How to write dance lyrics
How to write a killer dance tune | Music
It's that famous DJ ... Roger something, er, ohwhatshisname ... oh, yeah Sanchez. Photograph: PR
Last week, I had an email from a German dance act. They'd heard some of the dance records I'd written and were wondering if I'd be interested in writing a top-line (melody and lyrics) to one of their tracks. I must admit, writing to track over the net is not my favourite way of working - I prefer sitting in the room with other writers and being able to change the chords if I feel the urge. Still, as a writer for hire you have to be flexible. It's fun to mix it up, and at least I'd be the only person writing for this particular track (as far as I know), which isn't always the case.
Recently, a label sent out a backing track to all the top-line writers they knew, asking them to write melody and lyrics for their girl group (I'm not allowed to say which one). This is quite a common practice in pop and dance music and works well for the labels. For the top-liners, on the other hand, it can be frustrating. It doesn't involve much collaboration or feedback and, if their top-line doesn't get chosen, chances are they end up with an unusable melody that sounds too much like the chosen one.
This label was honest enough to say that there was only 10% available of the song's copyright, since the track had a sample that would claim the main part of it. Some A&R people love suggesting tracks that the artist should sample (1980s electronica like Depeche Mode seems to be the flavour of the moment), and the girl group in question used a famous sample on their last single too.
I wonder if Matthew Dear got 50% of the songwriting credits when Fedde le Grand used his vocal sample for Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit? When it comes to song splits, it's not about how many words you write - it's all about negotiating from a strong position. If the producer didn't ask before using the sample, they may have to give away most of the publishing.
Roger Sanchez had to give Steve Lukather much more than 50% for using one line from the verse of Toto's I Won't Hold You Back in Sanchez's hit Another Chance. Of course, that line gets repeated over and over again, but still.
Like most people, I used to think that writing dance music must be ridiculously easy. After all, how difficult could it be to write one chorus (and possibly a verse too) about getting down on the dancefloor that gets repeated ad infinitum over a beat?
The first time I worked with a DJ/producer, he told me that he wasn't into writing the old "Take me higher" and "Put your hands in the air" dance cliches. "I like to write stories," he said. "Fantastic," I thought, as I strove to come up with original ways of describing a universal experience. "It'll be like country music with a beat underneath it." Of course, by stories he meant: "I see you across the dance floor. You look really hot. I want to take you home."
It's difficult to write something original with such a narrow choice of subject matter.
Then again, the most important characteristic of a good dance top-line is not the profundity of the lyrics, but that they flow well. Don't clutter it up with too many words and stay away from long unusual ones. Use nice open vowels, not too many consonants and come up with a killer hook. If you manage to get an original lyrical idea that fits into these parameters, it's the icing on the cake - what makes a good dance track great.
Then again, my most successful dance track to date is called Turn on the Music, so forget that last bit. Maybe I'll go for the "Let's all come together and spread the love" theme for this one.
How to write a hit, part 3: the lyrics
Bob Dylan: able to string a few words together (Image credit: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty)So, what is your hit song going to be about? Who will sing it? If it's a story, which character is singing? Who are they singing to? What are they saying? And most importantly: is there a point? The mark of a bad song is that it leaves you wondering what it was about.
..
Song themes fall into several standard categories: love, sex, feelings, stories, messages, commands, questions, lists. And then there are surreal songs that aim just to create an atmosphere of some kind.
Try sorting one of your playlists into these categories and see where the majority of your favourite songs belong. Whatever kind of song you want to write, though, there are some broad rules that will ensure a certain amount of accessibility.
Easy like Sunday morning?
One of your first considerations should be how easily the words roll off the tongue. "I tend to be / At my least depressed / When you and I are acting in a / Mutually supportive manner" would probably be better as "I feel alright / When we take on the world / Together".
If you're setting lyrics to an existing melody, try and follow the natural stresses of the tune. When Anita Dobson agreed to sing a song using the EastEnders theme, they used: "Anyone can fall in love" as the main seven-note hook, where the accented syllables "fall" and "love" sit well with the melody.
"Falling in love is nice oooooh" would not be as singable.
Opposites attract
Contrast conversational against poetic, staccato against legato, positive against negative. If you keep saying "I wanna dance!" constantly for the whole song, the message loses its impact. Try changing your emotional tack for a moment: "Even though the music's crap / Even though I've got one leg / Even though this club smells of sick / Being with you makes me feel so groovy / I wanna dance!"
Straight to your heart
Be direct! Use the first and second person if possible; "I" and "you" as opposed to "he", "she" and "they". "He would do anything for her" is not as compelling as "I would do anything for you" - in fact, the first example may even have the negative effect of inciting some jealousy about another's good fortune!
F*** you I won't do what you tell me
Try not to preach, or tell people what to do; it can be really annoying. Look for a more oblique way of delivering the message.
Chumbawumba delivered a message of defiance in a way people could empathise with when they wrote "I get knocked down / But I get up again / You're never gonna keep me down" instead of "If they knock you down / Get back up".
Tainted love
Is there a plot reversal? Sometimes a great song can have a dark side. Maybe you're saying you want to kiss that girl even though the doctor said you would possibly die from a heart attack, or even though her boyfriend in the SAS will have something to say about it, or even though you can't stand her most of the time... these kind of conflicts add meat to a song's bones.
Let's talk about sex, baby
Unsurprisingly, a recent study found that 92% of pop songs carry 'reproductive' messages. Your song will thus have a good chance of being accessible if it's about (a) wanting to 'love' someone you haven't 'loved' yet; (b) having 'loved' that person once, and now wanting to 'love' them repeatedly; (c) explaining the futility of trying to live without someone's 'love'; or possibly (d) inquiring whether you could 'love' them and perhaps some of their friends as well.
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8 lyric-writing tips
1. Names
Names are a good source of inspiration, not only for love songs but for character-based story songs too (think Alison, Lola, Peggy Sue). Fictional/cultural characters (Prince Charming, Mona Lisa) are also fair game, and try acronyms (PYT, YMCA), numbers, and even spelling it out (L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N).
2. Eyes and ears open
Look for lyrical inspiration everywhere. The Beatles' A Day in the Life reveals its inspiration in the opening line "I read the news today, oh boy". Movies and TV are a rich seam of verbiage, some of it crafted by the sharpest writers on the planet. Bowie famously used random newspaper clips in his songs to help create surreal moods and original ideas.
3. Poor me
Avoid moaning. If you have to point out the world's ills, at least try and offer some contrast, hope or solutions. Lyrics that are self-pitying only really belong in blues and certain genres of country. Granted, many bands have successfully celebrated isolation and depression, and these are essential to the creative world, but most of these songs don't tend to cross over to the pop mainstream.
4. The word
It's a good idea to start with the lyric, as it's arguably easier to wrap a melody around a lyric than it is to set lyrics to an existing melody. If you have the lyric in place, you already know where the stresses need to be. The lyric can also help guide you to the right musical mode, scale or tempo.
5. Nonsense
If you're stuck for inspiration, try stealing words and phrases from another language (Livin' la Vida Loca, Voulez-Vous, Que Sera Sera). The Cocteau Twins made a career out of songs featuring made-up words, which were performed so beautifully that they still successfully communicated something. Try making something up out of whole cloth ("Zig-a-zig aaah", "Be bop a lula") or extending or playing with words ("Umbrella-ella-ella").
6. I love you
A huge slice of the pop lyric-writing pie is devoted to nothing other than finding ways to say "I love you" other than by saying "I love you". Having said that, sometimes only those three little words will do - but make sure there's a twist.
7. Rhyming Is good...
...but that doesn't mean you should! There's nothing worse than an obvious or forced rhyme - the glove of love from above is no good to anyone! While clever rhyming can pack a real wallop, freeing yourself from rhyme can provide great inspiration. Have a listen to some of Michael Stipe's wordsmithery to hear masterful examples of flowing lyrics that don't rhyme or are at best only assonant (with repetitive vowel sounds).
8. Internal rhyme, alliteration and consonance
A subtle way of building pace and structure into a lyric is to use internal rhymes. This is where vowels, consonants and combinations of both are repeated within each individual line - "I'm writing a lyric but I'm fighting with it / but I'll try to find the rhyme / to end the line in the nick of time".
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How I learned to write dance music and started releasing on labels — Music on DTF
A big story about finding yourself in creativity. With pictures and music.
14,528 views
Hi, I'm Muchkin. I write music. I make money with soundtracks for indie games, and for my soul and career, I also make tracks in the genre of melodic house and techno. About how I came to composing, I wrote in a recent text. Now let me tell you about my path in dance music.
Screenshot of my latest project so far
Beginning
Somewhere in the ninth grade, I first heard Prodigy - Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix) as part of a mix from DJ Stroitel.
I got crazy and started to get interested in drum and bass. I listened to Pendulum, Noisia, Spor, danced drum and bass dance, which we called drumstep.
Then I thought that I also want to write the same energetic cool music with rich drum parts. I had no idea how it was done, and the search led me first to some kind of MIDI editor, in which I made a couple of songs. And then I found FL Studio, a sequencer that I've been using for over a decade.
The first tracks were awful.
I shared them under a shameful pseudonym on PromoDJ, in an active community of fellow beginners. We intelligently criticized each other's tracks, not knowing anything at all about how music is created. But it's always like that when you start.
I once read the idea that you need to make the first 100 songs as quickly as possible, because after them normal music will follow. In my experience, yes, something like this is
Toward the end of school, a dream began to form in me: I will learn how to make cool music for the university, and by the end of the fourth year I will become, if not a world star, then certainly a professional and respected music producer (a person who earns money by creating and performing electronic music ).
University
In fact, for four years at university, I basically did only three things: studied (albeit well), played video games and suffered from fears and anxieties. Despite the fact that the dream still lived somewhere on the border of consciousness, and I considered myself a music producer, writing tracks faded into the background.
It wasn't because I was lazy or because I didn't want to make music. Just because I thought of a great success in advance, creativity turned into a hard and painful task. High anxiety, disorders, traumas, and just the peculiarities of the psyche (which I realized only ten years later thanks to psychotherapy) exacerbated the situation.
For example, I wrote this track for a whole year and spent more than hundred hours on it . That was the pace at which I produced finished works at that time.
Funny story. Born in Space found some cunning guy on PromoDJ and wrote me, they say, let's release it on my label.
I went nuts from the word "label" and agreed. We even signed some kind of contract through the Proton system. After that, the man disappeared. Until now, the composition can be found on streaming services - he released it ten times, probably, and all under different "labels".
I didn't make a dime from it, of course. I suspect that he is also
Among my other works during this time, one can single out this psychedelic “neurofunk”, in which everything that is possible is not in tonality. When I wrote it, I did not yet know what tonality was.
This was supposed to be an intro for my friend's YouTube show, but it never launched.
At the university, I wrote little music, but this does not mean that I did not develop creatively. I listened and analyzed bass genres a lot and sometimes through suffering I made tracks. Many did not finish. So there was progress, but very slow.
This composition also took about a year and 60-80 hours of work.
My music from this period seems to meet some minimal requirements of the genres (the structure is readable, the sounds are more or less intelligible, the kick and snare give some kind of energy, sometimes there is even a sub-bass), but they are crooked, poorly thought out and uninteresting .
I just used samples, notes and instruments that seemed appropriate and didn't think about the big picture, melody or atmosphere. And, I suspect, for the better. If I had been worried about this as well, then anxiety would have completely crushed me.
By the way, my suffering also had some advantages. From the very beginning of working in FL Studio, I decided that I needed to create all the presets for the synths myself, and so I did. By the time I received my diploma, I had a good knowledge of the standard synths of the program and even a small library of presets.
By the way, about the diploma: I wrote this experimental composition dedicated to a headache closer to the defense, which is symbolic.
Work
After my bachelor's degree, I went to the master's program and at the same time started looking for a job. For a year and a half, I was doing all sorts of small jobs (once I even made the whole foley for a short film). I didn’t do much music, although I was able to complete a couple of projects.
For example, this future beats track inspired by Ivy Lab and Noisia Radio selections.
And an old school drum and bass remix for Dorn (there was a PromoDJ contest).
I was looking for ways to make money on music: I applied to local game and recording studios, I tried my luck in creating beats and stock tracks. In vain. As I studied the market and read the stories of more successful producers, an unbearable, terrible thought formed in my head.
To achieve something, you have to work very hard
That explained a lot.
At the beginning of 2017, I was accepted to DTF.
Since childhood, I loved games, I read LKI, the Land of Games and Igromania, so I was very happy with this opportunity.
I was part of the editorial staff for almost two years. At this time it was difficult to find the strength and time for music. I watched tutorials, analyzed other people's tracks, replenished my database of samples and presets, but completed projects during this time can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Weird downtempo project - time.
Dubstep with the voice of YouTuber Jacksepticeye - two.
Gloomy base house - three.
Drum and bass, started back in 2016, four.
I tried to send each of these tracks to labels, but they were not taken anywhere. I was surprised: how is it that they have everything. And powerful basses, and cool drums, even some interesting effects. Isn't that enough?
Oh, how little I understood.
Composing
In the spring of 2019, I started building a career as an indie game composer.
A few months later, this occupation even began to bring in some money and soon became the main one for me. (You can read about this path here.)
I found a way to make money with music and immersed myself in creativity. A little bit not the direction that I dreamed of, but still it was progress. Working on the soundtracks, I learned to feel the music better, learned new techniques and added to my own libraries even more.
As for dance tracks, at the end of 2019, aggressive and fast base house was popular, and I tried to sit on this hype train.
But no labels took the track, so I released it myself through distributor DistroKid. It was my first "adult" release - the one that appeared on streaming services. So far, I have earned exactly $0.03 on it. That's 17 auditions.
Back in the beginning of 2020, I made time for the LEAVEMEALONE halftime track.
The flops over the past couple of years made me wonder: what is wrong with my music? Why doesn't anyone want to take it? Reflection and reflection led me to an important conclusion: in the first place, I do not make the music that I really want.
I became interested in making music thanks to drum and bass, then I started listening to dubstep and electro house, and for some reason I always felt that these genres were what I needed to work on. But as soon as I listened to myself a little (which I had never done before), it turned out that I had nothing to express through bass music.
Therefore, I spent the following months looking for genres that would most accurately reflect my inner state. They were melodic house and techno.
Brute force
Since April 2020, I have decided to get into dance music properly. Since I used to be able to create compositions only through force, I came up with a challenge for myself: to finish one track every month.
The logic was like this. By forcing myself to work on dance compositions month after month, sooner or later I had to develop all the necessary skills needed to create cool music.
I was going to basically brute force my creative powers
The first track turned out to be clumsy.
The mixing is murky, there is not much development, both drops are arranged as if it were a summer banger, although soulful melodic techno was conceived. But for starters, it will.
This track (and several others) I released again via DistroKid. Even tried to buy ads for him through Facebook. There were still few auditions (39 to date), but I was resentful of the label system after so many rejections and was determined to make a name for myself.
The next composition in May, Pasturage, was much softer. Birds, forest, nice sound design and summer rain atmosphere.
For this track, I also purchased advertising. This time I set up the ad better and invested more money, so the output was more tangible. Now he has 138 plays.
The June track Arcane turned out to be mysterious and attractive, like a Celtic forest. Hence the name.
I did not commission advertising for him, because the determination to promote myself in the music industry began to fade.
I didn’t pour so much money into advertising tracks, but there was no more extra money.
The conclusion was that you can break through on your own only in two cases: if you have a lot of money for advertising (I didn’t), or if you know how to do cool PR in social networks (I didn’t know how). So I started looking towards
labels again.
Arcane was not taken to the labels (I did not even hope), but they took Autarca - the July track. Here's a snippet of it, and you can listen to it in full here.
It was released as a compilation on the sub-label of a small St. Petersburg publishing house Polyptych. I knew perfectly well that this would not bring me any money or popularity, but I signed the contract anyway. You have to start somewhere.
The next track was a bit hooligan Help a Robot. I didn't send it anywhere, because big labels wouldn't take it, and it was long and tedious to look for small labels with such music.
How do you even google them? "Labels with frivolous electro-house"?
In autumn I decided to make a three-track mini-album. For some reason it seemed to me that labels were more willing to take EPs than singles.
Even by this moment I had heard a lot of music in the selected genres and realized that in melodic house and techno, few people make tracks shorter than six minutes. So from now on, all my new compositions slowly fade in and out.
In general, the music has become less hasty and more conducive to immersion and thoughtful listening
As you might expect, my plan to boost my chances with labels with the EP didn't work out very well. The release was eventually taken to the same Polyptych Limited (it will be released on July 5), but I was hoping for something bigger.
In December I finished the new track Rewired and decided to take a break. Working non-stop for nine months (and I also did soundtracks) without tangible results led to the fact that I just burned out.
Rest helped me rethink my priorities and figure out which way to go. I stopped caring too much about labels and started focusing more on creativity and self-expression. Plus, psychotherapy helped (and still helps) to listen to yourself better.
Rewired was included in the compilation for the Moscow label ONESUN (will be released sort of like in the summer).
Opening
I wrote the next composition at a more relaxed pace: burnout forced me to abandon the "one track per month" mode. Simultaneously with the work on the track, I was doing research. He carefully studied music in the chosen genres, pestered successful producers with questions, whom he could reach.
The result was the biggest takeaway of all time: major labels need unique music first and foremost. One that has not yet been
Within the genre, of course, although the boundaries between melodic house and techno are blurred.
How to achieve uniqueness? For me, the answer is simple: it comes from the uniqueness of the psyche. If you learn to listen well and express yourself adequately, then creativity will be unique. Therefore, when creating Bird Law in January 2020, I tried to listen as often as possible to what melodies, sounds, effects and just decisions resonate with me.
This track doesn't just meet some technical requirements, it's undeniably my . For example, the title is taken from a comic book that I really like.
It's the law
And the theme of birds in it is not only because of the name, but also because these animals (but not all) touch me and my wife very much. And also partly a track about the love that I feel for my wife, and this has something in common with the comic book. In general, a warm work about good things. The ones in me.
I don't know how noticeable this is to the outside listener, but I see a massive improvement over the previous compositions.
He was even taken to a more serious label - the Italian Natura Viva. They promised to release it as part of a compilation. I don't know when exactly: for some reason, labels rarely notify me about such things, and I myself don't really care. I'm more focused on future works.
The last track so far is called You're Not What Your Mind Tells You. It's about my many battles with my own brain. It is a little sad, but with a light undertone, because no matter how scary the battles are, there is always a possibility to win. At least I can.
The other day I signed him to the Belgian label Sound Avenue. It will first be released exclusively on Spotify to try and push it into the platform's playlists, and will be released as part of a sub-label compilation in August.
After You're Not What Your Mind Tells You, I again rethought my creative process. Now I try to treat music less as a series of separate projects and more just as a field for experiments, from which cool completed projects will grow.
Let's see where this takes me.
Such things. Thanks for reading. By the way, I will soon launch a course on creating electronic music from scratch. If interested, you can read the details here.
If you like my music, you can subscribe to Soundcloud, YouTube or Spotify. All my future tracks will appear there as well. Also here are my social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch.
How to Write Lyrics: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learning to write lyrics is an important skill for every musician. After all, lyrics are one of the central components of the connection between listener and performer. A track with great lyrics is simply irresistible as it allows almost anyone to immerse themselves in your audio world.
However, writing lyrics is not an easy process. On your favorite songs, writing lyrics seems easy, but don't forget that every great lyricist started somewhere. Writing lyrics for the first time can be tricky, but luckily, below we'll walk you through exactly how to write lyrics so that you can write a great song by the end of this article.
Let's dive into it!
How to write lyrics for beginners
The best way to learn write songs - is to start creating texts! Here is a step-by-step guide to writing your own songs for both beginners and experienced musicians.
- Define your lyrical goals.
- Determine your starting point.
- Brainstorm.
- Decide on the structure of the song.
- Create phrases in your structure.
- Make sure your story has an arc.
- Put your text on the melody.
- Adjust the song for melodiousness and memorability.
- Rinse and repeat!
The lyrics turn elevator music into a profound art form. While many people can only communicate with instrumentals, strong lyrical content will make it much easier for your songs to reach your target audience. Lyric writing isn't always easy, but this plan should make it easier for you to start the process.
1. Define your lyrical goals.
Before you get started, it's helpful to define the goals of the songwriting process for each particular track. You might want to think about what exactly you want to say with your text, or maybe come up with a few topics that naturally inspire you.
Also think about who is the speaker on your track. Are you talking directly to the listener? Is your song more of an emotional monologue? Or is it just a story or experience? Write down common song ideas about which you would like to write, and formulate the most convincing option. Who knows, maybe these first words of inspiration will later serve as a good title for a song!
The most important part of the task here is to start. If you can take that small step of narrowing your thoughts down to one lyrical concept, you'll be well on your way to writing full page of text . Sometimes we get too overwhelmed with the topic which results in us not writing anything at all, so taking the time to define your intentions for the track will surely put you on the road to success.
2. Determine your starting point.
Songwriting is not a linear process. In some sessions, the second chorus is written first. On others, a more chronological approach, starting from the initial couplet and moving on to chorus and chorus. Before you start writing, allow yourself to be changeable.
Your lyrics and song structure will go through several iterations before you create the best lyrics for the track, so don't strain yourself to find the right word. Allow yourself to start with a clean slate and trust that you will continue to edit as needed.
If you are into other art forms within the framework of music, you can find text after rhythm creation or writing melodies on the guitar. These are all powerful ways to awaken your intuitive writing abilities, so don't be afraid to use them!
Chord progressions can also help you get inspired as some performers prefer to create lyrics and melody at the same time. Others may create songs by starting with just the lyrics.
Whatever it is, be confident in your style and follow it. The best songs are created by those artists who are willing to adapt their process to the needs of the track.
3. Brainstorm.
Once you've decided on a starting point and theme song, start brainstorming! Grab a notepad and paper, or write down on your phone whatever comes to your mind that relates to your song. You can also record your ideas on a tape recorder or discuss them with a creative collaborator. These can be words, melodic phrases, or even complete sentences of the song. Now is not the time to be very strict, let it all out!
Try not to disturb yourself. If you're not sure if your idea will make it into the final lyrics, write it down anyway. You want to brainstorm as much as possible so that you can write a complete song later on.
If you are having a hard time finding inspiration, listen to different songs related to the topic of your composition. Are there parts of them that resonate with you? Think about how you can convey these moments in your own words and from your own point of view, and write them down.
Don't let the great be the enemy of the good. Even the best songwriters experience at some point in their careers writer's block . The main thing is to get through it and not give up. You can write a song if you put aside your fears and allow your innate creativity to emerge. It's natural to be nervous if you haven't tried to write a song in the past, but don't let that feeling stop you from starting writing. Set a lyrical goal for yourself and move from it.
4. Decide on the structure of the song.
In order to write lyrics that make sense rhythmically and melodicly, you need to understand basic song structures . Decide which words or phrases you want to use in the chorus melody versus the first verse, bridge, pre-chorus, etc. In general, the most popular song structures are:
- VERSE - CHORUS - VERSE - CHORUS
- INTRO - VERSE - CHORUS - VERSE - BRIDGE - CHORUS
- VERSE - CHORUS - BRIDGE - CHORUS
While many songs deviate from these formulas, it's probably best to stick with one of these tried and true song structures while you get comfortable with the songwriting process.
The important step here is that you group your brainstorming thoughts into your own subsections, which will eventually become the centerpieces of your song.
Some important details to pay attention to include:
- Hook: Hook is a short musical phrase that often appears in the chorus. Hooks are memorable, catchy and convey the mood of the song in a few words.
- Chorus: This is likely the most memorable section of your song, so the lyrics should be easy to follow. Chorus lines repeat throughout the song, so focus on writing texts chorus that are easy for anyone to remember.
- Song Title: The title of the song draws the listener into listening to the song, so you need to make sure that your lyrics match the main concept of the title. It's also a good idea to include the title of the song in the lyrics. hook or chorus .
Note that all song components are important.
However, when writing lyrics for a hook, chorus, or title, you will need to give it extra time and attention. These parts of the song are the most likely to stick with the listeners, so make sure you write a song that highlights these parts as strengths.
5. Create phrases within your structure and a solid rhyme scheme.
Now that you have a general roadmap of where you want to place certain lyrics, it's time to create lyric phrases if you haven't already. Think about the flow and cadence of your lyric lines: Each line should ideally have the same number of syllables and cadence as the previous one, as in the poem.
This is also a good time to get a rhyming dictionary. It's much easier to make a song lyrically cohesive if you use a rhyme scheme. Rhyme schemes are basic rhyme patterns. Here are some of the most common rhyme schemes to use in your songs. Note that the letters represent matching pairs of rhymes, so the string "A" rhymes with another string "A" and "B" with another string "B".
AAAA- All lines rhyme. An example would be,
"I fell in love with you (A)
Until I became black and blue (A)
Autumn came too soon (A)
But this is nothing new (A)"
ABAB- 1st and 3rd lines rhyme, and 2nd and 4th lines rhyme. This pattern is continuous throughout the song. An example would be,
"I fell in love with you (A)
Before I forget my name (B)
You made me black and blue (A)
And I welcomed all the pain (B)."
AABB- the first two lines rhyme and the 3rd and 4th lines rhyme. This scheme emphasizes pairs of couplets. A basic example might be,
"I fell in love with you (A)
I'm getting my hopes up too soon. (A)
You confused me (B)
Looking forward to the day you leave. (B)"
As you can see, not all relevant rhyme schemes use the same rhyme type. You can use precise rhyming (such as "you" and "blue") or subtler internal rhyme (such as "name" and "pain").
These types of rhymes can work in the same way, as long as you choose a structure that makes sense for your song. Use your brainstorming to create phrases within the rhyme and structure of the song and see how your song starts to take shape.
6. Make sure your story has an arc.
Now that you have the basic structure of the song, make sure your lyrics convey the story arc. Do your lyrics create tension? Do they tell a story that easily takes the listener from one point to another? Any good song should have a clear beginning, middle and end. Your texts should be memorable and easy to understand.
Scan the verse, chorus and bridge : Do they work independently and as a unit? If not, it might be time to refine your parts. Analyze the lyrics of the songs that hooked you as a listener: What is the emotional impact in them? Taking the time to analyze through the lens of a listener will surely make your job as a writer easier.
7. Overlay the lyrics to the melody.
Once you've got your first complete draft of the lyrics, it's time to start translating it into melody, if you haven't already. If you're a musician, overlaying a chord progression on your instrument of choice can help you get inspired by note combinations. you also can try first write a tune on your tool, and then transfer it to the text.
If you don't play any instrument, it's a great idea to collaborate with someone who does! Worst case scenario, you can always find a chord progression cycle online and start creating a melody based on it. This process will be fairly intuitive, so don't let it scare you. Many well-known melodies consist of just a few notes: It doesn't have to be complicated to be effective.
8. Refine singing ability and memorability.
The first verse you create may not be the best. Before you finalize a song, take the time to edit it! Are the consonants in convenient places? Is the chorus really catchy? Is it easy for most people to sing along and remember the words? Don't be afraid to rewrite snippets at this point in the process.
Sometimes in music you have to kill your favorites to get the most out of your song.
9. Rinse and repeat!
Without a doubt, the best way to become a great songwriter is to write songs as much as possible. Many songwriters take the time to write a few songs a week, and you can too! You may not be able to write songs daily at first, but if you set goals for yourself and trust your intuition, writing songs will become easier over time.
The hardest part of the songwriting process is mastering the songwriting process itself. Creating your own songs will become more and more natural. For some, it may be helpful to set specific goals for yourself: You may find it easier to motivate yourself to write music if you try to write a certain number of songs per month, etc.
Spend time with other writers to discuss writing strategies and of course, don't be afraid to collaborate! Some of your favorite songs on the radio today were written by more than five people. When it comes to songwriting, two heads are often better than one.
Finally, don't be discouraged if you don't like your text the first time. Most songs go through several iterations before they are properly delivered to the listeners. For every killer song, there are about 20 "eh" songs that don't quite work out, and that's okay. Actually, it's okay! Give yourself a pat on the back for writing your first song and quickly move on to the next one.
Lyric writing tips
Songwriting can be incredibly difficult, so here are some tips to keep in mind throughout your journey as a songwriter. Don't forget that good lyrics can take time to create, but with these tips and practice, you'll be able to write radio hits in no time.
Remember that this is not always a linear process
This songwriting guide should be taken with a grain of salt. There is no one way to start writing lyrics, so don't be discouraged if your natural writing process doesn't fit into any particular plan. The most important part of songwriting is the result: If you get songs, that's the most important thing.
In some songs you can start with a melody, in others you can start with a lyric phrase. Sometimes you can use tools like songwriting books to spark your creativity, other times the song will flow out of you without a hitch. Trust the process in any of its manifestations.
Instrumentalists and songwriters wear different hats
Even if you are a great instrumentalist, producer or engineer, you are not necessarily a great songwriter, at least not yet. Keep in mind that every aspect of music production requires you to wear different hats. The skills you have in one area may not catch on in another, but don't let that put you off.
Instead, use this nugget to give yourself some perspective: Learning how to write lyrics takes time and attention, which is why there are sectors in the music industry devoted exclusively to this art. You may already be into music, but that doesn't necessarily mean you've learned how to write lyrics (but there's nothing stopping you from starting).
Record sparks of inspiration and save them for later
The musician will tell you that inspiration can come at any moment. Whether you're in the shower, in bed, or at work, don't take these spontaneous outbursts for granted. Get into the habit of writing down these inspirations and referring to them later.
You can jot them down on a sticky note, record a voice note for yourself, or even email yourself a message that you can open during your next songwriting session. Inspiration is not always convenient, but many songwriters manage to capture these moments and use their power further.
Don't be too hard on yourself
One of the best ways to overcome writer's block is to give yourself a break. So often we want to emulate the style of one of our favorite lyricists so badly or come up with great songs on the go that we get distracted from actually writing songs. Sometimes it's good to just let yourself write!
This means saving the "critic" hat for later.
Allow yourself to unleash your creative writing flow without getting in the way. This stream of consciousness will be curated later, as long as you decide to write songs on a regular basis. Your first song may not be the best, but it's better not to be your last. Remember that all of your favorite songwriters have probably written a terrible song at some point in their career.
Get into the habit of learning songs
In order to write the songs you love, actively explore the structure of the songs and the shape of the tunes you already love! Take the time to listen to the tune and look at the lyrics to some of your favorite songs. What do these songs have in common? What is it about the lyrics or the melody that makes you get attached to a particular song?
Often the "answer" to the magic of popular songs or some of our favorite songs is right in front of us. You just need to take the time to understand what exactly makes the best texts stand out from the rest.
The practice of writing lyrics is extremely important
Ed Sheeran once compared songwriting to cleaning a dirty faucet.
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