Writing Lyrics - 3 Things to Remember When Writing Song Lyrics

Living the life of rock stars and pop divas has always been a dream of many. These music artists live the lives we all dream about - expensive cars, designer clothes, fame and fortune. In fact, everything relating to the music industry is quite exciting, and we all want to be a part of it. However, we only see one side of the coin, and this is the easier part of being successful in this line of business. We see the result - great songs, millions and millions of fans, and so much more. Few of us ask ourselves how they got there, and how much effort and time they put into what they do. The fact is that not everyone can write a hit song and earn millions from it in the years to come. Here are the three things to keep in mind if you want to write a good song. You might not earn a lot of money from it, but it is a start even if you don't earn anything. As long as you keep on trying and believe in your talent, you have a good chance of becoming a famous songwriter.

Three Things to Remember - Length, Effect and Editing

Writing song lyrics is a true pleasure for those poetic souls who enjoy writing, but it is also hard work. Many people wrongfully believe that writing songs is easy and nothing but fun. The truth is that you need to invest a lot into the task of writing song lyrics, and one of the things that deserve your attention is the song's length. Before you start making rhymes, think about how long your song should be, taking into account that most songs last from three to five minutes. So, think carefully and try to fit your lyrics into this time frame. To help you, the best lyrics length would be somewhere between 150 and 200 words.

Another thing you might want to consider is the effect you want to cause in your readers or listeners. Some song lyrics make people think, whereas some make them sympathize with the author or relate to his or her feelings. You need to decide what effect you want your song to have on people reading or listening to the lyrics. Finally, you need to edit your lyrics. This means that you need to check whether your lyrics are ready to see the light of the day, and if there is anything you would like to change.

Why Cannot Everybody Write a Song?

The problem with becoming a famous songwriter is that there are no rules when it comes to who will make it big in this department. You can be a fantastic songwriter, and still not be credited for it; you may write songs for years, and remain unnoticed. The reason for this is the fact that you need a great deal of luck when it comes to becoming a well-known songwriter. Therefore, the recipe for writing fantastic lyrics has two main ingredients - talent and luck. If you have what it takes be sure to start writing lyrics, and maybe you will make it big in the music industry. After all, this is a dream worth chasing.

Ana is a freelance writer, and she enjoys writing on any topic.

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Writing Interesting Chord Progressions for More Interesting Songs

Choosing just the right chord progressions is something that is often overlooked, especially by beginner songwriters. So much of the focus is placed on the words and melody that the chords are almost an afterthought. The melody and lyrics may well be the most important aspects of a song, but that doesn't mean the writing of the chords should be given any less attention.

If you are content with just playing the same four chords throughout, your song will most likely turn out sounding rather lifeless and unimaginative. There are, of course, exceptions to this. U2's "With or Without You" springs to mind. But U2 are a great band. They've learned the art of playing with exceptional dynamics, so they can play those same four chords and make the song sound fantastic!

I believe the melody and lyrics should be given priority over the accompaniment, but incorporating an interesting chord progression into your song will serve as an important structural support for your melody.

Incorporate a Changing Chord Progression

The key to making a simple, repeating melody interesting is to implement a changing chord or bass progression beneath it. You can have three or four lines of the exact same melody, but by trying out a few different chord progressions, you will make that same repetitive melody suddenly sound exciting. You can even change keys. Using relative keys is an easy way to do this.

Say you've written your song in the key of A major. Try playing the verse in the relative minor which is F# minor, then going back to A major for the chorus. Now your song has taken on a whole new dimension!

Or write your chorus in a completely different key than your verse. If you've written your verse in the key of A major, try modulating to B major for the chorus. The result will be exciting and triumphant-sounding!

Want to be a bit more ambitious? Try this:

In this example of a verse progression I'm playing the chords Am, F, G, Dm. It doesn't matter about rhythm or tempo, but let's just say 4/4 with 4 beats per chord. Play this chord pattern twice, which will be the first half of the verse. For the second half modulate the entire pattern up a step and a half. Now the chords are Cm, A flat, A sharp, Fm. Modulate the melody along with the new key and listen to your song explode with life!

Now all you have to do is find a way to get yourself back to the original key of Am for the chorus (unless you want the chorus to be in a different key altogether). Spend a little time here and there studying music theory and you won't have any problems with this!

Learn Some Basic Music Theory

You would do well to learn some music theory, as it will give you the ability to write with added depth and imagination. If you play an instrument you've already delved into a bit of theory, even if you don't know some of the terminology. Delve a little deeper. Teach yourself to play familiar tunes in unfamiliar keys. Learn stuff like the Circle of Fifths.

Make a point of learning a few new chords each week or so and writing a chord progression around them. You may think you'll never use a minor sixth chord in your punk-pop composition, but there is a time and place for everything. Even if you don't ever use that chord, you will gain a little more understanding of music theory just by learning to play it and what other chords might go nicely with it.

With each new bit of knowledge you acquire, the more tools you will have at your disposal that will help you to become a better songwriter. Don't ever stop learning!

Richie Gilbert has a passion for writing vividly visual songs that are filled with powerful human emotions and life-lessons. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, and divides his time between writing and recording his music and pursuing his other (mostly musical) passions.

To learn more about the craft and business of songwriting, please visit http://www.inspired-songwriting-tips.com/

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Three Questions To Ask Yourself When Writing Songs

People often ask me how I come up with concepts for songs. Years ago, I realized I look at songwriting like a director looks at making a movie. I like my songs to tell stories. When writing a song, I'm always asking myself "what do want to say in this story?" and "where am I going with this story?" Just to give you an example, I once wrote a song about a 2 minute conversation I had with a lady.

1) I started the song out with what was said at the beginning of the 2 minute conversation.
2) Then what I did after that conversation was over and
3) Then I went back to what we meant to each other before the conversation.

As I let people hear the song they immediately felt the emotion of the song through the lyrics as well as the performance. Here are some things for you ponder when writing songs.

What story does your song tell?
When you write, what are you trying to say? Do you write songs more abstract, conversational or a little of both? Are you getting your point across lyrically or are you struggling with getting your true feelings on paper? If you do struggle with getting your true feelings out, try not censoring yourself. By that I mean put down exactly what you feel and stop worrying about if your lyrics rhyme or not.

What do you write about most?
Take some time to think about the subject/s you write about most. If you are a professional lyricist then you probably do not have a particular focus but the average songwriter will lean toward a particular subject. I am not saying writing about one subject is bad but it is keeping you in a box. So it is best to realize it so you can focus on writing about different subjects. That will promote growth as a songwriter and lyricist.

What songs strike a chord with you and your emotions?
Remember how songs made you feel when you were a child? Now as an adult you here some of those songs and you get that same feeling. Have you ever wondered why? I can hear a song by Michael Jackson and I will get the same feeling I got when those songs first hit the airwaves. Whitney Houston is another one, I remember the first time I heard "You Give Good Love" I could not take my eyes off of her. I was watching a special about her and when they played "You Give Good Love" those same feelings came back. Words can not describe the power of music. I have always thought that the songs that touch you the most have a perfect marriage between the music and the vocal.

These are a few things to think about when constructing or deconstructing a song. Most people think songs come from pure inspiration. While there are songs that come from inspiration, great songwriters make a study of songwriting so when the inspiration hits they will have the tools to capture it.

Richard RJ Johnson is a musician, producer and songwriter. His works have appeared on the CW, LATV, BET, Oxygen, Superstation and Pepsi among others. He is the owner of FloricMusic, a company devoted to supplying music artist, producers and songwriters with information to help them empower themselves and realize their true potential. For more information visit http://www.floricmusic.com/.

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Writing a Music Business Plan That Works

So let's break this down. Remember that the main aim of any business should be to create and sell products for a profit. Contrary to what some artists/bands say; they actually need money. Making music should not be ONLY for the love of it but it should be about using your skills in a profitable business manner so that you can live on your gift.

Back to writing a business plan that works; In essence, a business must be penned around the 3 ways to grow a business mentioned earlier and the successful workable business plan must be primarily focused on these 3 elements including a few other essentials.

The next question you may ask is, "How do these 3 ways to grow a business relate to writing a workable business plan?" Here is the answer:

1. Increase the number of customers buying your products. No music business can survive only on a handful of fans unless your price points are £1000's. It is therefore crucial that the business plan outlines all the means and methods through which the business plans to grow its' fan base. This is not just listing a few ideas but flesh out in detail how you, as a music entrepreneur, plan to bring in the necessary number of fans to make the business profitable.

2. Sell More to the Same Customers. The customers that buy your first album can also buy your T-Shirt and pay for tickets to the gig. Later on the same clients can also buy the DVD of the event. Your business plan should detail the process through which products can be created as well as means of making the clients purchase these products. The business plan should also be focused on why people will buy the products and the likely quantity of purchase.

3. Increasing The Sale Value of Each Product. I believe Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails made the process of selling different priced products to fans very popular. He gave away 9 tracks as a free download, sold 36 tracks for a few dollars, with the top products selling for $300 a piece, making nearly $1m in just a few days. For any independent artist/band, the business plan must be persuasive in the manner it presents the way it plans to sell products of different values to the same customer. It could be that you create different sets of products that can be sold to the same person. This could range from the download, to the physical CD, then a box set, a leather jacket with your branding, and so on.

Remember that writing a business plan that works must be focused on creating a business that works, so time must be taken to research the industry and bring together the right ingredients to ensure success.

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