Lyrics or Melodies?

TheBegotten

Which would you write first or describe as the more important part of the song? I've tried to write them in tandem with no luck, they only seem to take from each other and make the whole thing mediocre. I'm primarily a guitarist and find it hard to sing while playing (I'm just about able to) so I can't really try them out/see how well they mesh. Any advice, or how do you guys go about it?

dogmax

TheBegotten wrote: »

Which would you write first or describe as the more important part of the song? I've tried to write them in tandem with no luck, they only seem to take from each other and make the whole thing mediocre. I'm primarily a guitarist and find it hard to sing while playing (I'm just about able to) so I can't really try them out/see how well they mesh. Any advice, or how do you guys go about it?

I had to read your post a few time, don't get me wrong I understand exactly what you're saying, but how is the best way to answer this, and then I thought of that great classic, Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton, when you just strum those chords you hear the words without even singing them, try it, pick up your guitar and just strum those easy chords and listen to those words that the chords are singing in your head, but the really best thing about that classic is, you really don't have to sing those words you can actually just talk your way through the whole song, or better still, don't do that, pick up one of your own songs doesn't matter if it's not finish, if it has chords to it then just strum those chords nice and easy, remember, nice and easy, it's call going with the flow.

What I'm really saying is your main problem is here (I'm primarily a guitarist and find it hard to sing while playing (I'm just about able to) just because you can't do it today doesn't mean you won't be able to do it tomorrow, the easiest way to write a song is go with the flow, but the flow has to be right, in other words, if there is to many words in the line then shorten the line, then when your song is finish, you can sing and play it anyway you want, but first of all, remember, nice and easy, go with the flow.

Your audience is waiting. Good Luck.

trashcan

Melody always comes first for me. I usually would record myself playing the chords and singing any old gibberish over the tune in my head, then try to make something out of key words or phrases. I find that the sound of words can just as important as trying to put something coherent across. Then again, I'm usually not happy with my lyrics. I've a lot more ideas than completed songs for that very reason.

TheBegotten

trashcan wrote: »

Melody always comes first for me. I usually would record myself playing the chords and singing any old gibberish over the tune in my head, then try to make something out of key words or phrases. I find that the sound of words can just as important as trying to put something coherent across. Then again, I'm usually not happy with my lyrics. I've a lot more ideas than completed songs for that very reason.

I kinda have the opposite problem I start off with a good concept and try to write chords expressing them, but my less than stellar guitar skills and knowledge normally fails me here (unless I go powerchords, but we don't talk about that ). Then, frustrated, I write the lyrics, which, invariably, turn into a poem. Not that there's anything wrong with poetry, but I feel I could express myself better musically.

Dubh Geannain

trashcan wrote: »

Melody always comes first for me. I usually would record myself playing the chords and singing any old gibberish over the tune in my head, then try to make something out of key words or phrases.

This, well apart from recording myself. It wasn't intentional for me though. I never set out to write any songs when I started playing the guitar 3 years ago.

I find myself strumming randomly, my ear picks something up that I like the sound of and then I go from there. The tone and tempo of the notes/chords completely set the mood of the piece and more often than not an idea starts to form in my head of what the piece could be about. The lyrics follow.

Not saying the lyrics end up being any good mind, but they resonate with me.

davylee

trashcan wrote: »

Melody always comes first for me. I usually would record myself playing the chords and singing any old gibberish over the tune in my head, then try to make something out of key words or phrases. I find that the sound of words can just as important as trying to put something coherent across. Then again, I'm usually not happy with my lyrics. I've a lot more ideas than completed songs for that very reason.

thats exactly how i write also. it's amazing the stuff you can can come up with by doing this. be fairly embarrassing though if anyone heard first takes of any songs, probably be signed in

9959

I only write instrumentals, so for me it's definitely lyrics first, no wait.....

musicvine

Melody comes first for me. That same melody can be born from sudden moments of joy or sadness, or from a situation that stirs up those emotions in us that wish to be expressed through the gift of music. In recent years (I'm 52 yrs now i keep a voice recorder close at hand. When I 'hear' a new melody, which more often than not happens very spontaneously, I record it as I begin to sing that tune. The lyrics follow, marrying the newly created tune.

musicvine

Oh, so sorry, I'm only reading above now and see my intended smile was a wink which is not what I thought was posted. How do I edit the comment or delete - don't see edit here?