Tis the season! Spread the love! Words by David Rakowski, additional lyrics by Dave Swenson 

Go the Distance in minor | Learn songwriting

Hamilton and Burr’s verses together—cut 2nd verse from Dear Theodosia

In honor of Phantom closing—Music of the Night in MINOR

Hellfire🔥 Diving in! | Learn songwriting

A journey through the chorus of “A Whole New World”

Some Hunchback Tea | Learn songwriting

The Burning Bush | Learn songwriting

All about The Plagues! | Learn songwriting

I See the Light | Learn songwriting

I think I’d rather be burned with acid ☠️

Not sure I want to be part of THIS world 👀

BENJAMIN BUTTON (A NEW MUSICAL)

How To Master Your Songwriting Craft and Connect To Your Audience

For Forever M Tea

Homeward Bound M Tea

Hunchback M Tea

POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS in MAJOR KEY (eek!)

MAROON Taylor Swift M Tea

THE M TEA on IT'S QUIET UPTOWN

How Far I'll Go - The M Tea

Forbidden Friendship (The M Tea)

Go the Distance (The M Tea)

Grim Grinning Ghosts in a  Major Key

Heaven's Light in a Minor Key

Hellfire, early Demo Version!

This is Phase 2 of The Transformational Songwriting VIP Program. Until now, this has ONLY been available to our VIP clients and TS Silver clients. Now I'm making it available to you. I'm confident that once you start diving into this, you'll want to join our VIP Client Community and get your hands on the tools and techniques you need to write consistently and confidently for the rest of your life!

A Taste of Transformational Songwriting

Lesson Name

Learn about the different types of Family Rhyme (Plosives, Fricatives, and Nasals)

Link to the folder containing the practice exercises below!

Family Rhyme

Learn about additive and subtractive rhymes, and consonance/assonance rhymes — how they work, when to use them.

Keep in mind that these videos are a part of our VIP Program, so you won't be able to post in the group, since that's exclusive to VIP

Additive/Subtractive & Consonance/Assonance Rhyme

This is a group coaching call with a guest speaker who changed my life...and subsequently, the lives of everyone on this call.

BONUS Content!

Here, you can get a feeling for what a typical coaching call in our VIP program looks like. We run these 2x weekly, 90 minutes each.

A typical live group coaching call in our VIP Program

Just some of the results our VIP Group members are experiencing.

If you'd like to book a call with a member of our team to see if this program is a good fit for you, click the link below!

VIP Group Results

Transformational Songwriting is a program designed to give you the tools and techniques you need to write consistently and confidently for a lifetime. Developed by award-winning songwriter Brett Boles, the program covers everything from developing great hooks to sense-bound writing and melodic contour, harmonic vocabulary/rhythm and chord structure. Avoid amateur red flags in your writing, and build your knowledge, skills, and confidence!

Transformational Songwriting SILVER

Sense-Bound Writing and Object Writing — how we do it, why we do it.

Lyrics Phase 1.1 "Sense-Bound Writing" (Object Writing)

Part 1 of 2 about using Syllables, Accents, and Stresses effectively

Lyrics Phase 1.2A "Syllables, Accents, and Stresses" Part 1

Lyrics 1.2B "Syllables, Accents, and Stresses" Part 2

Lyrics Phase 2.2 "Rhyme" Part 2 — Family Rhyme

Lyrics Phase 2.3 "The Remaining 3 Categories of Rhyme"

It's a longer video (comparatively speaking), but there is GOLD here, people. Don't skip through it...really important info.

Also, when I talk about the false rhyme in the "bad" version of Go the Distance that I mocked up for this, I really meant win/been/MEN. My brain wasn't in the right place. At some point I'll go back and re-record that, but I just wanted to get this up for you, so I left it in for now.

Music Phase 3.1 "Melodic Stress"

Assignment for this module is to take a song section from any 3 different songs and set them to each melodic contour type (other than the one it's already set in). Have fun!

Music Phase 3.2 "Melodic Contour"

Starting our talk about harmony! musictheory.net is a great resource to brush up on your basics if you need to!

The few videos after this one will be VERY short, just introducing each exercise before you go ahead and practice. Phase 4.2 will be introducing your first larger-scale assignment! How exciting!

Music Phase 4.1 "I<IV and I<V"

Music Phase 4.1.2 "I<iii and I<vi"

Music Phase 4.1.3 "I<ii and I<viiº"

Phase Music 4.1.4 "Multi-Chord Progressions"

Music Phase 4.2 "Writing Assignment"

Lyrics Phase 5.1 "Sense-Bound Writing (Who)"

Take a look at this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vhvmb2suEI&t=5s

Lyrics Phase 5.2 "Titles" Part 1

Lyrics Phase 5.3 "Titles" Part 2

There is a video in the folder linked below with a recorded group call from our VIP Group going into more depth on this if you need clarification/practice! (discussion starts around the 29 minute mark)

Also, this video is worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lVUn4Cq26E

Lyrics Phase 5.4 "Writing Through The Boxes"

Lyrics Phase 5.5 "Boxes Assignment"

For examples, listen to "Yesterday" by The Beatles, "Cardigan" by Taylor Swift, "Automatic" by Miranda Lambert

Music Phase 6.1 "Melody As Tone Of Voice" Part 1

Music Phase 6.1 "Melody As Tone Of Voice" Part 2

One of the best videos about how this works in practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbKEB1v8McA

Music Phase 6.3 "Intervallic Narrative"

Examples:
In Front of the Alamo (Gary Burr)
Hearts and Bones (Paul Simon)
Burma Shave (Tom Waits)
Walt Grace's Submarine Test, 1967
Cactus Tree (Joni Mitchell)
Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles)
Galveston Bay (Bruce Springstein)
Haitian Divorce (Steely Dan)
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
The Other Woman (Lana del Rey)
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Train in the Distance (Paul Simon)
What a Fool Believes (M. McDonald)
The Fool on the Hill (The Beatles)

Lyrics Phase 7.1 "Point of View" 3rd Person Narrative

Examples:
Never On The Day You Leave
Like A Rolling Stone
24 Frames
Broken Arrow
For No One
Girl On Fire
Judgment Of The Moon And Stars
Kid Charlemagne
Let Her Go
Rhiannon
Don't Let It Bring You Down
Sultans of Swing
Suzanne

Lyrics Phase 7.2 "Point of View" 2nd Person Narrative

Examples:
Can't Be Really Gone
Hotel California
Early Morning Rain
It Was A Very Good Year
Live Oak
Stop This Train
Stolen Car
The Gambler
My Girl
I'm Into Something Good

Lyrics Phase 7.3 "Point of View" 1st Person Narrative

Examples:
And So It Goes
Fields of Gold
Your Body Is A Wonderland
A Whole New World

Lyrics Phase 7.4 "Point of View" Direct Address

Music Phase 8.1 "Natural Minor"

Music Phase 8.2 "Harmonic Minor"

“Working with Brett is a dream. His talent is only matched by his kindness. He’s a fantastic collaborator and I’m proud to call him a friend. I’m reminded of what a terrific person he is every chance that I have to work with him.”

Brett Boles

Brett Boles

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