Indie Rock 101

CHAPTER 3 Songwriting

Group interpretations of songs

Song structure basics

Tell a story

Avoid puns, clichés, and stock phrases

What makes a good song?

phrasesProtect your work

Are you ready to record?

While rock songs are typically simple in composition and arrangement, a classic song with a great hook and lyrics is more difficult to write than one might think. Most musicians who go on to become accomplished songwriters have an interest and background in the art and craft of writing itself and understand the written word’s relationship to music; they generally don’t need much, if any, academic instruction in songwriting. That said, there are some general guidelines that can help inform even those who are better suited to focusing on other areas ...