Colm, People have different talents. There are people who have a talent for lyric writing. Not all of them have a talent for writing melodies or playing a musical instrument.

To be blessed with a talent to play a variety of musical instruments AND to be able to write good lyrics and melodies is to be truly talented. And rare.

In my own case, I have almost no musical talent whatsoever. But I was able to learn how to play a few chords on the guitar and pound out a few chords on a keyboard. Without those rudimentary skills, I don't think I would have been able to write songs.

So your advice is generally sound. But it doesn't apply in all cases. Some people have even less musical skills than I do and to tell them to learn to play an instrument is akin to ordering a pig to fly.

That doesn't mean they can't be a good lyricist. We must all work within our different limitations.

Write from your heart, not what you think others want to hear.

https://dansullivan2.bandcamp.com

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