The BBC Maestro masterclass series has added Gary Barlow teaching songwriting to its catalogue of celebrity-led courses.
The 29 short video lessons were recorded in Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios near Bath and break down the methods through which Barlow has written 14 number one singles and 24 top-ten hits, and won six Ivor Novello Awards and an OBE.
Each lesson is under ten minutes long and is supported by course notes in PDF format, including summaries and supplementary content.
Lessons cover the explorative process of songwriting, the regime that Barlow set for himself as a schoolboy, chord structures and collaboration. He also discusses the differences between working for musical theatre and film and analyses some of his most successful hits to explain what made them work.
The course costs £80 and can be gifted. Once purchased, the course can be re-watched as often as one wishes.
