Music Theory for Songwriters: The Fundamentals

Music theory is fundamental to making and playing music. However, no one has taught it in such a user-friendly and songwriting-focused way as we do here, using both keyboard and guitar to demonstrate the techniques.

Professional musician Julian Velard starts the course with the building blocks of harmony: notes, scales, intervals, chords, inversions, and basic chord progressions. He then goes into voice leading—showing how to move from one chord to another by changing just one or two notes—and reviews common song forms, from the familiar verse/chorus/verse of pop to the simple verse of the blues. At the end of each chapter, Julian explains the songwriting techniques shown in the chapter within the context of his own original commercially released songs.

Using LinkedIn Learning

Want to keep learning on LinkedIn? You can create a free LinkedIn account, but access to LinkedIn Learning usually requires a paid subscription or access provided through an employer, school, library, or other organization.

If you choose to use LinkedIn Learning, keep in mind that your progress in this course will not transfer, so you’ll be starting fresh there.

How to create a LinkedIn account:

1. Go to LinkedIn and select Join now.
2. Enter your email address and create a password.
3. Follow the prompts to finish setting up your account.
4. Once signed in, you can explore LinkedIn Learning and review the access options available to you.