How to write a good rock song - Part 2

"Write the lyrics first"

Today I talk about the second option of how to write a song. This option is called "write the lyrics first".

Writing lyrics is like I've already discussed in the chapter a month ago one of the most difficult things in music. In my opinion, lyrics should always content a message. Besides this content, the matching of the lyrics to the melody is as difficult to achieve as the content's message itself. Therefore, it is sometimes easier writing lyrics after the melody, sometimes writing lyrics first creats the melody by itself. What does that mean?

Take our song Your Valentin for example. Here, I wrote the lyrics before the melody came alive. While writing the lyrics, the content drawed the picture of the melody construct. Again, it's about the sound picture. Telling a story or creating a message gives you an idea of this picture. While writing those lines, you maybe already feel the whole song with its melody. If that happens, a good composed song is for certain. Sadly, the hardest part about this way is still the writing. The way you write effects the whole song.

So I advise you, if you weren't a phantastic story writer, don't pressure yourself to write lyrics first. That doesn't mean that if you have a clear picture about the content of the lyrics in mind, you should't try to write lyrics first.

Sometimes, you write lyrics and aren't able yet to creat the melody. Years later you recall the written lyrics and then it happens. The melody comes and so on. Or even better, you jam a melody and your back up lyrics match perfectly to it. Keep trying writing lyrics. The more you write the better you get!

In conclusion about option to write a song, I recomend to keep writing lyrics that way but never push and pressure yourself it to happen. Let it decide to faith, maybe you succed, maybe you don't. And still, having a big back up of good written lyrics can be very useful for future song writing. 

In the last section, I talk about the last option I call "the wake up session".

In the mean time, stay tuned and take care.

Enjoy Seasplash!