Songwriting Course Week 1

I have signed up for a couple of online courses recently, and for a change ones that are totally out of my normal field of study (ie not computing ones!).

You won't be too surprised to find out that Songwriting is one of these courses, although I suspect the title of this post might have given it away!

Today was my day off (because I'm working Saturday), and apart from getting a replacement oven and a mooch around Dalton Park, I have spent some time in watching the lectures for the course.

The course is structured around video's, with quizzes to back up the ideas in the lecture followed by an assessed piece of coursework.

There are several songs that the quizzes refer to, and YouTube is a big help as I didn't have any of the songs quoted in my collection!

The lectures looked at the structure of songs, how to develop ideas in songs and different points of views. You mustn't forget the six best friends of songwriting: Who What Where When Why and How - these are probably best friends of authors too.

I'm sitting writing this while Lynn is cooking tea, and I intend on starting on the other course I signed up for this evening. I might have to push myself fairly hard to try and get it completed tonight too, especially as I haven't checked the deadlines for it out yet!

The songs

There were only two of the songs that I recognised Eleanor Rigby and The Great Pretender, although it was the Freddy Mercury version I had heard before.

One or two I though might be doable as a guitar soloist, and when I get my skills up enough I intend to give a try - open acoustic events beware!

• "Eleanor Rigby" (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) performed by The Beatles


• "One More Dollar" (Gillian Welch) performed by Gillian Welch


• "Still Crazy After All These Years" (Paul Simon) performed by Paul Simon


• "In Front of the Alamo" (Gary Burr) performed by Hal Ketchum


• "It Was a Very Good Year" (Ervin Drake) performed by Frank Sinatra)


• "For No One" (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) performed by The Beatles


• "What’ll I do?" (Irving Berlin) performed by Linda Ronstadt


• "Can’t Be Really Gone" (Gary Burr) performed by Tim McGraw


• "Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig's Tune)" (Joni Mitchell) performed by Joni Mitchell


• "I Can’t Make You Love Me" (Mike Reid/Allen Shamblin) performed by Bonnie Raitt


• "The Great Pretender" (Buck Ram) performed by The Platters


• "Strawberry Wine" (Matraca Berg/Gary Harrison) performed by Deana Carter


• "Why Can't I Have You?" (Ric Ocasek) performed by The Cars