Start composing your own music—here's how
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5 steps to meaningful song lyrics
Music connects people and is an expression of personal feelings, stories or tensions. This is true for spontaneous jam sessions as well as for written songs. In addition to the musical arrangement and the instruments, the lyrics play a particularly important role when it comes to emotionality. More than anything else, it reveals a lot about the intention and emotion of the song and shows the personal attitudes of the songwriter. Today we'll show you how to put your first own song lyrics on paper and what you can look out for when writing song lyrics.
The song lyrics and its meaning for music
New and emotional songs are not written on the fly. The lyrics and the story associated with them are often the main reason for devoting oneself to one's own feelings and expressing them in the form of a song. Even though the way of making music is constantly evolving, the form of creating new lyrics and their content has hardly changed.
Of course, new song lyrics can also be processed several ideas and feelings. So it is of course possible for several people at the same time, such as a band, to create real and direct music. The most important characteristic of a good lyric is that you can identify with its content. Especially the first lyric will probably keep you busy for a long time, because you will deal very intensively with your own feelings, at least if you decide to write autobiographical lyrics.
So that you can start your first own lyrics, you first need a kind of foundation. This doesn't have to influence the course of your song, but it will give you some orientation from a content point of view. For example, do you want to deal with political topics, emotions, a story or other areas? So set yourself a theme and then build on it. This way, not only will you be able to identify with your song in the end, it will also be easier for your listeners to understand the emotion behind the lyrics.
What does the lyric structure look like in songwriting?
Even though songwriting is a very emotional and rather intuitive process, some rules can help you to approach it in a structured way. For example, your song is usually composed of a chorus and several verses. The chorus is the most important component at this point, as it will be repeated in the same way several times throughout the song. At the same time, the content of the chorus should be understandable even without the verses. They accompany your chorus and tell the story behind it.
Within the verses, songs usually follow a certain arc of tension, which in turn works towards the chorus. Linguistic images, stories and accentuation offer listeners additional added value and allow them to delve deeper into the song lyrics. In a good song lyric, the verses and the chorus are therefore directly connected, which, in conjunction with the background music, provides the necessary recognition value.
In 5 steps to your song text base
If you are still thinking about how to put your first song lyrics on paper, the following aspects will certainly help you. This will help you organize your story a bit better and create an initial plan. It's best to take a piece of paper and a pen to make your first notes on the following areas. They can help shape your lyrics and help you get started writing:
1. Thematik
What do you want to talk about in your songs? The easiest way is to start with a general topic. Examples would be politics, love, society, personality, development, success or other areas of your choice. Of course, you can also process personal experiences, emotions or stories with your first song lyrics. But make sure that you are 100 percent honest - anything else will be noticed in your lyrics.
2. Protagonisten
In many songs, several people play a role who also have a personal connection with you. If this is also the case in your first song text, create a corresponding mesh in advance and define your protagonists. These can be you, your friends, strangers, celebrities or possible independent narrators.
3. perspectives
Not every song text refers exclusively to your personal perspective. With music, you have the best means at hand to depict inner conflicts and areas of tension that influence your actions. Feel free to think about which point of view you want to portray in advance. You can also try to depict different perspectives in your lyrics and cleverly combine this with the different components of your song.
4. Feelings
Feelings and emotions are the aspects that give life and individuality to your song lyrics. A certain progression can also be quite suitable for the effect of the lyrics, for example, to express brokenness or ambiguity. Creativity is the key to success here. Dare to show your innermost with your song lyrics.
5. Detailed planning
Once the basic questions of the direction of your song text are clarified, you can look at the details and the division of the individual text modules. Divide up the individual verses as accurately as possible, gather clues for the chorus and put the two parts together.
Four ears usually hear better than two
Every lyric is a collection of linguistic images and details that let you share your ideas and feelings with others. Storytelling is probably the most important approach at this point, giving you credibility and giving your lyrics the depth they need. Work as much as possible with metaphors, symbols, and synonyms that get to the heart of your thoughts. A mind map can help you find and implement new ideas.
Of course, once you start working on the details, friends or other music enthusiasts can help you. Once you have the lyrics, one of the biggest challenges will be linking them to the melody. It's best to have friends who can be a part of your music accompany you during your creative phases. The more people you have involved in songwriting, the more creativity you'll have in your first lyrics.
The combination of melody, chords and lyrics
Even though this guide is aimed primarily at beginners, a little musical background knowledge in songwriting is quite beneficial. A chord contains at least three different notes at the same time, resulting in a harmonic sound. The chords and melody can underscore the content of your lyrics and give them even more expression. Repetition makes both the lyrics and the melody easier to follow.
If you are still looking for suitable partners for new projects, our musician search is a good approach for you. This way you can find the best players for each instrument and drum up your new band. Musical know-how will also have an effect on your new lyrics, which will be better received by your listeners. If you are still looking for suitable musicians, we will be happy to help you through our portal.
Our tip: Don't set the title until the end!
For many amateur musicians, the title comes first, and then numerous text modules are to be created. However, it is easier to choose only a rough theme at first. Through your personal feelings, the appropriate sections arise during the songwriting, to which you can choose a title after completing your first idea. At this point, the title should fit the lyrics and melody as well as possible. This way, your song will meet the expectations of the listeners, who will usually choose you from a large song list based on the title.
Listen to yourself and reflect your feelings
Around your chosen theme, the personality within your song should never be lost. If it were just about general areas and party hits, songwriting would certainly not be a big challenge for many. However, if you want to concoct a song lyric that is technically and content-wise convincing, you will have to take a bit more time. Always write down your feelings and opinions about the chosen topic before you sit down to write your song lyrics.
Not every structure you come up with for your new song lyrics in the evening will still meet your expectations the next morning. For songwriting, a blank notepad is your most important tool for letting your creativity run free at every stage. This will let you organize your new thoughts at any time and bring them back into the desired structure. The same approach applies to songwriting: practice is the key!
Our company for your musician search
If you have any further questions about your search for musicians, we will be happy to help you with words and deeds via our portal. We support you in finding new musicians who can accompany you musically around your song lyrics. Feel free to check out our other posts where you can learn more about marketing your music or learn about new instruments and techniques. We're happy to help you find musicians and support you with your first song lyrics.
Originally published on April 13, 2021, updated on January 7, 2022
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