Lyrics are also very important

[Just_Me]

Don't forget the lyrics guys, I know this is a guitar website but if there is a theme of your song write lyrics to suit and accompany the lyrics around the music, rather then music around lyrics.

In other words, decide if the song is going to be heavy or soft or other then write the music remembering to add in a chorus if you have one, then write the lyrics in to the song.

The more you do it the better you will become.
Good luck.

[Slow Diver]

Thanks for the invaluable advice! :rolleyes:

[Just_Me]

Hope that wasnt sarcastic :)

[Incidents Happen]

lol. oooof course it wasn't! :D.

But yes, lyrics are always good...

[Just_Me]

good good, serious stuff only in these forums, (i think) ;)well maybe not,

but anyway, cheers for the positive feedback

[bbendertele]

Yeah i'm new to guitar tricks. Of course lyrics are very important but what works best for me is to close my eyes start playing some rythm throwing in a few cool riffs and dreaming. Try to tell a story. As if you don't already know this. IF you can make someone laugh or cry, or cuss you know you've a song well written. Musically i do as you all probably do too. try to invent something new, wierd chord progressions that mix well with an off beat melody. Anything that will turn an ear my way.

[Just_Me]

It's the same with all instruments, as in when i used to play the drums i would sit in the drum room with wire brushes instead of sticks and then play a piece of music on the stereo and try and create a different beat to go to the music, and different solos, lol, never as good mind

[Josh Redstone]

Write music that people would listen too without the lyrics, then add lyrics, then you know you've got a well stuctured song.

[canuck7]

hey Just_Me,
i love your idea. no sarcasm here. that's exactly what i do with my punk songs (and my attempts at technical metal). i always get the chords, the rhythm and the theme(heavy/soft,dark-sounding/light-hearted) before lyrics get it there.
also, as Josh Redstone said previously, if it sounds good without lyrics then it's a good song. i normally play my songs for about 15-20 minutes over and over without lyrics (i normally don't have any then)and then words fall into place.
keep it up you guys.

[Josh Redstone]

Cool. Glad you like my idea.

[Azrael]

I say: Put a whole dictionarry into a 3 minute song! ... no wait... then you have a rap or hiphop thing. :D

however - i think that it is a matter of work-routine. when you write a song you can do the lyrics first and the music later or vice versa - its all up to your personal preferences and what comes best to you. I, for example, have a couple of songs written where there is just music and now i have to find the lyrics to it - which i find pretty hard (in my case) - i´m sure that i will try the other way round next time. i´m thinking about taking a cool fantasy book (no - not lord of the rings - been done tonns of times before) and write a whole album based on it. that of course has the advantage that i do not have to come up with completely new lyrics :D

[tallicafan]

I can't say I completely agree with the concept of writing music that sounds good by itself though I used to believe the same thing. I think if you look around you'll find some strange cases where it's all a matter of how the music in lyrics fit together while neither one is exceptional by itself.

just my 2c

adios

[Josh Redstone]

Yeah, that happened to me. I had this song, and my friend had some lyrics. They just fit perfectly together. Kind of neat.
I find than when lyrics are written first, the music is usually less complex or interesting, outside the guitar solos or something, but when music is written first, its more complex. Just something I've noticed.

[janir123]

My usual routine:
Firstly I make the music. After the whole song is ready I listen to it to find out what kind of mood it has. Then I write lyrics that feel right for the song. The last thing I do I add in all the guitar solos. The reason I'm leaving the solo playing the last is that I want the solos to tell their own story. I can only hear how the solo should sound after everything else is done. This method works me the best.