London Songwriting Circle

What we do when we meet

A typical evening may include

Introductions

Skill share

"Spring board" a song
Sharing songs and lyrics

Group business

What we do in more detail - and when we do it

Introductions

Saying "hello"

Skill share

Someone shares a skill. Previous skill shares have included:

lyric writing
melody writing
jazz harmony
preparing for a gig
performing your song
finger picking technique on the guitar
chord inversions
vocal technique

Spring board a song

Someone sets a song-writing exercise - the "spring board". The "spring board" is designed to:

inspire
act as a tool for writing songs in a different way from our usual methods
help break creative blocks
be enjoyed

Some previous "spring boards" have included:

using the lyric structure of a top ten song as a template for a new song
writing a song in a particular song structure eg AAA form (the form of "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan)
writing a song inspired by a photograph picked at random
writing a "What makes me angry" song
setting a lyric
creating a lyric from a rhythmn determined by the main emotion expressed in the song
an anthem song (in this "spring board" we used visualization)
finishing the "stuck" song
writing a song based around a riff

Sharing songs and lyrics

Those who wish, perform songs they have written or share a lyric.

Feed back on the song and performance, if wanted, is given. Feedback is always intended to be constructive and supportive.

Group business

Dealing with:

finance
future dates
volunteers for the next meeting - chairperson, skill-sharer, "spring board"-sharer
hot topics

Top of page >