Songwriting: Content & Genre

EXPERIMENT WITH NEW MUSICAL GENRES

This course teaches you the art of writing lyrics for every genre. Whether you want to enhance your music or explore a lucrative career as a songwriter, our course will give you everything you need to write great songs and develop yourself creatively.

It’s completely self-paced and allows you to learn in your own time, so you can fit studying in with your daily commitments.

Flexible Payment Options

Songwriting the basics

How do you mirror different styles of music? In our self-paced online course, you’ll discover five musical genres and what makes them tick, covering their history, lyrics and techniques. Created by experts, it’s ideal for songwriters of all levels and abilities.

Learn the art of pop music, folk, soul, EDM, blues and country music

Focusing on pop, folk and country, electronica, and both soul and R&B, learn how, why and where these genres originated.

You’ll see how they’ve influenced music, and pick up tricks for using their techniques in your own creative writing.

And, as well as completing a polished song in a single genre, you’ll also develop song ideas for each, exploring various scenes and subgenres along the way.

Understand the historical role and culture of each genre

Essential for every songwriter, you’ll develop an understanding of the significant and pivotal impact that different genres play in the world of contemporary music.

Over six self-paced modules, you’ll explore a range of musical styles and genres, investigating the cultural and historical role they’ve played and identifying songwriting techniques for each.

There are six modules making up this online course, taking you from the upbeat world of pop to the political edge of punk. You’ll leave with newfound skills, be able to experiment with new styles, and harness your creativity, writing polished songs in a range of genres.

Develop song ideas and excel in lyric writing

This online, step-by-step practical course will allow you to finish a complete song in one of the genres covered. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop song ideas for each new genre as you work through the course.

There are six modules making up this online course, taking you from the upbeat world of pop to the political edge of punk. You’ll leave with newfound skills, be able to experiment with new styles, and harness your creativity, writing polished songs in a range of genres.

Course T&Cs

Only £20

learn about content & genre

  • 35 Unique lessons across 6 packed modules
  • Created by practicing industry experts
  • Learn at you own pace in your own time
  • HD video industry insider hints & tips
  • Immersive interactive learning
  • Certificate on completion
  • Downloadable lesson guides
  • Lifetime access
  • Mobile friendly platform
  • Access to a live session masterclass

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A glance at your songwriting self-paced online course

This online songwriting course is packed full of HD video lessons, suggested tasks and industry insider hints and tips.

1
The Influences of Content & Genre

In the first module on this course, you’ll discover the history and stories behind a range of musical genres, learn how to identify and analyse them, and explore how they influence, complement and compare with each other.

2
Pop Music

What is pop music? Who is it for? And how did it develop? You’ll find answers to these questions and more in this detailed module, which examines the history, lyrics and techniques of pop music, as well as its many subgenres.

3
Folk & Country

With roots in creating music for the ‘common’ man, the folk and country genres famously feature storytelling and acoustic elements, with a strong focus on the structure of their songs and lyrics. Learn more about the genres, their subgenres, and how they blend together.

4
Electronica

Explore electronic music and synthesising techniques like sampling and looping; learn about a range of electronic styles from early hip-hop to modern dubstep; and uncover how this enduring style of music shaped the rave scene and culture in the 80s.

5
Rock

From the iconic 12-bar blues to the energy of punk and glam rock’s trademark flamboyance, explore one of the most varied genres of all. Uncover rock’s huge cultural impact, get to grips with chords, and touch on technical elements like bent notes and time signatures.

6
Soul And R&B

Combining emotional blues with sophisticated jazz, soul gave way to a more accessible style. You’ll get to know key artists and subgenres; unpack the politics of the time; and touch on trademark elements, like swung rhythms and the ‘call and response’ technique.

  • Songwriting: Content & Genre
    1
    The Influences of Content & Genre

    In the first module on this course, you’ll discover the history and stories behind a range of musical genres, learn how to identify and analyse them, and explore how they influence, complement and compare with each other.

    2
    Pop Music

    What is pop music? Who is it for? And how did it develop? You’ll find answers to these questions and more in this detailed module, which examines the history, lyrics and techniques of pop music, as well as its many subgenres.

    3
    Folk & Country

    With roots in creating music for the ‘common’ man, the folk and country genres famously feature storytelling and acoustic elements, with a strong focus on the structure of their songs and lyrics. Learn more about the genres, their subgenres, and how they blend together.

    4
    Electronica

    Explore electronic music and synthesising techniques like sampling and looping; learn about a range of electronic styles from early hip-hop to modern dubstep; and uncover how this enduring style of music shaped the rave scene and culture in the 80s.

    5
    Rock

    From the iconic 12-bar blues to the energy of punk and glam rock’s trademark flamboyance, explore one of the most varied genres of all. Uncover rock’s huge cultural impact, get to grips with chords, and touch on technical elements like bent notes and time signatures.

    6
    Soul And R&B

    Combining emotional blues with sophisticated jazz, soul gave way to a more accessible style. You’ll get to know key artists and subgenres; unpack the politics of the time; and touch on trademark elements, like swung rhythms and the ‘call and response’ technique.

Here what our students say

Ed S.

Songwriting: Content and Genre

“Learnt a lot of nuances and basic technicalities of different genres. Definitely recommend this course to music enthusiast.”

Bridgett S.

Songwriting: Content and Genre

“Just finished the Pop Music module. Great lessons, easy to follow. I think this definitely gives you a starting vocabulary to start analyzing different types of song form and structure.”

Tomas M.

Songwriting: Content and Genre

“It’s amazing how my skills and knowledge on differnt genres has grown over the classes. It’s good as the lessons is so clear.”

Other online songwriting courses

Are you thinking about this online music course?

Whether learning about the songwriting process to enhance your musical career or becoming a professional songwriter, the ability to write your own songs will positively impact your life.

Our course helps you to conquer new challenges and learn about different genres. Please contact us if you’d like to know more about the six self-paced modules, or book your place today and look forward to a brighter future.

  • WHAT IS SONG CONTENT?

    Song content includes all the features that make up a song – like lyrics, meaning, harmony, melody, structure, instrumentation and more. In this course, you’ll explore case studies of the main musical genres and discover how various features are showcased across a particular songwriting style.

  • IS THIS COURSE FOR intermediate SONGWRITERS?

    While anyone can take this course and gain valuable insights about genres and Songwriting techniques, the case studies and research you’ll cover will be most useful if you’ve already begun exploring your personal Songwriting identity. So it may best suit intermediate-level songwriters who are curious about unique ways to approach Songwriting and keen to experiment with new writing styles… although all songwriters are welcome.

  • HOW DOES THIS COURSE CONNECT WITH ICMP’S OTHER SONGWRITING COURSES?

    We recommend you take this after completing our Songwriting: The Basics and Songwriting: The Creative Process courses. If you’d like to advance your long-term Songwriting journey, why not purchase all courses together as a Songwriting bundle?

  • When can I begin my course?

    You can start whenever you’re ready! Elevate courses are accessed on demand, so you can start and pause your learning at any time. There are no deadlines to begin or complete your course by, so you can progress your studies when it suits you. All course materials are yours to keep, so you can take the course again further down the track if you’d like.

  • What kind of device do I need?

    To study an Elevate course, you just need to bring an inquisitive mind.  You can easily complete your course on any mobile, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.

  • Do I receive any discounts as an Elevate student?

    Yes. We work with a range of industry partners to provide Elevate students like yourself with discounted software to support your learning journey. Your courses will include links to discounts, where relevant.  

  • Do I really get lifetime access?

    Yes – you absolutely do! Elevate courses are designed to be revisited, so you can reuse the course material to practice, develop and continue to improve. As long as you have an account with us, you’ll have access to all the courses you’ve purchased.

  • What do I receive when finish my course?

    Once you’ve completed all your course lessons, you’ll be awarded a certificate found on your dashboard page, which you can download and share.

  • What can I expect sign up for an elevate course?

    Expect something highly engaging! Elevate courses are packed full of interactive learning elements. You’ll have access to video and written lessons, and will use diagrams, case studies and insider hints and tips in your studies. Once you’ve completed an Elevate course, you’ll have lifetime access to all information shared, meaning you can revisit your course materials whenever you like.

  • Who can I contact if I have questions about my course?

    If you have any questions about your course, please send an email to hello@icmp-elevate.com.  We aim to respond to all emails within 24 hours – if not sooner! You can also call our admissions team on 020 7328 0222

  • Can I bundle courses together?

    Yes. In fact, many of our courses are designed to be taken together as a bundle, allowing you to progress your skill level in a particular area from beginner to intermediate. Explore our Elevate bundle offers to find your perfect course bundle.

  • HOW CAN I PAY FOR A COURSE?

    We offer a range of payment methods for your course, including PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay. You can even use PayPal credit to spread your payments.

Meet your tutors

Sophie Daniels, Tim Elsenberg, Megan O’Neill & Jonathan Whiskerd

Songwriting: The Basics’ has been written by expert industry insiders Megan O’Neill, Jonathan Whiskerd, Sophie Daniels and Tim Elsenberg. They have worked with singers and songwriters such as Will Hicks (with Ed Sheeran and Lily Allen), Bruce Hughes (with Jason Mraz), Joshua Blair (with Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars) and Jamie Cullen, and also played a large part in developing London’s ‘The Institute of Contemporary Music’ world-class songwriting curriculum.

“Our Content and Genre course has so much rich content and is fun and varied. Rather than establishing rules around genre writing, we invite you to open up the different shapes and content that we find in different styles, in order to explore and experiment with types of writing you haven’t tried before.

In my experience, this helps you to access new content for your own writing and build confidence and tools for the future.”

See what our songwriting students say

great!

Rated 5 out of 5

This is a fantastic course. Took away many of my insecurities because I noticed that I had used quite a bit of the tools and processes described myself. On the other hand, there was plenty new to learn, too. So, highly recommended.

Roweena P.

learned alot

Rated 4 out of 5

Learned a-lot i never had a clue about..very helpful..many more ways to approach writing a song thank you 😉

Pete P.

Nice and well paced

Rated 5 out of 5

I really enjoyed this course. I’ve used a lot of books and videos before this, but I thought this was well paced with some great resources dotted throughout and it’s nice having it all packaged in one place, and I can keep coming back to it whenever I need!

Kel M.

Flexible payment method

We accept payments via Credit Card, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay. You can even spread your payments using PayPal Credit.

The Complete Songwriter Expert Track

The Elevate special 4-in-1, (THE BASICS, CREATIVE PROCESS, CONTENT & GENRE & LYRIC WRITING) Complete Songwriter Expert Track reveals all, covering essential technical elements of music theory, as well as guiding you to generate, develop and refine your very own songs. It’s all led by music experts, and developed with today’s industry in mind.

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Songwriting: Content & Genre

£20