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Sometimes when we're writing lyrics we just don't know where to start. Do we just dive right in with the verses? Do we try to craft our chorus first? Maybe coming up with the title is the way to go.

I've always found that before you put pen to paper, you should think about the big picture of your song. From there you can get more and more detailed. For example, you might first start by asking yourself "what's the main idea for my entire song?" Then from there you can ask yourself what you want each section to do. In other words, figure out how each of your verses, your chorus and your bridge are going to move your story forward. If you figure out the big picture and then the main idea of each section, you'll have a better road map for writing your song.

A while back, I took a workshop with Berklee lyric writing professor, Pat Pattison. He would have some of the students play their songs, and then he'd review their lyrics with them. A lot of times, when he felt the lyrics got confusing, he asked three rhetorical questions of the student's work:

Ever since that workshop, I've asked myself these questions before any song I write. The reason being that these questions help you to think about the big picture of your song, in a similar way to what I talked about in the preceding paragraphs.

If you still don't understand why asking yourself these three questions could make or break your lyrics, let's look at a real world example, in the song (alternately known as) "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green. I'll make the argument that of the three questions posed above, two of them are clearly defined throughout the song. They are:

1. Who's talking? In this song, it's a guy who lost his girl.

2. Why (is he talking to her)? He's jealous, angry, and still wants her back.

When we go through all the lyrics, you'll see that those two answers ring true consistently throughout the whole song. But the answer to the second question does not:
2. Who is he talking to?
The answer to this question varies through the lyric, and pulls us away from getting into the song as much as we could. You'll notice that throughout most of the song, he's talking to the girl.His ex. But there are two lines in the song that are addressed to the girl's new guy, directly. It's these two lines:

"I see you driving 'round town with the girl I love and I'm like,

Forget you

I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough I'm like,

Forget you and forget her too"

If you wanted to get super-technical, we could even argue that in the line "I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough," he's talking to himself, or the listener directly. But for lack of any further confusion, we'll lump that line in with the stuff he's saying to the boyfriend.

You might say "okay, well so what? It's only two lines in the whole song. It's hardly noticeable." Well, the problem is these two lines happen in the chorus, so we consistently go BACK to them throughout the song. The perspective of who he's talking to changes causing our minds to lose focus on what's happening, and who he's talking to. In addition to that, the song starts with these two lines, so we begin hearing the song with an expectation that he's talking to the girl's new guy. But then throughout most of the song, he's not.

Let's check it out.
Chorus
(speaking to the new boyfriend)

"I see you driving 'round town with the girl I love and I'm like,

Forget you

I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough I'm like,

Forget you and forget her too"

(speaking to the ex-girlfriend)

"I said, if I was richer, I'd still be with ya

Ha, now ain't that some sh-t?

And although there's pain in my chest I still wish you the best with a...

Forget you!"
Verse 1
(still speaking to the ex-girlfriend)

"Yeah I'm sorry, I can't afford a Ferrari,

But that don't mean I can't get you there.

I guess he's an X-box and I'm more Atari,

But the way you play your game ain't fair.

I pity the fool that falls in love with you

I've got some news for you

Yeah go run and tell your little boyfriend"
Chorus
(back to speaking to the new boyfriend)

"I see you driving 'round town with the girl I love and I'm like,

Forget you

I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough I'm like,

Forget you and forget her too"

(back to speaking to the ex girlfriend)

"I said, if I was richer, I'd still be with ya

Ha, now ain't that some sh-t?

And although there's pain in my chest I still wish you the best with a...

Forget you!"
Verse 2
(still on the ex girlfriend)

"Now I know, that I had to borrow,

Beg and steal and lie and cheat.

Trying to keep ya, trying to please ya.

'Cause being in love with your ass ain't cheap.

I pity the fool that falls in love with you

I've got some news for you

I really hate your ass right now"
Chorus
(back to speaking to the new boyfriend)

"I see you driving 'round town with the girl I love and I'm like,

Forget you

I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough I'm like,

Forget you and forget her too"

(back to speaking to the ex girlfriend)

"I said, if I was richer, I'd still be with ya

Ha, now ain't that some sh-t?

And although there's pain in my chest I still wish you the best with a...

Forget you!"
Bridge
(still on the ex girlfriend)

"Now baby, baby, baby, why'd you wanna wanna hurt me so bad?

I tried to tell my mamma but she told me this is one for your dad

Whhhy? Whhhy? Whhhy, lady?

I love you

I still love you"
Chorus
(and one more time to the new boyfriend)

"I see you driving 'round town with the girl I love and I'm like,

Forget you

I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough I'm like,

Forget you and forget her too"

(back to speaking to the ex girlfriend)

"I said, if I was richer, I'd still be with ya

Ha, now ain't that some sh-t?

And although there's pain in my chest I still wish you the best with a...

Forget you!"

Wow, those two little lines, sure did make a lot of waves throughout the entire lyric, didn't they? Had the question "Who is he talking to?" been asked before pen hit paper, all this confusion could have been avoided.

You may be saying... "What are you talking about?! This song is a hit! A Grammy winning, smash hit! There's a reason for that, right?" Yes there is. The reason is that in hit songs, melody rules. This song has great, singable, memorable melody. No question about it. But the lyrics lose some steam because of the confusion of who's being spoken to in the lyrics.

Remember, sometimes superstar artists get a pass with this stuff, because they're already in the limelight, making records. If you're an unknown artist, you want to increase your chances in any way you can. So your advice for this week is simple: Ask yourself three simple questions before you write your next song. Then decide if it makes the focus of your new songs sharper.Have fun.

Discuss this article in our Music Forum.

About Anthony Ceseri

For a free report from Anthony with a lot more songwriting tips please visit:
successforyoursongs.com/freeoffer/how-to-write-a-song/
Anthony Ceseri is a songwriter and performer who has traveled the country in pursuit of the best songwriting advice and information available. From classes and workshops at Berklee College of Music in Boston, to Taxi's Road Rally in Los Angeles, Anthony has learned from the most well-respected professional songwriters, producers and performers in the industry.

Realizing this kind of information isn't readily available to most songwriters, Anthony founded www.SuccessForYourSongs.com as a way to funnel the very best advice to songwriters and performers all around the world.

Anthony's writings appear as examples in the book Songwriting Without Boundaries: Lyric Writing Exercises For Finding Your Voice by Pat Pattison, an acclaimed lyric writing professor at Berklee College of Music.

For more information, please visit successforyoursongs.com

Site Crew Profile
Anthony Ceseri Home Page Contact Anthony Ceseri

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A New Perspective on Writing Lyrics - Songstuff

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Sometimes when we're writing lyrics we just don't know where to start. Do we just dive right in with the verses? Do we try to craft our chorus first? Maybe coming up with the title is the way to go.

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I know that when writing a song I should write about something I am passionate about so that I will gain more ideas

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I will put the music I write to fit with a guitar pattern so that I can play and sing at the same time

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I am researching about song writing and trying to figure out the best tips and tricks are to write a song

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I want to know what the hardest parts of writing music are

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I also want to know what are the best tips to writing a song

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I am going to be reading several articles to find information about song writing

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-Tell a story and make sure people can relate to your song

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I will be presenting my song and telling them what it is about and how I sort of wrote it

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I am going to be using several different methods to use in my song like strumming and picking.

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This one is talking about the lyrics and how to write them and it just goes through the steps to help you write them

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2. Write down some inspirational things to see what comes up

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2. Write down some inspirational things to see what comes up

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4. Find a strum pattern for my lyrics on the guitar

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4. Find a strum pattern for my lyrics on the guitar

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I am going to be presenting a song which is a way of being creative with the different arts.

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-Have all the key elements to write a song(chorus, verse, bridge, and cota)

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I should also write about something that people can relate too so that they will pay attention to the song and stuff

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1. How long did it take you to learn how to write a song?

2. How did you get interested in this subject?

3. What are some tips about song writing?

4. Did you go to college for music? If so why?

5. What is your favorite part of writing a song and why?

6. What are some of your favorite subjects to write about?

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0:00 / 8:10•Watch full video

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When writing a song you can just write down your ideas even though they don't make sense and then let the editor self in you put ideas together

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How to Write Great Lyrics - 5 Tips for Beginners!

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Use real life stories are just ideas that people can relate too, you usually have a verse, a chorus, a bridge, and a cota. Also make sure to tell a story

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-Have fun when writing a song because sometimes it will come together in minutes and some will come together in years so be patient and have fun

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Introduction

After reading Commercial Songwriting, and of course worked through the suggestions, you are no doubt eager to put those skills into practice. You may be familiar with many of the tips given below, or you may employ many of them already without realising why you use them. Either way, understanding techniques and knowing when to use them will greatly benefit your song writing. Below are a number of basic, general tips to get you started.

Creative Flow

Writing when you are inspired often makes creating new ideas easy. On these occasions the main purpose is to try not to hinder your creativity at all. Let your ideas flow; you can always edit what you do afterwards. If it becomes obvious that a particular idea is leading you nowhere, don't be afraid to go back a few steps. When you are in a creatively good frame of mind try to capitalise on the creativity by working through until you are satisfied that you have captured the essence of the song. If you feel a particular song is a sticking point, don't let it drag you out the mood, work on another song!

Perspective

To avoid getting stuck in a rut, or getting writers block, vary the way that you write songs. The easiest way to achieve this is to vary the perspective that you employ when you approach writing a song. There are at least 4 ways to start writing a song. For example:

Start with the chords

Start with the melody

Start with the lyrics

Start with the rhythm

Each way of starting will vary the perspective that you start writing from. Obviously if you are writing well it is not so important to vary your approach to song writing, but in this case it will increase the variety in the songs that you write.

If you can play more than one instrument try to vary the instrument that you start writing with. As you are likely to employ different styles when playing different instruments this introduces an easy way to incorporate a variety of styles into your music as a whole. Essentially, a change of perspective is often a useful tool when song writing.

A detailed look at song writing perspective will be dealt with in a forthcoming worked tutorial.

Song Architecture

Vary the song architecture that you use. For example:

Intro, Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Middle Eight, Chorus, Chorus, Outro

Intro, Verse 1, Verse 2, Chorus, Verse 3, Chorus, Middle Eight, Chorus, Chorus

Intro, Chorus, Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Middle Eight, Verse 3, Chorus, Chorus

Intro, Verse 1, Verse 2, Verse 3, Verse 4

A detailed look at song architecture will be dealt with in a forthcoming article.

Space

An important element of music is the impression of space within a composition. This can be hard to achieve, especially when you are arranging a piece for several instruments. Try basing your song around one instrument say an acoustic guitar. Once the arrangement has been completed remove the acoustic guitar from the arrangement, then tidy it up. If the song is already quite roomy the result of the removal of the instrument is likely to leave the song sounding too sparse. Yet again, in this circumstance it is unlikely to have been a complete waste of time and you have at least heard your song with a slightly different arrangement.

A detailed look at space within a song will be dealt with in a forthcoming article.

Frequency Placement

A general guideline to achieve clarity is to place instruments within the frequency spectrum so that the parts played do not fight with each other to be heard. Obvious exceptions to this are when instruments are playing in unison (the same note) for emphasis or when instruments are playing in close harmony.

Many songs aim to have a reasonably balanced, broad frequency spectrum, with the peak frequencies in the mid-range. There are many, many examples of songs that do not follow this pattern at all and most songs feature a balanced frequency spectrum only within certain sections of the song, normally when there are several melodies occurring simultaneously over a backing section.

By thinking a little about the relative frequency ranges of instruments it can help to give your song that added lift or clarity at the right moment. Alternatively it can help when planning a section of song where you deliberately want the listener to be confused by the sounds.

Discuss this article in our Music Forum.
John Moxey Songstuff Site Crew
About Songstuff

Songstuff was launch in September 2000 and has grown into an all round resource for musicians, attracting interest from musicians of all experience and skill levels. The Songstuff Songwriting and Music Community has grown into an essential, dynamic networking resource, where members exchange ideas and collaborate on common projects. Great thanks and appreciation are owed to the moderation team for helping to grow the community into the active and creative place it has become.

Site Crew conduct draw on their experience and contacts to perform interviews, and write quality articles on a variety of subjects. In addition the Songstuff Community members regularly contribute articles and Songstuff has many regular contributors from across the field of music.

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This article has been written by one of the Songstuff Site Crew. Songstuff Home Page Contact Songstuff

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Introduction After reading Commercial Songwriting, and of course worked through the suggestions, you are no doubt eager to put those skills into practice. You may be familiar with many of the tips given below, or you may employ many of them already without realising why you use them.

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This article is talking about being creative and how to keep creativity in a song. It also talks about song structure

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Discover new songwriting techniques. Expand your songwriting options & get a fresh new approach. Read the the full article series on songwriting techniques.

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This article is talking about what order to write your song in and how to do it

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1.How long does it take you to write a song?That depends. I have had music without words come really quickly, and I have had words but not melody. For instance, I wrote one song in just about 10 minutes, but I have another peom that I wrote 2 years ago, but still do not have music that I like to go with it. There is no set time. Creativity can not be rushed though. Some times, if you are struggling with something, you may try to force it. Don't do that. Let it sit, and come back to it. Always pray about your creative projects. Our God is the author of creativity. He will help you if  you ask Him to. 2.How did you get interested in music? I was born with it, I think. At any rate, it is a God given talent. I started singing about the time I could talk. I started playing piano without lessons when I was 8. I have been playing for church and specials since I was 11. The earlier you get started, the better. I think I wrote my first actual poem in the 6th grade. 3.What are some tips you have about song writing? Tip: Don't try to force the lyrics. Let them flow. Again, pray about them. Tip: Lyrics do not have to rhyme. Tip: I use two sites a lot when I write. Rhyme zone. (If I have a word I want to use, I will see what rhymes with it, and if I can fit it in.) Thesaurus.com. (For some words, I may look to see if there is a synonum or similar word that would fit better, or offer a more colorfoul flair to the line of lyric.) Tip: ask someone to critique your lyric, especially if you are struggling. Sometimes a suggestion from soomeone can spur you on with your writing. Tip: never give up. If it is important to you, it is important. Tip: collaborate. Get a partner, friend, or mentor to write a song with you. Two heads are better than one. 4.Did you go to college for music? If so which one? I went to chorus, took guitar and piano lessons at SCCC for my associates degree. Most of my music is self taught. Going to college with music as your major is a good idea, but some people do not need to. 5 What is your favorite part about songwriting? Why? The creativity. I love creating lyric, poem, and even stories and essays. I also love when someone says with obvious pleasure, "You wrote that? Wow." It may not be a good thing, but that makes me feel good. And writing should make a person feel good. 6.What is the hardest part about songwriting? What is the easiest? I think the hardest is pounding out a lyric that isn't coming to my mind like I wish it would. The easiest, when there is something in my head, and all I have to do is write it down. 7.What are some of your favorite subjects to write about? Why? I love to write about all subjects, but of course, my favorite is to write about God, the bible, and my faith. I have written silly things, serious things, painful things, and I write about nature quite a bit. For essays/stories, I write a lot about my childhood trauma, but I haven't written any songs as yet about it. It is very painful, and I don't know that songs would be approrpiate for that. Maybe some day. 

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1.How long does it take you to write a song?That depends. I have had music without words come really quickly, and I have had words but not melody. For instance, I wrote one song in just about 10 minutes, but I have another peom that I wrote 2 years ago, but still do not have music that I like to go with it. There is no set time. Creativity can not be rushed though. Some times, if you are struggling with something, you may try to force it. Don't do that. Let it sit, and come back to it. Always pray about your creative projects. Our God is the author of creativity. He will help you if  you ask Him to. 2.How did you get interested in music? I was born with it, I think. At any rate, it is a God given talent. I started singing about the time I could talk. I started playing piano without lessons when I was 8. I have been playing for church and specials since I was 11. The earlier you get started, the better. I think I wrote my first actual poem in the 6th grade. 3.What are some tips you have about song writing? Tip: Don't try to force the lyrics. Let them flow. Again, pray about them. Tip: Lyrics do not have to rhyme. Tip: I use two sites a lot when I write. Rhyme zone. (If I have a word I want to use, I will see what rhymes with it, and if I can fit it in.) Thesaurus.com. (For some words, I may look to see if there is a synonum or similar word that would fit better, or offer a more colorfoul flair to the line of lyric.) Tip: ask someone to critique your lyric, especially if you are struggling. Sometimes a suggestion from soomeone can spur you on with your writing. Tip: never give up. If it is important to you, it is important. Tip: collaborate. Get a partner, friend, or mentor to write a song with you. Two heads are better than one. 4.Did you go to college for music? If so which one? I went to chorus, took guitar and piano lessons at SCCC for my associates degree. Most of my music is self taught. Going to college with music as your major is a good idea, but some people do not need to. 5 What is your favorite part about songwriting? Why? The creativity. I love creating lyric, poem, and even stories and essays. I also love when someone says with obvious pleasure, "You wrote that? Wow." It may not be a good thing, but that makes me feel good. And writing should make a person feel good. 6.What is the hardest part about songwriting? What is the easiest? I think the hardest is pounding out a lyric that isn't coming to my mind like I wish it would. The easiest, when there is something in my head, and all I have to do is write it down. 7.What are some of your favorite subjects to write about? Why? I love to write about all subjects, but of course, my favorite is to write about God, the bible, and my faith. I have written silly things, serious things, painful things, and I write about nature quite a bit. For essays/stories, I write a lot about my childhood trauma, but I haven't written any songs as yet about it. It is very painful, and I don't know that songs would be approrpiate for that. Maybe some day. 