Putting Words & Music Together?

[mikespe]

Remember that great line from Eddie & the Cruisers..."Words & Music...Without one you got nothin'."

 

Anyway, I have some lyrics and I have a melody and the key I want to play it in. However the 2 don't quite go together just yet. When all of you are writing your songs which to you write first (melody or lyrics?) and do you adjust one or the other to fit together? I can rearrange the lyrics if need be (just not sure how or where just yet). I kind of like the melody as is (maybe some slight changes/improvement here or there).

 

My theory is very weak so I am just winging it however I think I did OK for a first try. I can't sing at all (unless I want to torture the neighborhood animals!) so that also makes this more challenging.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give!

[bluesway]

yeah, my advice? don't intellectualize so much.

 

i know theory. i teach theory. i got a degree with theory included. YET, i have never, ever written a song with theory as a starting point. just sing and play. see what fits. see what doesn't. it's trial and error. sing your melody and try to get chords to fit. once your melody's in your head, play a chord on teh guitar and transpose it to fit the chord. in other words, sing the same melody in a different place. - the key that fits the chord you're playing. good luck

[frosty000]

I know exactly what you mean. I have notebooks full of lyrics (well, I guess they are more just words until I put it to music) and I have tons of music but can't get them to go together. However, I do have 3 full songs that I've written. Those all came together at the same time. Basically, I had an idea about what I wanted to write about with a few lines that I knew I wanted and just picked up my guitar or sat at the piano and started playing - poof! Literally comes together in about 30 minutes. But those moments are rare for me as that I'm averaging about 1 per year

 

I have other friends that write as well and everyone has a completely different approach. Some can write lyrics and put a melody to it first (I can not do that). Some write music and have a melody line and can just insert their lyrics. Whatever works for you. For me, it's starting blank and putting it all together at the same time.

[mikespe]

Thanks for the tips guys! I figured there wasn't a definitive answer and that it was all up to the individual. I was just looking for some ideas.

[jabney]

Hello mikespe,

 

Try various ways of writing. Don't be afraid to re-write and edit (but don't throw out the intermediate results - learning when to stop is important too).

 

If you start out writing the lyrics first, there is a real advantage to writing each line so that it is complete and can stand on its own. That way you can swap lines pretty easily. Dependent lines (where one line depends on the previous line in order to make sense) are OK, but if you use them all the time, you run the risk of sounding academic.

 

best,

 

john

[RTripp]

it may vary from song to song for me, but usually I write guitar parts and then improvise melodies over the changes. I'll use partial words, a particular line, or jibberish to sing my melodies. Sometimes the first raw idea sticks and I can make something out of it. Other times I may agonize over thinking up good lyrics. It can take time to develop songs. I tend to go for simple, straightforward lyrics, nothing abstract or overly ambitious.

 

Finding a formula that works for you may take some time, but keep trying new things. My advice is to stick with what comes natural and easy. Trying too hard can cause you to lose your original idea and or spark. Be wary of falling in love with your ideas. Don't get hung up on stuff you think is great when it's obvious that it's not working in the song. Save those ideas for another song.