Chevron Left
Back to Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics by Berklee

4.8
stars
846 ratings

About the Course

There’s a songwriter lurking somewhere inside you, peeking around corners, wondering if it’s safe to come out. Now it is. This course is an invitation to let your inner songwriter step into the sunlight. All it takes is a simple “yes” and you’ll be climbing that windy hill, marveling at the view. If you haven’t written any or many songs, this course will show you an efficient, effective process for tailoring songs to express your ideas and emotions. If you have, you’ll look at your process differently, taking control of aspects of the process you may have not noticed. The course will start by examining the tools available to you, all revolving around the essential concept of prosody. You’ll learn to use your tools to enhance your message—to work compositionally at the same time you’re developing your ideas. You’ll be working both lyrically and musically, though musically it’s not necessary that you either read music or play an instrument. If you play, great, and you’ll be encouraged to play and record your musical responses to the assignments. If you don’t play, the course offers you a number of musical loops to work with. All you’ll have to do is sing your melodies over the loops. Assignments will ask you to post something for peer review—sometimes lyric lines or sections, sometimes melodies, sometimes both. None of it has to be polished. The course is about writing, not performing. Most important, you’ll have a lot of fun....

Top reviews

CS

Feb 12, 2021

This course helped me get over the hump of not being able to write songs. I want to thank Sir Pat for helping me organize my ideas and refine them so that I can tell good stories. Thank you sir!!

GH

Jan 15, 2021

I have been to dozens of workshops and have read dozens of books and have written hundreds of songs. I learned more in this course than in any of the workshops or books. This it top rated stuff!

Filter by:

26 - 50 of 293 Reviews for Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics

By Gareth H

Jun 28, 2022

It is not at all interesting or presented in an interesting manner until you see it all coming together in the workshops and all of a suddent it lights up and the bulbs light up. I would consider re-recording this course and add some example workshops in or just some actual examples. I had to read, which I happened to have by chance, to make sure I undertsand it.

By Lindsey

Jan 15, 2018

The content is good, but the videos could be shorter

By eliora

Apr 13, 2020

uncomfortable topics discussed that weren't necessary/related to songwriting

By ashwin m

May 31, 2020

Great course and Mr. Pat Pattison instructions was an excellent. This course is helpful for me. Before joining the course I have never writing any song in my life but in my mind various thoughts and ideas always coming. After the first week, I know how to represent your ideas into a song.

Last three week is tough for me because I m beginner. But I never give up. Finally, after the completion I have wrote two songs.

Thanks for coursera team and my course instructor Mr Pat Pattison.

I highly recommend this course. It's so helpful for those who wants to know about the songwriting skills.

Again, thanks for everything.

By Shawn F

Nov 4, 2016

This course was so much better than I thought it would be. Pat Pattison illuminated a level of craftsmanship within songwriting that I didn't realize existed, and I loved every new technique and discovery. He takes you through the process step-by-step, and you practice in bits and pieces along the way, so that by the time you are called on to write a complete song at the end, you feel prepared and excited. I learned a lot about writing, but I also learned a lot about the art of teaching writing. I highly recommend this course. It's so, so good. So good.

By Stian E

Jun 16, 2020

This course is a six week program, produced and tutored by the one and only Pat Pattison. He teaches by studying words at a microscopic level; the syllables, how it correlates to rhyming, to understanding the identity behind the song before phrasing each sections to support the feelings of the story. Once done, you'll have tools to assist in writing your songs and how chord structure works in a melody in order to add more depth. This leaves me to wishing there was follow up course. Absolutely to recommend!

By Madonna D T

Mar 22, 2021

I am so glad I took this course. I learned all the things that contribute to a verse or chorus being stable and unstable, the role of line lengths, number, and rhyme types. I got to peer review others' work, meet some new people all around the world during the weekly meetings, write my own song at the very end, which I very much enjoyed the process of doing. It's a very good course if you've always wanted to write songs, and just wasn't sure how to go about it. Thank you for offering this course!

By David H

Sep 7, 2016

Excellent course. I have been writing songs for years, some of which might be considered good. However, I always knew I didn't really know how to write songs as a craft. That's why I took this course. The course has now provided me with the toolbox to begin approaching songwriting as it really is, a craft based on skills one learns and develops. I very much would like to take a another course with Pat Pattison, because this one was huge fun! Thanks Pat, Thanks Berklee, Thanks Coursera.

By Gail E

Jul 3, 2020

I took this course for my personal enjoyment. I found it developed the skills of songwriting very well and made something mysterious much less so. I did find the exercises a bit uneven at one point. Weeks 1 through 4 went fine and got a little more complex every time. Week 5 kicked my butt and took 3 weeks for me to finish. I do say that an ability to read music and play a little is quite helpful but not essential. Overall, I'm very glad I took this course.

By Inna A

May 2, 2019

The course helps to understand the scheme and the whole system of writing songs from the point of view of technology. It turns out incredibly beautiful and beautiful! I learned a lot of subtleties. Thanks to the teacher for a very accurate and idle explanation of not simple things.

I have learned a lot. It’s very joyful that there are practical exercises, it’s important to apply the knowledge gained to practice.

I'm very grateful!

By Edward C

Aug 17, 2016

I've been writing instrumental music for about 5 years now but could never put lyrics to my work. This course is proving to be really helpful and has provided lots of techniques and tools that are incredibly useful. On top of that I have to praise the instructor Pat Pattison. He has a lot of charisma and makes these lessons really fun - I've had to pause the videos a few times now just to laugh at his witticism.

By KARL K

Nov 1, 2023

Hi, Berkeley Instructor Pat [ Honored Sensei] and Coursera, for offering this course. It is difficult to write a song, but to do, so with such in depth : expression , annunciation, and arrangement. Will not only write more song utilizing these techniques, but will listen these attributes in, other artists, and writers. Thank, so much, for this amazing opportunity. Stay well Pat.. With regards, Karl K.

By Cristina V

Jul 15, 2022

I really appreciated the final feedback, as I received several cues to improve my lyric writing. I am not a native English speaker, and writing an entire story through "credible concepts" was challenging. The feedback was extremely detailed and helpful, and I look forward to working on those hints to get one of my goals soon: writing/producing radio hits! Thanks for the time you spent reviewing my work!

By FELIPE P L T

Jun 15, 2021

El contenido del curso es excelente, la forma en que se distribuye el aprendizaje es completo, hay reuniones en tiempo real, foros, consultas. Si tuviese que mejorar algo es un supervisor especializado e songwriting de forma semanal. Se que eso ultimo es algo difícil al tratarse de un curso virtual que no es oficial de la universidad de berklee, pero seria lo único que le faltaría al curso.

By Dominic C H

Nov 12, 2020

Very insightful and interesting course, I never thought that songwriting had so many more depths than just with words and rhymes. Very clear explanation of the different degrees of rhymes, and what forces a 'stable or unstable' effect. I always knew that in music, we could create tension and release, but i did not know with words and particular phrasing, there's a lot to play too.

By Empty A

Jun 18, 2020

Pat is an absolutely brilliant professor. He has a certain charisma about him which makes him extremely likable and funny too. This man knows what he is talking about. Ive been in the songwriting game for 15 years, yet i still learned multitudes of information that i never knew, nor would know for a lifetime had it not been for this class and Pat himself. Thank you Pat

By Esther M

Jun 29, 2020

Taking this course has been a very gratifying experience. It's opened new doors in my life and even made me consider a different career path that wasn't on the table for me before.

Pat is an amazing instructor and learning from him has been refreshing and amazing. I recommend this course to anyone who's looking for new ways of expressing themselves through music.

By Nancy F

Nov 25, 2018

An extremely helpful class that provided me with tools for approaching lyric writing. Pat Pattison is a terrific teacher; I really enjoyed his lectures and examples. I looking forward to more opportunities to learn from him. I recommend this class to anyone looking to learn the basics of songwriting and/or to try to break a block and get writing again.

By Katrina F

Feb 18, 2018

What a great intro to songwriting! At first I was a little put off because it felt like the professor was somewhat vague, dreamy, or indirect. But I hung on and soon caught on to his teaching style. This has opened the door to the world of songwriting for me. It helps that I have already been working at it for a few years. Pat is wise.

By Cathi T

Oct 13, 2019

I see songs in structures with rhymes in different ways as soon as the first video for this course. English is my second language, and I am able to apply it in Mandarin as well. By reading Prof. Pattison's words after received my certificate, his genuine and sincere messages lift my confidence to a different level.

By Finding F

Oct 19, 2020

Fantastic course. I've written numerous songs previously, but this is making some subtle polish to some of them and giving me a huge jump start on starting others. It really delves in to how the lyrics and phrasing make your songs tick, and gives you great ways to structure and generate ideas for new ones.

By Becky A

Sep 19, 2021

Pat Pattison is at the top of his game. He's taught this course for so long that he knows exactly what to say to help you improve your songwriting. Lyrics are definitely my weak point, and whilst I'm never going to be a poet, I've got lots of great strategies now to make my lyrics much better.

By Odile S

Mar 20, 2018

This course gives an explanation about prosody and how rhyme works, not merely teaches how to work with it but also the why. Before the course I wondered why to bother use rhyme and rhythm, as long as it feels good. Now I more deeply understand how it works and know better how to write a poem.

By Paddy M

Dec 15, 2020

What a fantastic course and a fantastic learning experience.

Pat Pattison is just a brilliant tutor. The manner in which he explains everything in detail, was the main reason I found the course so satisfying and a great song writing experience.

Thank you to all concerned at Berklee college.

By Francesca A L

Mar 23, 2017

I would strongly recommend this course to anyone wanting to learn songwriting techniques. Pat Pattison is great and makes learning fun! I feel I have learned so much in such a short time. Loved every minute of it and I hope some day to be able to take other courses with Pat!