Songwriter Forum > The Writing Process

Melody vs Lyrics

<< < (2/6) > >>

miletteriis:

--- Quote from: Nathan1709 on December 23, 2010, 04:09:38 PM ---I tend to focus on the lyrics primarily and then edit them once I have an idea for a melody.  Occasionally I will come up with a melody first but for the most part the lyrics are my main focus.  I have, in the past, written the lyrics for a whole song before even considering the melody.

--- End quote ---

I do exactly the same thing...to me the lyrics are definitely the most important thing and so many times I've found that I have a great tune but no words to go with it. When this happens you end up trying to "fill in" with random, slightly cliche lyrics and I find overall this results in poorer songwriting. For me the first thing is an idea, something to write about that is original and personal to me rather than something everyone writes about and can relate to to an extent. Then generally I'll mess around on the guitar trying to find something that sounds nice and on a good day the song will just walk into my head :)

martinheron:
I've tried to write lyrics before I have a tune in my head, but I always fail, and either end up reverting to my usual "tune-then-lyrics" routine or, or it just becomes prose rather than lyrics. What I've not done though, is taken someone else's lyrics and tried to make a song out of it, a la the John/Taupin routine, I'd probably find that a lot easier than trying to write lyrics from scratch without any melodic basis.

rossanne:
I always write lyrics first. If I'm lucky they come complete with melody and I have to figure out the chord structure and things afterwards. It makes my songs pretty wordy and complicated though, which can be a bad thing. I'd love to be able to write good simple lyrics, I think there is much more art in that - saying more with less - unless you're Leonard Cohen :)

As an excercise I've tried writing songs music first and I've got a couple of songs now through that, but because they ended up sounding so different, I'm not sure if I like them yet. I had to try something though because I only write lyrics first if there is something burning I have to say, but I haven't felt like that for a while and so trying to find other ways of doing it.

I wrote one song by writing down voice hallucinations. Pretty desperate times! I tend to only hear them when I'm trying to go to sleep - I think it's called hypnagogia. The end result was pretty weird, but a lot of people say it's their favourite slow song of mine. (Weirdest line in it - "So what do you think fills this space? The gaps in the storeroom yard. And if you think the world's a stage, then take it away". Hehe, think I only managed to get away with it because I looped vocals over vocals through the song so it sounded kinda dream-like. :)

Schavuitje:
Melody man here :) I often twiddle on my guitar or, just aquired keyboard, until I find something that interests me.
Sometimes I think I'm never going to fit anything lyrically to it because it's so strange but then when I have recorded the guitar, bass and drums I sit, and listen, and let whatever wants to come out of me, comes out... Melody-wise and lyric-wise.
I think the melody and meter of the vocals comes to me first and then once I start singing whatever lyrics come to me at the time, they usually lead to a subject matter that fits the music.
Or in my ears they do haha

Peterwork:
always the melody, hardly ever write any stone cold lyrics on paper to be honest, just let it roll off the tounge and store it away in my head - but that's just down to the pure lazyness of a teenager haha :p

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page