Hi all.

A few years ago, a friend of mine was given a piece of advice that stuck with me. He asked a well known songwriter for some advice on writing songs and he gave him this advice.

"When writing a song, your priority should be melody first, the lyrics second, and the music third."

I think this has some truth to it, but it can also vary pending on the musical style and intention.

What are your thoughts on this, and what is most important to you when listening to a song?

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Douglas Showalter

For me.
Music comes first, after I decide whether or not I like a song, I listen to the words.
I can remember the day I was listening to I Shot the Sheriff by Eric Claption. It had been on the top of the charts for a couple weeks, then I heard him singing "I shot the sheriff". I remember asking myself, how could I have listened to the song so many times and not know what any of the words are?

When I play a song and sing the words in my head, the verse in normally made up of some words that I like from each verse. Never the real words of a verse.

When I make up a song I create words after the music. The words are keys to remember the chords that make up the song. If you match the right words with the right tones, it can be a hit.

But without a great singer even a great band my never make it past the garage.

I was talking to a person at work last week, she never listens to the music, for her it is all about the words.

Melody, lyrics, music for listening. The melody sets the emotion of the song. Thats the part that's going to grab me or not. Then the lyrics. I'm picky. If they are not thoughtful lyrics, they can turn me off the whole song. By music, I assume you mean the song, the whole enchilada? That (for me) is a higher level appreciation of how the parts are joined, seqeued, etc. ...But I don't know if I got your meaning right.

FWIW, when writing, it's usually storyline and general lyrics first. I'm big on meaning, and the lyrics can change to suit the melody. However, I usually have one melody to start. Usually the chorus. The verses are easy if they are a logical storyline. I suck at bridges. They are the bane of my existence

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...so ever since then, I always hang on to the buckle.

I think you said everything in this sentence.

I tinhk it will depend on what you want as the hook of the song.

There are many variables and I think the ideal is not to restrict to this rule because we can lose good opportunities. Great melodys may arise as a result of the normal pitch and pace of speech.

Excellent thread.

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Azzi.

"I am different .. Equal to the rest of the world."

Melody first. I agree.

Any time I've tried otherwise, it's failed. I'm noticing that when I let me stream of consciousness lead in a song idea, it's a melody. I may have a single lyric line that sparked the idea for a song but I find that I'm now led by a vocal melody and the rest falls in to place for the music.

I should say that I've mostly stopped trying to write 'riff oriented' music. I am going way off the hard rock path nowadays so it's been a journey but very freeing.

I think you could argue that melody first is almost always correct. Even sub-consciously, you are thinking of a melody in your head and how you want the song to go. You can't have music before melody I don't think. As you are writing music, you are writing out a melody you are thinking of. Lyrics first would be the only other alternative.

...But I don't know if I got your meaning right.

What I am referring to in the case of "music" is the chords and structure of the song. How complicated should the chords be? Should you stick to more basic chords (major, minor) or start adding extensions? This can also pertain to the time signature, feel of the song, etc. There are lots of variables here.

Bands such as Dream Theater I feel look at the musicianship of what they do as the main priority. In pop music, really the melody is king ala Katy Perry, Green Day, Maroon 5, etc. Then you have artists like Bob Dylan and more of the singer/songwriter/folk type whom aren't the most melodious or musically complex, yet have amazing lyrics and ideas. That's not to say any of these bands or artists don't possess all three characteristics.

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Douglas Showalter