almost-words first

[Layla Nahar]

Hi Everyone,

I have an Idea for a song - Ive got the verses as they tell the story, I've got the images, I have a vague idea for the chorus, but I don't have the scansion or the music yet.

Has anybody dealt with the same thing? Does anybody have suggestions as to how I might get closer to the musicality/songness that I'm looking for? (btw, I had envisaged a sort of folky song)

[mocharock]

Just keep working it man, it will come to you. I usually write my material about people that I know, but it in a indirect way. It usually comes around. How do you usually write your material? Do you write with other people as well? Try to hum it out that is what I suggest. Eventually the song will write it self out.

[bdbdbuck]

Does it involve a whale and a one legged captain?



bd

[Layla Nahar]

Originally posted by bdbdbuck
Does it involve a whale and a one legged captain?



bd

aaaaaawwww

now y'aall're gangin up on me! Am I really gonna have ta

SWAB THE DECK WI' YE IF YE DON'T STOW YER GAB!! AVAST!!!! YARRR!!!

[ausrock]

Take a long hot shower, relax and let the lyrics run through you mind................you will either come up with the seeds of a melody, or you will get very wrinkly skin

And damn, I can't see why you haven't already been signed with that name. It has something "special" about it.

[Doug Quance]

The best two songwriters I have known personally follow this pattern:

They write the MUSIC first... with an idea of what the lyrics will be about.

They focus on the chorus, as it will be the recurring theme.

Then they write the lyrics with some ideas about melody.

After that, they hone the melody and lyrics... then tamper with the arrangement, if necessary.

When asked about writing the lyrics first, they both told me that it's too hard for them to write music around lyrics... it's much easier for them to write lyrics around music.

Obviously, for others, that may not be the case.

In the few times that I have written lyrics... I have found it easier to write them within the framework of music.

[dafduc]

When I come up with words first, I'll usually take the chorus lyrics and boiunce them around in my head for a while. Sometimes it works, and I keep writing. Sometimes it doesn't, then I'll write down what I have and move on. If I come up with a melodic idea later on, I'll bounce it off the sets of lyrics that are waiting for a tune - sometimes it'll work, sometimes not.

Thank God I don't have to make a living doing this...

[Jagular]

Originally posted by Doug Quance
The best two songwriters I have known personally follow this pattern:

They write the MUSIC first... with an idea of what the lyrics will be about.

They focus on the chorus, as it will be the recurring theme.

Then they write the lyrics with some ideas about melody.

After that, they hone the melody and lyrics... then tamper with the arrangement, if necessary.

When asked about writing the lyrics first, they both told me that it's too hard for them to write music around lyrics... it's much easier for them to write lyrics around music.

Obviously, for others, that may not be the case.

In the few times that I have written lyrics... I have found it easier to write them within the framework of music.

That's pretty much how I do it most of the time with the exception of that step one is usually the hook with a melody line. I build the chorus around that and then verses from there. There are exceptions though. I have a few hookless licks & changes rolling around and some musicless lyrics. Sometimes they match up nicely.

[Layla Nahar]

Originally posted by dafduc
When I come up with words first, I'll usually take the chorus lyrics and boiunce them around in my head for a while. Sometimes it works, and I keep writing. Sometimes it doesn't, then I'll write down what I have and move on. If I come up with a melodic idea later on, I'll bounce it off the sets of lyrics that are waiting for a tune - sometimes it'll work, sometimes not.

Thank God I don't have to make a living doing this...

prollem iz - I don't have much in the line of chorus lyrics for this one song in particular.

But! I should try & nail that first. work on chorus lyrics. go from there.

thanks!

[bdbdbucksKID]

Folk Music is defined as a composition of music accompanied by lyrics that tells a story whether fictional on nonfictional...so you are on the right track.

As far as putting together a chord progression, if you don't have the ear for it, it will be very difficult.

My major goal when I write a song is

1. to bring rhythm to the lyrics before I even put together a chord progression...kind of similar to what you might hear at poetry night at your local cafe'. It also helps with change overs, for chorus etc.

Or,

2. I will without thinking of lyrics, put together a simple chord progression...humming along with the chords works to inhance the melodic feel that you will get with words...with the humming you can pretty much guess how many syllables will fit into each line along with how many bpm will jive with the new lyrics. You can then put together your own style and work on the variant chords...finally you will end up a stable composition to work with.

I am not saying that everyone does this...but, I will swear by it.

[tanlith]

Originally posted by Layla Nahar
Hi Everyone,

I have an Idea for a song - Ive got the verses as they tell the story, I've got the images, I have a vague idea for the chorus, but I don't have the scansion or the music yet.

Has anybody dealt with the same thing? Does anybody have suggestions as to how I might get closer to the musicality/songness that I'm looking for? (btw, I had envisaged a sort of folky song)

I've been there and beyond sweetie. I remember back in high school I wrote an entire song in my head during Histroy class (For some strange reason I got a low mark in that class... can't understand why)

Anyhow, I wrote everything in my head and jotted down the lyrics as they came to me. But for the life of me I couldn't get the tune from my head to the frets of my guitar... know what worked for me? I got together with my Rhythm guitarist and sang it to him accapella (Did I spell that right? Did well in english, but I rely too much on spell checkers these days) ...

My point? Maybe you should consider doing what my fellow band member did for me (At the time I played by ear... no concept of music) He listened and picked out the notes that I sang ... after a few times through he had an idea of the melody I was singing and the picking became strumming etc etc etc...

- Tanlith -