Student Guide

Online songwriting lessons —
how it works

Songwriting is craft + judgment. We build both: stronger premises, clearer structure, better melodic intent, harmony that supports the turn, and parts that deliver the hook.

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The loop

Diagnose → decide → revise

Most songs don't fail because you "lack inspiration." They fail because the song's intent is unclear, the sections don't lift, or the hook isn't being presented effectively. We fix the bottleneck and keep moving.

1
Name the goal

"Make the chorus hit." "Fix verse clarity." "Finish a draft."

2
Bring real work

Voice memo, demo, lyric sheet, chord map.

3
Find the limiter

Premise? Melody? Harmony? Structure? Phrasing?

4
Make decisions

Title, POV, section jobs, hook placement, lift.

5
Leave with steps

A short plan you'll actually execute.

Rule: We fix one bottleneck at a time. Thrashing kills songs.
What we fix

The five failure points

  • Premise drift: the song stops being about what it claimed.
  • Section jobs: verse/chorus/pre don't have distinct functions.
  • Chorus lift: melody/harmony/lyric don't escalate together.
  • Hook presentation: hook exists but isn't framed or repeated well.
  • Clarity: lines are "poetic" but don't read fast or land clean.
When you know which one is failing, the rewrite becomes obvious.
What we build

Control of fundamentals

  • Lyric craft: clarity, imagery, stakes, forward motion
  • Melody: contour, range, phrasing, singability
  • Harmony: function, tension/release, color
  • Structure: contrast, pacing, earned repetition
  • Arrangement: parts that serve the vocal and the hook
Deliverables

What you leave with

  • A diagnosis: what's actually holding the song back
  • Decisions: title/POV/section intent/hook plan
  • Targeted rewrites: specific lines, specific melody moves
  • Next-step list: 2–5 actions, not 25
The point is momentum: a song moving toward "finished."
Work habits

What I expect from you

  • share unfinished work (messy is fine)
  • revise multiple times (that's the job)
  • study reference songs with intent
  • implement feedback, then report results
  • finish more songs than you abandon
If you want "one magic rewrite," don't book. If you want a process, we'll win.
Workflow

The song pipeline

A clean sequence keeps you out of the weeds.

  • 1Concept: title, premise, POV, stakes.
  • 2Capture: melody + words, fast and unprecious.
  • 3Structure: section jobs, contrast, chorus lift plan.
  • 4Harmony: progression that supports the emotional turn.
  • 5Hook: where it lives, how it repeats, how it evolves.
  • 6Demo: clear documentation (not "fully produced").
  • 7Revision passes: fix one bottleneck per pass.
  • 8Finish: lock choices, stop tinkering, ship.
Most people skip structure and wonder why the chorus doesn't hit.
Equipment

Minimum viable setup

Start now. Upgrade later if the work demands it.

  • Phone: voice memo + camera audio is acceptable
  • One instrument: guitar or keys
  • Headphones: recommended
  • Optional DAW: GarageBand / Logic / your preferred DAW
  • Sharing: one cloud folder for drafts and demos
A stable workflow beats fancy gear.
Before the first session

Getting started checklist

  • Pick one draft (or idea) to bring.
  • Record a 30–90 second voice memo or demo.
  • Make a lyric sheet (even if incomplete).
  • Write one sentence: "This song is about ___."
  • Drop everything in one shareable folder or link.
  • Send Zoom contact info + availability window.
Support

Optional video follow-ups

When useful, I'll send short videos after the session: targeted examples, clean demonstrations, no filler.

  • melody repair options
  • chorus lift strategies
  • hook placement and pacing
  • lyric clarity edits and re-frames
This is not a "course." It's applied work on your songs.
Next step

Book a session

Not sure what to book? Email a draft/demo link and one sentence on your goal. I'll point you to the smallest format that can solve it.

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