best Suit Your Style
    • How to find your unique voice and how to communicate it in your music.
    • The top 20 common songwriter mistakes.
    • How to fit lyrics to music.
    • The art of rhythm
    • Everything about melodic construction.
    • An intense study of what makes a “classic” timeless song.
    • Why form and structure are important.
    • How to “be different” without “trying to be different”.
    • Solo Songwriting or Collaboration?
    • Song Structure and Basic Music Theory
    • Melodies and Harmonies
    • Rhymes, Rhythms and Vocal Phrasing
    • Recording Technologies and Tools of the Trade
    • Understanding Copyright and Intellectual Properties Laws
    • Publishing and the Business of Music
    • Songwriting Careers Outside of Popular Music
    • Instrumental Compositions (optional)

    The above list is only a short summary, but the songwriter’s journey gets all the more fun the better the songs get.

We also provide you with reading/resource materials, as well as a series of exercises that will help you develop and polish your songwriting skills or that can lead to a rewarding songwriting career if that would be your ambition.

You can hear some of my newest songs I recently wrote here: Some of Vreny’s songs


Summary

Whether you just would love to learn how to write a song, are a singer/songwriter just getting started, have experience writing songs, or would just like to learn if songwriting is a good career choice for you: we are here to help you.

Contact us if you would like to chat about songwriting or if you are ready to book your first songwriting lesson.

Just don’t forget us when you are accepting your first Grammy!

Book Your Lesson