Songwriting lessons

Dylan traces songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Boots of Spanish Leather” back to the folk songs that inspired them. An annotated excerpt from his 2015 MusiCares speech, with an accompanying playlist.

A video lesson on adapting cool chord progressions from other songs to spur your own song ideas.

A new book/video teaches the guitar styles of 14 legendary singer-songwriters, including Joni Mitchell, John Prine, Paul Simon, and Bill Withers.

Learn simple, powerful ways to add freshness and variety to chord progressions.

Advice and instructions on songwriting, in the words of Woody Guthrie.

A simple, powerful way to create more distinctive chord progressions.

A look at common song forms used in rock, country, folk, and pop, and how their components function and fit together.

Every songwriter needs a nudge sometimes to keep writing.

Inspiration may be impossible to define or control or predict, but that doesn’t mean that we have to just sit around idly waiting for it.

How to add a bluesy edge to your chord progressions.

The skeleton key for countless songs in folk, country, rock, blues, and beyond.

Swapping out a chord or two can really liven up a progression and also help you discover new melodic ideas to sing on top.

A songwriter’s guide, continued. (See the lesson on major keys.)

A songwriter’s guide.