A man in a plaid shirt writing a song on an acoustic guitar in warm light

CH 01 · Course

“I have forty good eight-bar ideas and no finished songs.”

The course that answers it

Songs That Finish: Writing and Arranging

60 lessons · 16 h · 7 units · 24 months of access

What it is

From a voice memo to a complete arrangement: structure, lyrics, harmony, and the choices that make the second chorus different from the first.

What is inside

  1. 01Five complete songs built on screen from first idea to final arrangement
  2. 02Structure maps you can lay over any song you love
  3. 03Lyric workshops: the first line, the rhyme trap and the editing pass
  4. 04Arranging for a small band, a solo artist and a producer working alone

The units, in order

Running time is how long the video lasts by the end of each unit, at about 16 minutes a lesson.

  1. Unit 01 · lessons 1–8

    From fragment to form

    8 lessons · 2 h 8 min

    Running total 2 h 8 min

  2. Unit 02 · lessons 9–17

    Melody and hook

    9 lessons · 2 h 24 min

    Running total 4 h 32 min

  3. Unit 03 · lessons 18–26

    Chords that serve the tune

    9 lessons · 2 h 24 min

    Running total 6 h 56 min

  4. Unit 04 · lessons 27–36

    Lyrics: first line to final edit

    10 lessons · 2 h 40 min

    Running total 9 h 36 min

  5. Unit 05 · lessons 37–44

    Verse, chorus, bridge

    8 lessons · 2 h 8 min

    Running total 11 h 44 min

  6. Unit 06 · lessons 45–54

    Arranging for the listener

    10 lessons · 2 h 40 min

    Running total 14 h 24 min

  7. Unit 07 · lessons 55–60

    Finishing and letting go

    6 lessons · 1 h 36 min

    Running total 16 h

By the end you will be able to…

  1. Choose a structure before you are too deep to change it
  2. Write a chorus that sounds like an arrival
  3. Arrange a song so that every section has a reason to exist

Is it for you?

Who this suits

  • Writers who collect fragments, and producers who want vocals and verses that match their beats.
  • You are happy to learn by watching, pausing and trying things in your own software or equipment.
  • You can give it about 3 hours a week, which is roughly 6 weeks of video, before time spent practising.

Who should wait

  • You want a teacher to answer questions or mark your work. The course is recorded: there is no tutor and nothing is marked.
  • You need a certificate or an accreditation. None is issued.
  • You want files to keep. Lessons are streamed only and cannot be downloaded; access lasts 24 months.
  • You already finish tracks and your problem is how they sound. The shelf called Making it sound right is a better place to begin.

Pairs with

Questions about this course

How much time should I set aside?

There are 60 lessons in 7 units, 16 h of video in all. At the suggested 3 hours a week that is about 6 weeks of watching. The time you spend trying things yourself comes on top, and you can go faster or slower.

How does access work, and can I download the lessons?

You watch online, streamed through your browser. The lessons cannot be downloaded. Access lasts 24 months, and your access details arrive by email within one working day of payment. If they do not, tell us in the chat and we will look into it.

Will anyone check my work?

No. This is a recorded course: there is no tutor and nothing is marked. End-of-unit prompts are answered on screen for your own benefit. If you want to know whether the course covers something before you buy, ask in the chat or use the contact page.