• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: to doll and james, roger and so many others LYRICS vs SONG

WHERE THE ...DO YOU GET ALL THIS INSPIRATION?
I still don't know how you start: with lyrics, and this followed by a song?
OR: a song first and than lyrics.

I have at least 50 songs in my "refrigerator" songs:
75% without lyrics
20% with the most silly lyrics, you can imagine (I adore languages, and absorb them quit easy). When in the USA, at least 10 people asked me from which state I was. They have to do it sometimes, like when I purchased my Martin D-45V in Nashville at Gruhn's, because if I walked out that store I had to pay between 5%-10% taxes for Tennessee. But driving a Mustang Convertible, and returning back home from Houston to BELGIUM, they send that guitar with UPS to Houston for 50$.
I am going to Canada next year, don't laugh, with my mother.
She will be 78 years old in 2008, and we had 2 Canadian girls for a year. This will probably be her nicest holiday, I owe it to her. We are 5: 2 brothers and 2 sisters, but she helps me like she was 60 years. If not, she won't go aone.
This is maybe stuff I can use for a song: WHY IS ONE MOTHER NOT LIKE ANOTHER.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,205

Re: to doll and james, roger and so many others LYRICS vs SONG

I know this is directed at James and Helena but I am going to throw my 'two penny worth' in anyway.

I would suggest that you start by selecting the set of lyrics that you like the best or think are the most appropriate for a song that others will like. Read through the lyrics whist strumming chords and try to put a melody line to follow the chords in your mind. Keep trying different ones until you find something suitable that fits. You may even have to revise the lyrics at the end of the day but you do need to choose just one song to concentrate on.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: to doll and james, roger and so many others LYRICS vs SONG

I didn't forget you at all, but I continued writing while answering the phone, .I want to make a list of great writers, and YOU are one of them. LOVING MUSIC; "SONGS" with lyrics.
There are so many people with fantastic lyrics.
I am better in my mother tongue, and also in French. I am already glad that I am not translating, when writing here, from Dutch to English.
Looking and analysing your answer, I am aware that I work about 50% in a similar way.
Sometimes I start to play a well known song (example) and soon I start playing other chords.
Sometimes it is there immediately.
While playing I start singing some words, but I always forget most of the lyrics. That is the reason why I have respect for a team writing a song while the other write lyrics. The best example is: ELTON JOHN & BERNIE TAUPIN

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: to doll and james, roger and so many others LYRICS vs SONG

Roger, I felt myself indeed a bit guilty, so the topic name changed.
So as you wrote, you start with lyrics and you build a song around it.
I am starting with a song, using some lyrics and than I add, change or delete chords.
How can I put a chord diagram here? or an image?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • arkady
  • arkady
  • ambient moderator
  • Offline
  • From: England
  • Registered: 2006-11-23
  • Posts: 2,147

Re: to doll and james, roger and so many others LYRICS vs SONG

Hi doc
Now your part of the establishment (Oh and congratulations) and being one of the "many others":)
I think there are 3 ways of writing a song.
A
1. Lyrics
2. Chords and melody to fit lyrics with alterations if needed.

B
1. Have a chord progression and melody in mind.
2. Subject and lyrics to follow when ever

C
1. Have both chords and melody and lyrics roughly there.
2  Work on both altering where needed.

C is needed for both A and B.

Anyway that's my humble opinion

Ark

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,205

Re: to doll and james, roger and so many others LYRICS vs SONG

Hey Lieven,

There was no need to feel guilty, I know that you did not mean that only James and Helena were to answer your question. I sometimes forget the English is not your mother tongue and my reply was meant to be lightheated and 'tongue-in-cheek'. There was no need to alter the title.

Before I put chords to lyrics I will have the lyrics written in front of me with plenty of space between each line and I will have a sharpened pencil too. I know that the key of G suits my voice and that is where I usually start (although I may change it later). I will then play chord to try to get something to work for the first line of the song. The I work on the second line and do each one until I have all the lines of the verse. Then I will play and sing it and very often have to alter what I have put until I think it sounds OK. I will then play and sing all the verses to check that the lyrics will fit in with the melody I have chosen before starting work on the chorus. This is my favoured method but is only one of many ways of getting the job done. You need to try and find out what suits you.

If you want to put lyrics with the chords above in blue then read James's 'Sticky' at the start of the section and if you are still having difficulties write to me privately and we can go through it in detail.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: to doll and james, roger and so many others LYRICS vs SONG

i usually end up with either

A- lyrycs and no chords

or

B- chords and no lyrycs

  Sometimes I find two that work together and thats always nice, but most of the time they sit dormant for months and months before the right music or words comes along.
  The main thing I would emphasize is WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW.  Life experiences, Professions, hobbies, Good advice somebody gave you, something you've lived, experienced, investigated, something that comes natural to you. And don't force it.....
On the other hand I like to try and write something pretty regular just for the practice with rhyming and setting up structures and all that. Sometimes its fun to just pick the most random topic you can think of and try to write a song about it....
One time my topic was 'zebras', and I ended up writing a story song about the stupidity of racial extremes, and it was about Jesse Jackson vs. The White Supremacists on the subject of is a zebra black with white stripes or white with black. Both wanted it to be thier color.... wish Ida kept that one actually it was pretty funny.

All You Need is Love smile

HannahBeth's Website