Good lyrics are the key to making a song connect with an audience by imbuing it with an emotional heart. Great lyrics will even drive a song’s melody and tone. During this practical course with award-winning Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford, you’ll explore and experiment with various lyrical perspectives and techniques, enabling you to develop a personal style of expression.

You’ll learn how the best lyrics are true to the writer, conveying personal ideas and emotions. Whether your head is in the clouds, the kitchen sink or the gutter, Chris will help you use your own feelings and experiences to write lyrics that will resonate with listeners and add new depth to your music.

Course content

• Introduction to lyric-writing
• Using the imagination and fictional writing to inspire your lyrics
• Musical structure and presentation with show and tell
• Developing your own personal style and form of expression
• Practical lyric-writing workshops
• Songwriting exercises with accompanying instruments

What to bring

• No formal qualifications are required to take part in this course, however, an ability to play a musical instrument is advantageous.
• You are encouraged to bring an instrument along if you wish, but it is not essential to take part in the class or benefit from it.

This course is for…

• Anyone interested in learning more about the lyric writing process regardless of experience level

Tutor profile

Chris Difford is a founding member of Squeeze and the lyricist behind classic songs, such as Up the Junction, Black Coffee in Bed and Pulling Mussels (From the Shell). He is the winner of numerous awards, including two Ivor Novellos, one of which was for outstanding contribution to music. Chris also teaches songwriting at Brighton Music College. He tweets @chrisdifford.

Course Details

• Date: Sunday 6 February 2022
• Time: 10am-4pm (GMT)

10am GMT | 11am CET | 2am PST | 5am EST

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

You will be sent a link to the webinar two hrs before the start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have not received the access link within one hour of the scheduled start time.

All Guardian Masterclasses are fully accessible but please contact us at masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have any queries or concerns.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website