The ‘ABC of Song Lyrics’ course offers an exceptionally comprehensive package about song lyrics and how to write them.
The course covers a wide range of topics, including special characteristics of song lyrics, phases of writing, co-writing, ‘leveraging’, tools for writing song lyrics and finding inspiration, as well as function, idea, topic, theme, style, tone, parts, overall shape, hooks, hook placement, meter, rhyme, story, structure of drama and narration of songs.
The instructor on the course will be lyric and songwriting legend Heikki Salo.
The course includes a comprehensive set of pre-recorded videos and writing assignments.
The videos will be made available to admitted students during the first meeting!
COURSE DELIVERY
The course is free of charge in the pilot phase, and is primarily aimed at people living in Southern Ostrobothnia. As this course is a part of a project funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), participants are required to fill in monitoring information and feedback forms related to ESF projects.
The course consists of pre-recorded video material, online meetings and assignments.
Please refer to the ‘Schedule’ box for the dates of the online sessions and their contents.
Following successful applications, 10 people will be selected for the course.
PRELIMINARY ASSIGNMENT
Familiarise yourself with Heikki Salo’s book Kahlekuningaslaji – laululyriikan käsikirja. The book will function as supplementary material to the other course content.
You can order the book at: https://kauppa.musiikkitoteemi.fi/epages/musiikkitoteemi.sf/fi_FI/?ObjectPath=/Shops/2016081109/Products/HS-006-2
Send any song lyric you have written yourself and that you would like to receive tips for to the instructor. You will start to work on that text in the group during the first meeting. The instructor’s email address will be given to students before the course starts.
HOW TO APPLY
Click the ‘Submit application’ button at the top of the page and fill in the application form (make sure you have registered prior to submission). All applicants will be notified personally of their admission to the course and sent further instruction on how to proceed.
Prepare to introduce yourself in the first meeting. You can also introduce some of your musical work.
INSTRUCTOR HEIKKI SALO
Heikki Salo has written songs for various purposes, spanning Finnish rock music, children’s songs, songs for musicals, schlagers, ditties, songs for an ABC book and for brain infarction patients. His songs have been recorded by dozens of artists. He has also written TV shows, movies, musicals and plays. Salo’s repertoire also includes the book Kahlekuningaslaji, a 300-page guide to song lyrics. Heikki has organised various songwriting courses in Finland and abroad since the nineties.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO PARTICIPATE
Students should have a copy of Heikki Salo’s Kahlekuningaslaji – laululyriikan käsikirja.
Besides that, you will need a computer or some other device with which you can join the Zoom meetings.
