Songwriting Tips Thread (lyrics, rap, Atmosphere, show, quote)

[Wistful Complex]

Originally Posted by Strap me to the anchor

I find this process helpful.

1) construct a melody (rhythm + pitch changes equals melody)
2)determine how many syllables you can break the melody into per repetition.
3) use words that fit into the syllable number.
4)for words you want to use that dont have the correct number of syllables, use synonyms. the more obscure, the more artsy sounding. unless theyre just weird sounding.



most helpful hint ever to me:

try to use short words. once you get past two syllables they get hard to work with.


oh, and don't use any cliches


and the more vague you are, the mysterious and creative you sound. haha. metaphors and similies are good things usually.

i generally don't care for narative songs much. there are always exceptions.

So according to your tip, this would be creative and mysterious:

You did bad things
Things that are bad

END.

oooh!

Being vague brings less meaning to a song, making it less memorable and made up of 100% bull****.

Here's the best tip I've ever heard: Never try to rhyme when writing your song. The more you force a rhyme, the less meaning your song has.

Adding in rhymes afterwards is fine, but getting out the raw idea is by far more important than rhyming. I'm surprised no one mentioned this

[Whatsitoosit]

I hate when a song doesn't rhyme correctly... a lot of rap artists do this. To me when you can get your point across while keeping the correct rhyming scheme/flow that is a good song.

Just getting it in the vicinity of the rhyme without really rhyming always sounds amateur to me. I would rather the word not rhyme at all then to almost rhyme.

[Pow R. Toc H.]

my only tip is take lots and lots of drugs

[Whatsitoosit]

are the drugs to cope in case your song sucks?

[Pow R. Toc H.]

If your song sucks, then yes

[DontRunMeOver]

14. Play each song to your friends in its most simple form, melody/lyrics/chords, before progressing. - If they don't give you an adamant thumbs up and tell you that this song could make you famous or something to that effect, the song is probably rubbish. Ask them which bits they like and which they don't, so you can identify what makes the song good and what makes it boring.

15. Please use some dynamic variation at some point. - Particularly in loud songs, put some quiet bits in and some parts that are more moderate on the volume front.

16. If you find yourself writing a song which sounds like it would fit over a sickening, life-affirming cafe scene in Smallville, or the OC or some other **** like that then stop and think about where you life has gone wrong and what you can do to stop being such an asshat.

[mellofello]

my 2 cents (for any Canadians on here, note that my 2 cents are still worth slightly more than yours, ;-)

MEANING - Don't waste your time here, never think about what you want to say ! Brilliant college students write brilliant essays every day, and nobody reads them. noone cares how brilliant you are. But if you start with a line that flows off the tongue and support it with other lines and just let it develop on its own it will often develop meaning on its own. and oftentimes way more profound and than anything you or I could come up with. It should ask questions as much as answer them. It's NOT AN ESSAY ! Oh, and one other thing. You don't have to agree with the meaning, you can open up a whole new world of songwriting by writing from someone elses perspective, even someone fictional. (??- But then it wouldn't be about ME ??!) yep, that's the point.

CLICHE - always bad, however if you can take a well known worn out phrase and alter it slightly it can be effective. Sorry the only reference I can think of here is country. George Strait - Blue Clear Sky. If they would have used the standard 'clear, blue sky' it just wouldn't have been much of a tune, u dig ?

rhymes - I actually really dig the almost ryhmes, if they flow off the tongue. something like "just got paid .... find my way". another one that works is to have the ryhme scheme words ryhme but with different syllables. i.e. - "just got paid.... lemonade".

same words - I also dig using the same words, but only internally and not in the same position i.e.- I work all day in the hot sun....... my baby wants me to get the work done.

consonance - can be used to great affect. i.e.- I borrowed a dollar from a bum on the street........ threw it in a barrel and burned it for heat.

p.s.- none of these are meant to be great lyrics, just illustrating each point, lol.

[stevesonthebay]

i wrote a song years ago which seems to have a lot of repeating. i would like your opinion on it.

everybodys changing.
verse 1
when i was young i use to know, people use to tell me about the way that i should go.
everybody else was doing just the same people use to show me how to play the game.
bridge
everytime i,d ever feel so down,
you were always hanging around
and no one else would ever know your name
cause everbody was doing the same.
chorus
everybodys changing in this ever changing atmosphere and everything is going to be ok.
everybodys changing in this ever changing atmoosphere and everything is gonna be alright.
well where changing in this ever changing atmosphere its almost here its coming on throughout the night.
verse 2
now that i'm older and i know thats- not always how the way things go.
everytime you think your coming to the end, just when you get there youve gotta start all over again.
bridge.
i know theres one thing i have found that through all these changes ive come back around to the very place where i begun now i know im not the only one.
repeat chorus.
theres another verse but i cant remeber.
in writing it i can see theres a lot of repeating. what do you think. thanks steve.

[Double X]

I think it could use some more imagery. It just sounds like a sad sap feeling a little happier.

[stevesonthebay]

the returning.

well i'm looking through a klidascope at a distant world so far away and i cant tell which way its turning.

all around is empty space and the living have left no trace and all the desert lands are burning.

can you tell me what will be , what we'll know and what we'll see and is there any lessons we are learning.
cause nows the time to pay our dues, nows the time for us to choose and get ready for the returning.
verse 2.

as the days go ticking by i sit and often wonder why, who are we and why are we here.
as the time gets close at hand i begin to understand as the haze begins to clear.
repeat chorus.
chorus ext
and a light came from the skies and the heavens opened wide to hear a mighty choir.
to get ready and set us free to get ready for the returning.