Useful tips on lyric writing?

Mahkoe · 05-15-2012, 06:45 PM

My friends and I have a small band, and we write our own songs. Unfortunately, every time, we run into the same problem: we have an entire song, but we're not really sure what to do for lyrics. I was hoping someone on these forums would be willing to share their experience and method used for writing lyrics. Thanks

P.S. Here's one of our songs that you can listen to, if interested:
noteflight.com/scores/view/0ea2bb2be75bf22eeafcecebc2760ef652f783e5
You'll have to copy/paste, I don't have enoush posts yet apparently to post a URL

The7thFret · 05-15-2012, 07:23 PM

Hello there.

I've been playing in bands for many years, writing songs and lyrics in each of them. I recently decided to go solo (about a year or so ago) and since then have increased my song writing output drastically. From this experience I find somethings work better than others. Generally, I would have to say practice, like anything else, will make you better. From practice you'll learn how to phrase things better and to be more concise. It is the content of lyrics, what a song is about which is the hard part to nail. If you are really struggling try this:
Take a book, an article in a newspaper or a completely mundane event that has happened to you during the day and write about it. I know that a number of reputable musicians have made use of this in the past. That said, I have found that the best lyrics I have created, and the best lyrics I have heard aren't born from a need for lyrics, but more of a need for expression. The best thing you can do for writing lyrics, in my opinion, is to go out and live life. Put yourself out of your comfort zone. You'll find it easier to write lyrics if you've experienced somethign inspiring. This could be a break-up or something like that. The things which affect you most are the things which you can articulate best, because you know them so thoroughly. If you can talk about somethign for hours, the chances are that you could write a good set of lyrics about it because of the depth of knowledge and passion you have for it.

Hope this helps you a bit. (y)

TheNiceGuy · 05-16-2012, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The7thFret

Hello there.

I've been playing in bands for many years, writing songs and lyrics in each of them. I recently decided to go solo (about a year or so ago) and since then have increased my song writing output drastically. From this experience I find somethings work better than others. Generally, I would have to say practice, like anything else, will make you better. From practice you'll learn how to phrase things better and to be more concise. It is the content of lyrics, what a song is about which is the hard part to nail. If you are really struggling try this:
Take a book, an article in a newspaper or a completely mundane event that has happened to you during the day and write about it. I know that a number of reputable musicians have made use of this in the past. That said, I have found that the best lyrics I have created, and the best lyrics I have heard aren't born from a need for lyrics, but more of a need for expression. The best thing you can do for writing lyrics, in my opinion, is to go out and live life. Put yourself out of your comfort zone. You'll find it easier to write lyrics if you've experienced somethign inspiring. This could be a break-up or something like that. The things which affect you most are the things which you can articulate best, because you know them so thoroughly. If you can talk about somethign for hours, the chances are that you could write a good set of lyrics about it because of the depth of knowledge and passion you have for it.

Hope this helps you a bit. (y)

Good post!

Mahkoe · 05-16-2012, 02:43 PM

This does help a lot. The usual problem we have is the same one you're talking about; no one knows what to write about. We're all fifteen so we don't know much about anything that isn't school or internet related (and even then...). I love the idea of random newspaper clippings for inspiration. Thanks

The7thFret · 05-16-2012, 06:32 PM

I myself am 22. I was talking on another post to someone who was having inspirational problems, from a music perspective rather than lyrics. Similar kind of advice, just keep practising. One day you'll write a song and think, damn, thats good. A year later that song, which was your best song, will now be your worst. Trust me, as long as you are diligent and hard working you will progress and the more you put in the more you get out. Anyway, I've digressed from what I was going to say.... the point I was going to make relates to you being 15. When I was 15 I was in the same boat, had all these songs that I wanted to write, but didn't know what to write about. When you're that age I think that unless something really amazing or increbibly unfortunate happens you would struggle to be inspired, because at 15 nothing really emotionally consequential happens (apart from the prior mentioned). Even then, if you did have the inspiration you probably wouldn't have the skill set to put it onto paper properly. When I was 14 my Granda died, only recently have I started tihnking about writing a song about that because until the last year or 2 I wouldn't have been able to do something like that justice. At your age its just about working hard and writing all the time. you learn to play guitar and play your favourite bands songs, but then you need to learn to write songs. That sounds like its where you are now. Just keep working hard and you'll get tehre. Best piece of advice I could give you for progressing as a lyricist: Go out and buy a note book and fill it and repeat. That's what I've done since I was about 12 - drawers full of the things now. It has done me a world of good though. Also Read books. Vocabular diversity helps you out a lot. That doesn't mean use big words in songs, just that if you know a lot of words you have A) A better way to express yourself B) A more unique way of rhyming and phrasing lyrics, poems, whatever.

All the best.

semtex · 06-02-2012, 01:17 AM

Do you really need lyrics? Music can stand alone. It can say just as much as words. I have passion for both music and words, but I think words are my primary means of expression. That's just how things come out. I've talked to my girlfriend who is a visual artist and the inspiration comes in the same way to her but with visuals as the..essence or body or whatever you'd like to call it, the end... It's a very abstract experience, but it's about something from the external hitting you and striking something inside of you, not something specific, but something meaningful to you, something you want to continue on and feel and something you want to express. It holds more to you than it might for other people. And you feel a new world come in from that one thing that you want to color and explore. It could be scenes in a movie, maybe a line you read in a book, maybe another song. It is expression. If you have the desire just for lyrics of any kind it doesn't seem like it'd be as meaningful and you risk it being somewhat artificial. Maybe it's not how you work and how you're inspired. Music really does not have to have lyrics...

I'm 18 and when I was around 15, my main thing was not lack of inspiration. I had plenty of that, but after the inspiration came I would lose touch with that place inside of me and basically write complete crap down. It took more cognition or perhaps just a different kind than my lyrics do now. I try to stay in touch with the world and that voice inside of me aching to come out and explore

With what I said before, though, I still have a special kind of passion for music...as far as emotional expression comes especially. Like I think it can add a whole new layer to words and I think the joining of sound and words is wonderful...Maybe you can work the opposite way. Feel the music and what it means to you and where it comes from. Have the words come from there and have that as the inspiration

AliceN · 06-11-2012, 11:58 AM

Wow, awesome song! You write great instrumentals--looks like you put a lot of work into it. It's very cohesive and has a great theme to it. If you want to work on lyrics, I'd recommend reading some classic literature or current events and highlighting/underlining things that look like good song hooks (from today's news: "National Pride," "Rebel Strongholds," "New Constitution," "Remain in Recession"--from Anna Karina: "Universal Solution" "Darling Dolly," and "Better than Before"). You don't always have to write deep stuff if you don't want, of course...you can write nonsense and people will read all sorts of deep meanings into it. But to write good sensible lyrics, it's generally good to write about things you know about. It's okay to not have all the answers--for example, you could have a song that just asks questions or makes observations. Nobody expects you to know more than you do. Worry about getting into deeper things later and focus on what you know.

But from your post, I have a feeling you already knew that

Go for it, and keep us posted on what you decide!

ajude · 06-13-2012, 09:23 AM

Hey - I've run into the same problem. Last month, a friend of mine who works in the industry received an email from this sick website. They deconstruct songs from intros to outros. Anyway, my friend told me to check out - and I actually formed a great relationship with the creator. He posts songwriting tips daily - songwriting got easier for me. It's a subscription, but they do a free week or month, I forget, but check them out - Hit Songs Deconstructed. Dave Penn, the genius behind the business, posts tips on Facebook so check them out!

-Andrew

05-15-2012, 06:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
Mahkoe Groupie Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 4	Useful tips on lyric writing? My friends and I have a small band, and we write our own songs. Unfortunately, every time, we run into the same problem: we have an entire song, but we're not really sure what to do for lyrics. I was hoping someone on these forums would be willing to share their experience and method used for writing lyrics. Thanks P.S. Here's one of our songs that you can listen to, if interested: noteflight.com/scores/view/0ea2bb2be75bf22eeafcecebc2760ef652f783e5 You'll have to copy/paste, I don't have enoush posts yet apparently to post a URL

05-16-2012, 06:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
The7thFret Groupie Join Date: May 2012 Location: UK Posts: 12	I myself am 22. I was talking on another post to someone who was having inspirational problems, from a music perspective rather than lyrics. Similar kind of advice, just keep practising. One day you'll write a song and think, damn, thats good. A year later that song, which was your best song, will now be your worst. Trust me, as long as you are diligent and hard working you will progress and the more you put in the more you get out. Anyway, I've digressed from what I was going to say.... the point I was going to make relates to you being 15. When I was 15 I was in the same boat, had all these songs that I wanted to write, but didn't know what to write about. When you're that age I think that unless something really amazing or increbibly unfortunate happens you would struggle to be inspired, because at 15 nothing really emotionally consequential happens (apart from the prior mentioned). Even then, if you did have the inspiration you probably wouldn't have the skill set to put it onto paper properly. When I was 14 my Granda died, only recently have I started tihnking about writing a song about that because until the last year or 2 I wouldn't have been able to do something like that justice. At your age its just about working hard and writing all the time. you learn to play guitar and play your favourite bands songs, but then you need to learn to write songs. That sounds like its where you are now. Just keep working hard and you'll get tehre. Best piece of advice I could give you for progressing as a lyricist: Go out and buy a note book and fill it and repeat. That's what I've done since I was about 12 - drawers full of the things now. It has done me a world of good though. Also Read books. Vocabular diversity helps you out a lot. That doesn't mean use big words in songs, just that if you know a lot of words you have A) A better way to express yourself B) A more unique way of rhyming and phrasing lyrics, poems, whatever. All the best. __________________ ~ I am Jack's Smirking Revenge ~

06-11-2012, 11:58 AM	#7 (permalink)
AliceN Groupie Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 6	Wow, awesome song! You write great instrumentals--looks like you put a lot of work into it. It's very cohesive and has a great theme to it. If you want to work on lyrics, I'd recommend reading some classic literature or current events and highlighting/underlining things that look like good song hooks (from today's news: "National Pride," "Rebel Strongholds," "New Constitution," "Remain in Recession"--from Anna Karina: "Universal Solution" "Darling Dolly," and "Better than Before"). You don't always have to write deep stuff if you don't want, of course...you can write nonsense and people will read all sorts of deep meanings into it. But to write good sensible lyrics, it's generally good to write about things you know about. It's okay to not have all the answers--for example, you could have a song that just asks questions or makes observations. Nobody expects you to know more than you do. Worry about getting into deeper things later and focus on what you know. But from your post, I have a feeling you already knew that Go for it, and keep us posted on what you decide! __________________ Fight slavery and connect with fans using music--click here to find out more

05-15-2012, 07:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
The7thFret Groupie Join Date: May 2012 Location: UK Posts: 12	Hello there. I've been playing in bands for many years, writing songs and lyrics in each of them. I recently decided to go solo (about a year or so ago) and since then have increased my song writing output drastically. From this experience I find somethings work better than others. Generally, I would have to say practice, like anything else, will make you better. From practice you'll learn how to phrase things better and to be more concise. It is the content of lyrics, what a song is about which is the hard part to nail. If you are really struggling try this: Take a book, an article in a newspaper or a completely mundane event that has happened to you during the day and write about it. I know that a number of reputable musicians have made use of this in the past. That said, I have found that the best lyrics I have created, and the best lyrics I have heard aren't born from a need for lyrics, but more of a need for expression. The best thing you can do for writing lyrics, in my opinion, is to go out and live life. Put yourself out of your comfort zone. You'll find it easier to write lyrics if you've experienced somethign inspiring. This could be a break-up or something like that. The things which affect you most are the things which you can articulate best, because you know them so thoroughly. If you can talk about somethign for hours, the chances are that you could write a good set of lyrics about it because of the depth of knowledge and passion you have for it. Hope this helps you a bit. (y)

05-16-2012, 02:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mahkoe Groupie Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 4	This does help a lot. The usual problem we have is the same one you're talking about; no one knows what to write about. We're all fifteen so we don't know much about anything that isn't school or internet related (and even then...). I love the idea of random newspaper clippings for inspiration. Thanks

06-02-2012, 01:17 AM	#6 (permalink)
semtex Groupie Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 10	Do you really need lyrics? Music can stand alone. It can say just as much as words. I have passion for both music and words, but I think words are my primary means of expression. That's just how things come out. I've talked to my girlfriend who is a visual artist and the inspiration comes in the same way to her but with visuals as the..essence or body or whatever you'd like to call it, the end... It's a very abstract experience, but it's about something from the external hitting you and striking something inside of you, not something specific, but something meaningful to you, something you want to continue on and feel and something you want to express. It holds more to you than it might for other people. And you feel a new world come in from that one thing that you want to color and explore. It could be scenes in a movie, maybe a line you read in a book, maybe another song. It is expression. If you have the desire just for lyrics of any kind it doesn't seem like it'd be as meaningful and you risk it being somewhat artificial. Maybe it's not how you work and how you're inspired. Music really does not have to have lyrics... I'm 18 and when I was around 15, my main thing was not lack of inspiration. I had plenty of that, but after the inspiration came I would lose touch with that place inside of me and basically write complete crap down. It took more cognition or perhaps just a different kind than my lyrics do now. I try to stay in touch with the world and that voice inside of me aching to come out and explore With what I said before, though, I still have a special kind of passion for music...as far as emotional expression comes especially. Like I think it can add a whole new layer to words and I think the joining of sound and words is wonderful...Maybe you can work the opposite way. Feel the music and what it means to you and where it comes from. Have the words come from there and have that as the inspiration

06-13-2012, 09:23 AM	#8 (permalink)
ajude Groupie Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1	Hey - I've run into the same problem. Last month, a friend of mine who works in the industry received an email from this sick website. They deconstruct songs from intros to outros. Anyway, my friend told me to check out - and I actually formed a great relationship with the creator. He posts songwriting tips daily - songwriting got easier for me. It's a subscription, but they do a free week or month, I forget, but check them out - Hit Songs Deconstructed. Dave Penn, the genius behind the business, posts tips on Facebook so check them out! -Andrew