This text was first printed in USA Songwriting Competitors and is, partly from my ebook “ Tune Journey” to be launched on April 2nd, 2019.
There is no such thing as a one option to write a music. You might write melody first or combine it up however for our functions, let’s begin with writing your lyric.
Prose
What’s a very good place to start out after getting a title or an thought of what you’re going to jot down about? Prose. Take into consideration the title, say it out loud … a bunch. What does it recall to mind? Received one thing? Take a couple of minutes and write the concept in prose. Don’t rhyme, don’t fear about being intelligent, simply write a few strains describing what you’re going to jot down about. Lennon and McCartney may have written, “” Penny Lane” is concerning the photos of on a regular basis individuals on the road in my city and what they imply to me.”
Prose serves a few functions. As you write your lyric, verify your prose to see should you’re nonetheless writing about one factor. Is every part supporting your thought? As you attempt to write, prose might reveal there’s actually nothing there. This has occurred to me greater than as soon as, and I’m normally grateful I used to be saved from spending all day on a non-starter of an thought.
Write…don’t “ write” !
The subsequent step is a biggie and normally a giant mistake. You start to “write.” I imply write in a nasty manner. You don’t wish to sound like simply anyone, so that you attempt to sound like a “author.” I all the time consider the well-known Saturday Night time Stay skit with Jon Lovitz because the Grasp Thespian. Simply search YouTube for just a few moments and also you’ll get the concept. You don’t wish to really feel the sweat in your lyric.
As a substitute of leaping proper in, attempt closing your eyes, take into consideration your thought, after which write what you see. Don’t rhyme, don’t fear about cadence or how cool it appears on the web page, simply write. In case you’re writing a music about assembly the love of your life discuss concerning the time of day, title the place you met, what was the climate like? Coloration of her hair? Even the smallest element could make the distinction between a generic lyric and one which involves life. If it’s a automotive what’s the make? These particulars make up the actual stuff. Write the actual stuff as a result of it’s the good things. You may make it fairly later.
Bear in mind the editor? Nonetheless lifeless. What do I imply? In case you start to self-edit within the second it’s poisonous. I’ve mentored songwriters who’ve discovered themselves caught just because they have been specializing in a line or an thought manner too early. Earlier than that they had sufficient on the web page to even start to consider the modifying course of. Write first, edit later. A lot later.
It’s the one factor
Hopefully you’re filling up that web page now however now and again, check out the prose you wrote earlier. Does every part in your lyric nonetheless assist your prose? Does your third verse introduce a cat into the story of two individuals falling in lust? Laborious decisions, however the cat in all probability has to go. Once more, most lyrics are about one factor. Prose might help you bear in mind what that factor truly is.
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