Making Your Songs Hit Harder With Contrast
(3-Week LIVE CrashCourse)
June 1, 8 & 15
About This Course
3 Weeks of Live Training with Multi-Grammy Nominated Hitmaker Clay Mills & Multi #1 Hitmaker Marty Dodson
Contrast is one of the biggest reasons some songs grab listeners — and others just pass them by.
- It’s what makes a chorus feel bigger.
- It’s what makes a title more memorable.
- It’s what keeps a listener leaning in from the first line to the last note.
In this 3-week CrashCourse, multi #1 hit songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills will show you how to use contrast in your lyrics and melodies so your songs become hookier, more emotional, more memorable, and more powerful to the people who hear them.
What You'll Learn
Over 3 weeks, Marty Dodson and Clay Mills will break down the key ways hit songwriters use contrast — from titles, setup lines, verse/chorus shifts, rhyme sounds, melody ranges, note lengths, rhythm patterns, vocal entrances, and more.
You’ll learn how to make every section of your song do its job better — and how to bring it all together in a way that makes your songs hit harder.
How The Course Works
• Live Weekly Classes with Clay Mills & Marty Dodson: Join Clay & Marty for three weeks of live, online classes packed with insider techniques and real-world examples.
• Target Writing Assignments: Get focused assignments each week to immediately apply your new skills.
• Replays and Support: Access full class replays and direct email support from Clay & Marty for any questions.
Course Schedule:
* Class 1: Monday, June 1st @ 7PM CT
* Class 2: Monday, June 8th @ 7PM CT
* Class 3: Monday, June 15th @ 7PM CT
Grab Your Spot Now!
Price:
Members: FREE (Included with Membership)
*SongTown Members: You MUST sign into your SongTown account first before clicking the button to get this course for FREE!
Non-Members: $279
(Includes a month of SongTown full-access membership OR Join SongTown ($240/year) and get this course FREE!)
**Tuition is non-refundable once class sells out or begins
What Songwriters Are Saying About SongTown's CrashCourses:
Why Contrast Matters
Most developing songwriters focus on getting a good idea, a good lyric, or a good melody.
But hit writers know the magic often comes from how those pieces contrast with each other.
- A poetic verse can make a simple chorus feel more powerful.
- A tight, repetitive chorus can make a conversational verse feel more natural.
- A low, restrained verse can make a higher chorus feel huge.
- A surprising title can make an ordinary idea feel unforgettable.
Contrast helps your songs create moments. And moments are what listeners remember.
Meet Your Instructors
About Clay Mills
Multi #1 Writer/Publisher
Mississippi Delta native Clay Mills’ list of accolades is quite impressive. He's a 12-time ASCAP award winning songwriter/producer, penning #1 hits for Darius Rucker (“Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”), Diamond Rio (“Beautiful Mess”), and Kimberley Locke (“Fall”). Along the way he's collected Grammy Nominations for “Beautiful Mess” and Trisha Yearwood’s “Heaven Heartache and the Power of Love”. Clay has had over 150 songs recorded by major recording artists. In 2022 Clay was inducted into the Mississippi Songwriter's Hall Of Fame.
About Marty Dodson
Multi #1 Writer/Publisher
Marty (born in Apple Valley, California) is an American singer-songwriter/producer. He has had songs recorded by artists such as Carrie Underwood, The Plain White T’s, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, The Oak Ridge Boys, Saving Jane, Lonestar, Billy Currington, and Craig Morgan. He’s celebrated 10 number one songs and counting throughout his career!
Course Outline:
Week 1 — Lyric Contrast
- You'll learn how great writers use contrast in titles, lines, sections, emotions, and language to make songs more compelling.
Week 2 — Melody Contrast
- You’ll learn how small melodic choices can make a chorus lift, a verse settle in, or a hook jump out and stay in the listener’s head.
Week 3 — Bringing It All Together
- This week is all about taking the tools from weeks 1 and 2 and using them to make your songs feel more complete, more professional, and more powerful.
Great songs don’t usually feel flat.
They move. They shift. They surprise us. They create tension and release. They give the listener something to feel, something to remember, and something to come back to.
That’s the power of contrast.
When you understand how to build contrast into your lyrics and melodies, your songs can connect in a bigger and more meaningful way with listeners, publishers, artists, and producers who are looking for songs worth recording.
What You'll Walk Away With
A stronger understanding of what makes songs memorable
You’ll learn why contrast is one of the hidden tools behind songs that stick with listeners.
A better way to evaluate your own songs
You’ll be able to spot sections that feel too similar and know how to fix them.
More powerful lyrics
You’ll discover ways to use title contrast, section contrast, line length, rhyme sounds, and emotional turns to make your lyrics hit harder.
More dynamic melodies
You’ll learn how note range, rhythm, entrances, line direction, and phrasing can create lift, movement, and memorability.
A practical craft tool you can use forever
Once you understand contrast, you’ll start hearing songs differently — and writing them with more intention.
Price:
Members: FREE (Included with Membership)
*SongTown Members: You MUST sign into your SongTown account first before clicking the button to get this course for FREE!
Non-Members: $279
(Includes a month of SongTown full-access membership OR Join SongTown ($240/year) and get this course FREE!)
**Tuition is non-refundable once class sells out or begins
Additional Details & Pricing
For This Songwriting CrashCourse
Classes are easy to view and participate in from your computer, laptop, or smartphone.
All classes are available to watch on replay if you miss it live. We keep the video up for 3 weeks after your class to review at your leisure.
Post your assignments in the SongTown.com forum and discuss with your classmates.
Course includes 1-month trial membership to SongTown for non-members who sign up!
Class Schedule
First class: Monday, June 1st
Individual Class Dates: June 1, 8, 15
Class Time: 7pm- 8pm (CDT)
Location: Online on your computer or smart device
Price:
Members: FREE
(Included with Membership)
Non-Members: $279
(Includes a month of SongTown full-access membership OR Join SongTown ($240/year) and get this course FREE!)
**Tuition is non-refundable once class sells out or begins
FAQ
Q: Is this class only for advanced songwriters?
A: No. This CrashCourse is helpful for songwriters at every level. Beginners will learn a powerful foundation, and experienced writers will sharpen a tool used every day by hit songwriters.
Q: What styles of music does this apply to?
A: Contrast matters in every style — country, pop, sync, Americana, Christian, rock, singer-songwriter, and more. Any song that needs to hold a listener’s attention can benefit from stronger contrast.
Q: Is this course about commercial songwriting?
A: It’s about writing stronger songs — these tools can help your songs become more commercially effective, but it's not soley about that. We are focusing on songs that feel clear, memorable, emotional, and dynamic.
Q: Will I learn specific tools I can apply right away?
A: Yes. The goal of this CrashCourse is to give you practical tools you can use immediately. You’ll walk away with a clearer way to diagnose what may be missing in your songs and how to strengthen them.
Ready To Make Your Songs
Hit Harder?
If your songs are good but you know they could connect more, contrast may be the missing piece.
In just 3 weeks, Marty Dodson and Clay Mills will show you how to use lyric contrast, melody contrast, and section-to-section contrast to make your songs more memorable, more emotional, and more interesting to the people who hear them.
Attend From Anywhere On Any Device!
Replays Available for all classes.
Classes are once a week (June 1, 8, 15)
Location: SongTown’s Online Video Classroom (Zoom)
This Course Is For You If:
- Your verses and choruses sometimes feel too similar
- Your melodies feel predictable or flat
- Your lyrics are good, but the song doesn’t fully land
- You want your hooks to be more memorable
- You want better responses from publishers, artists, producers, and listeners
- You want to understand the craft choices hit writers make instinctively
Whether you write country, pop, sync, Christian, Americana, singer-songwriter, or anything in between, contrast is one of the tools that can instantly make your songs more interesting.
Don't Miss Out – Sign Up Today
Price:
Members: FREE (Included with Membership)
*SongTown Members: You MUST sign into your SongTown account first before clicking the button to get this course for FREE!
Non-Members: $279
(Includes a month of SongTown full-access membership OR Join SongTown ($240/year) and get this course FREE!)
**Tuition is non-refundable once class sells out or begins
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