How To Write Lyrics - An Introduction

Whether you are a beginning songwriter or a seasoned veteran writer, if you are searching for information and tools about how to write lyrics, this is a great place to start. Writing lyrics is more than just something to learn, or a skill you perform at a certain time - it's a way of life for those who are serious about it. There are many methods and formulas for how to write song lyrics, and they all can have some value. The important thing is to find the methods that best fit you and your genres. Some will write melody first, then add lyrics and others will write both together or lyrics only first. There really is no best way for how to write lyrics for songs, except the way that allows the writer to convey the emotions and meaning in a manner the listener can relate to. The logistics or rules for how to write good lyrics are well documented in many good resources. You will find many of them listed or reviewed all over the Internet. Anyone can learn the mechanics, but the biggest part of writing song lyrics is creating the idea for the song itself. You may not have much experience or even understand common song structure yet, but if you have great ideas you CAN be a great writer.

Writing song lyrics is not an exact science, though the many rules and traditional standards can make it seem like studying physics. The core and essence of any song is how it communicates. Why did our ancient ancestors begin to communicate thoughts, stories and feelings by mouthing words while changing vocal pitches? Why is that such a powerful way to communicate? Whatever all of the social and psychological reasons may be, history has proven that the art of the song is one of the most meaningful and memorable forms of human communication. Consider the difference in how you feel in reciting or hearing something like the pledge of allegiance, compared to hearing or singing a national anthem. So how is one to write a song lyrics message in such a way that is meaning and memorable? Write lyrics that trigger feelings. Listeners will relate those feelings to the lyrics and the words will mean more than just a clever twist of a phrase.

When you write song lyrics, make it personal. Even if the subject matter is not something you have direct experience in, use your own feelings and emotions in some related area to build an underlying story line. Even if a listener has no idea what the subplot might be, if you use your own life experience and emotions as a foundation for your word choices, they will feel the emotion and relate it to their own life. Conveying emotion should be the prime goal, no matter if you are learning how to write rap lyrics, or how to write lyrics for a country tear jerker. Emotion is king and the lyric writer should treat it like royalty! (pun intended)

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Article Submitted On: March 14, 2011