PianoTV
Write Your Own Song
Join the Pop Song Challenge!
I’ll take you from from zero to a fully-written pop song in 30 days.
So You Want to Write a Song...
Being able to write your own song is a superpower. Many people dream of writing songs, but the process seems magical – something that’s not possible for most people to do.
That’s why I want to give you the tools to write your own song, even if you’ve never done it before. In 30 days and 30 lessons (5 recorded live sessions!), you’ll learn how to write a pop song complete with chords, melody and lyrics. We’ll talk about the foundations of a song, how to evoke emotion, creating verses and choruses, and study some famous pop songs as we go.
For the month of September, you’ll go through the lessons with an enthusiastic bunch of piano players, and I’ll be there along the way to help you reach something that’s seemed unreachable – becoming a songwriter.
By the end of this challenge, you'll be able to...
- Write your own lyrics
- Choose chords to capture a mood
- Create a groove
- Write a verse and a chorus
- Create a catchy, singable melody
- Express yourself through music
- Format and structure your song
- Sing your own lyrics
- Play with a sense of rhythm
- Write intros and endings
- Create a chorus "hook"
- Record yourself more effectively
How the Pop Song Challenge Works:
Week 1: Chords and Foundation
Learn how to use chords in your songwriting and create a chord-based groove that you’re able to play alongside a drum track.
Week 2: Emotion in Music
Express your feelings in your songwriting, and create an entire piano structure for your idea, start to finish.
Week 3: Writing Melodies
Explore popular pop melodies and learn techniques the best songwriters use. Write a melody for your completed piano structure.
Week 4: Writing Lyrics
Learn about rhyming, meaning and word choices in lyrics. Write your own lyric to match the melody you’ve created.
Week 5: Transitions and Final Details
With a near-complete song, you’ll add the finishing touches to your pop song. Your song is complete!
The challenge will include:
- A short daily instructional video for 30 days in a row, starting September 1st
- A daily task to move you toward a fully-written song
- A variety of 'suggested listening' songs to highlight key concepts
- 5 Recorded Q&A/Feedback Sessions
- Private Facebook group for participants to share what they're writing
- Access to all the Pop Song Challenge materials forever
Course Details:
If you’re anything like me, you like knowing the exact details of what’s inside a course. Below is a full outline of every lesson in the challenge. (Click to expand)
Day 1: Chord Sequences
Day 2: Chord Variations
Day 3: Chord Inversions and Sequences
Day 4: Create Your First Groove
Day 5: Practice Your Groove with a Drum Track
Day 6: Recorded Live call on Zoom
Day 7: Key, Genre and Style
Day 8: The Feel of Different Chords
Day 9: Emotions and Chords
Day 10: Musical Representations
Day 11: Song Structure
Day 12: Tie Your Ideas Together
Day 13:
Recorded Live call on Zoom
Day 14: Melody Study
Day 15: Melody Techniques
Day 16: Melody in Verses
Day 17: Melody in Choruses: The Hook
Day 18: Singing Naturally
Day 19: Complete Your Melody
Day 20: Recorded Live call on Zoom
Day 21: Dissect a Pop Song
Day 22: Create Your Lyric Structure
Day 23: Rhyming and Syllables
Day 24: What Is Your Message?
Day 25: Word Choices
Day 26: Singing Your Lyrics
Day 27: Recorded Live call on Zoom
Day 28: Introductions and Endings
Day 29: Transitions
Day 30: Recorded Finale Party on Zoom
Hi! I'm Allysia.
Hi! I’m Allysia van Betuw, the creator and host of PianoTV. My channel has over 100k subscribers and my videos have been viewed over 7 million times.
For over 15 years, I’ve been teaching piano to people of all ages and levels, from three-year-old beginners to retired adults.
I created this course because writing music is one of my favorite things to do in the entire world. I wanted to share that joy with anyone interested in expressing themselves through music, even if you’ve never written a single song before.
Special Sale Expiring in....
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Hours
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Join by September 1st to receive 20% off! This way, you’ll be able to follow along with others and complete the challenge by the end of September.
Pop Song Challenge!
Write Your Song in 30 Days
$
97
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Daily Instruction Video (Total 30 Videos)
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Access to Private Facebook Group
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Daily task to move you toward a fully-written song
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5 (Recorded) Q&A/Feedback Sessions
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Access to the Pop Song Challenge materials forever
Need Help?
FAQs
Can I still join the challenge after September 1st?
Definitely! Though a group of people are going through the challenge starting September 1st, there will be latecomers to the challenge. You can still follow along the daily exercises and share your progress with the Facebook group.
What if I've never written a pop song before?
Awesome! This challenge is friendly to songwriting newbies. You’ll still be able to go through the entire process of creating a song, start-to-finish, by completing the daily assignments.
I'm an old hat at songwriting. Will this challenge still be useful to me?
I’ve been writing music since I was eight, and I’m in the post-production phase of my second studio album. Even so, I’m going to be doing this challenge alongside everyone else with the expectation that I’ll learn plenty of new things as I create the daily videos. 🙂
I'm a beginner. Is this challenge right for me?
Nope. I’d recommend at least 1-2 years of piano experience before joining this challenge. You need to have a basic grasp of hands-together playing, chords, and rhythm to get the most out of this. In the meantime you can checkout my other courses and youtube channel with hundreds of videos 🙂
I don't like pop music. Would it be worthwhile to participate in this challenge?
To an extent. I write alternative rock music, so I use the term “pop” very broadly. We’re not just looking at Celine Dion-style songwriting – we’ll explore a variety of genres and styles in the pop/rock category. However, if you’re interested in writing jazz, metal, or another style of music very far-removed from pop, you might want to sit this one out.
I don't have a recording set-up. Can I still join?
Absolutely! My recording set-up is very minimal, and I’ll give some recording and gear tips along the way. But if all you have is a smartphone, you’ll definitely be able to follow along.
My singing voice is akin to a wailing cat. Can I do this course without singing?
Yes, though I’d still love to challenge you to try singing. 🙂 If it’s really that awful, the next best thing is to recruit a friend (or someone else in this challenge) to sing your song for you. Working with other musicians is rewarding and fun, and many singers would love the challenge!