JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Lyrics or melody first?

I respectfully disagree. Sometimes there is another way for lyrics and sometimes there is another way for melodies but not always. Sometimes the search for another way is key to coming up to something even better. I think a lot depends on the genre.

Getting back to methods.

There is no right or wrong way to put a song together. If we can consistently and produce quality songs in a timely way, then that's a good thing. However if our current methods are not working for us, then it may be time to try other methods. Flexibility and versatility are two of the greatest tools of the song writer's toolkit.

If composers who work from chord progressions find their songs are starting to sound too similar or that the melodies they come up with are too predictable, it may be time to try writing melodies first and let the melody provide the parameters for the chord progressions.

If always writing the music first results in a song with inferior lyrics, then it may be time to try working with the parameters of lyrics and vice versa for the lyricist who needs to find new rhythms for their lines.

The greatest asset for me was learning to notate music within the Finale program. (Oh, there she goes again.) I am a visual learner and it helped me to see what I was doing. If I am stuck melodically, I can look at the pattern the notes are creating or the note values and quickly try different variations. (The undo tool is a wonderful thing for people with short memories.) I can see at a glance if the second or third verses are fitting the melody. When it doesn't I have the option to either change the notes, or the words or rhyme patterns to make it work. Because I can sing (more or less) I can also check and see if the notes or word combinations will work for the vocalist. Likewise, creating the accompaniment is facilitated. It is easy enough to type in different chords to try them out. I got to the point where I didn't even need my guitar until I was nearing the end of the projects to check if everything is working together performance wise. At that point, I have the sheet music in front of me and can make changes as I try out the song with vocals and guitar.

However, every once in a while, if I find I am stuck, I will get out my guitar and experiment with chord progressions. It doesn't happen very often, but it has been a great help to me when I needed it.