Hit Songwriting Course | Lisbon
Hit Songwriting Program
Songwriting Course – Write Better. Go Further.
In today’s music industry, talent alone won’t cut it. To thrive as a songwriter, you need to understand what makes a track commercially viable—from structure and lyric craft to emotional resonance and market appeal.
This course is built for those ready to move beyond hobbyist writing and start creating songs that can compete in the real world—whether you're aiming for chart placements, sync licensing, or cuts with other artists.
Taught in a small-class setting by a working professional songwriter with credits and collaborations across the industry, you'll gain:
- →Real-world strategies for pitching, co-writing, and getting placements
- →Detailed critique sessions to refine your current songs for the market
- →Collaborative writing opportunities that mimic real industry sessions
- →Proven commercial songwriting frameworks used by top writers
Bring your own material, refine your sound, and learn how to position your songs for the right opportunities. You’ll leave this course not just a better writer, but a smarter, more strategic one—with the tools to pursue commercial success.
Sessions available in-person or LIVE online. Let’s turn your ideas into songs that get heard.
Lisbon's course runs in small groups at our studio, taught by working producers, with live-online attendance for students elsewhere in Portugal. The city's fast-growing electronic scene makes it a good place to learn this.
Songwriting Fundamentals
- →The beauty of a crossover
- →What makes a timeless melody?
- →What makes a hit a hit now?
- →A look at past famed hit makers and an up close look at today’s top music makers
- →How do you come up with a “killer line?”
- →What is alliteration, anaphora, and other “ear worm” secrets to lyric and melody writing?
- →What’s the difference between a song and a hit? A classic?
The Secret to Making a Great Demo
- →The power of the remix
- →Selecting the perfect vocalist
- →Simplicity is bliss
- →Don’t waste your money
Placement and Politics
- →What is the present state of A&R?
- →How do I get my songs cut and placed?
- →It’s more than just the music, an inside perspective on how to get your songs placed and heard
- →Dirty little secrets of song placement
- →What makes a songwriter “hot”?
The Forum is Yours
- →Write a song with class and instructor, maybe even a HIT!
- →kd_icon icon_pack="font_awesome" fa_icon="fa-solid fa-arrow-right" size="mkd-icon-tiny" custom_size="" type="normal" border_radius="" shape_size="" icon_color="#ce1713" border_color="" border_width="" background_color="" hover_icon_color="" hover_border_color="" hover_background_color="" margin="" icon_animation="" icon_animation_delay="" link="" anchor_icon="" target="_self"] Share your songs with the class
- →Share your tips and tricks
- →What are your favorite hit songs? And why?
What our students say.
“The course throughly covers the fundamentals of synthesis and has helped me understand concepts that go beyond the everyday Youtube tutorial. The course has made Youtube tutorials and other concepts of sound design easily understood.”
Daniel Tran
Questions we hear a lot.
Ready to get started?
Enroll nowWhat makes Garnish different?
Songwriting: How to Write Better Lyrics
by Chris Porter Communicate, connect and feedback. This is critical. A great (or at least, better!) lyric has something to say and knows how to say it. The subject matter is irrelevant if you get this critical step right. Run your ideas past trusted ears. If you’re getting a lot of blank looks, it’s
Read →Songwriting, Music Composition writing chords and bass lines
A last day with a songwriting and composition class - chord sequences, melody, structure, rhythm, lyrics, arrangement and bass lines.
Read →Major, minor and extended chords on the keyboard and piano
Music theory practice, part two: major, minor and extended chords on the keyboard, and how to voice them.
Read →Logic pro 9 Environment Chord Memorizer: Musical tips
The Chord Memorizer in Logic's environment layer, and how to use it as a shortcut for writing chords.
Read →Skills Every Musician Should Know
Whether you’re a budding producer, DJ or a brand new indie artist -- most of the time the focus is purely on the music, and that’s about it. However, soon enough, you’ll realize that there’s much more involved in just putting on music.
Read →Free Hit Songwriting Tips From A No.1 Hit Selling Songwriter
In this video, our no. 1 hit selling songwriting instructor Alex Von Soos gives us a little taster of what you can expect on our Hit Songwriting course, jam packed full of songwriting tips from a top songwriter with record sales in the millions. Songwriting Tips | Become a Songwriter Music: Mountain
Read →