JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Why don't Lyricists learn an Instrument?

Colm, surely you jest, sir?

If anything, the opposite is true. I’ve seen so many stream-of-consciousness/free-verse pieces or rambling, abstract poems posted on forums as “lyrics”. They've had no discernable structure or flow at all, and needed to be rewritten entirely to function as passable lyrics having a well-thought out structure and meter and making any kind of sense.

It’s not entirely accurate to say that song lyrics match the meter of the music and not the meter of the lyrics. I know of many instances where musicians/vocalists have felt drawn to compose to a lyric because of its inherent meter. They referred to those lyrics as “vocals-ready” or “music-ready”.

I’ve often wished more musicians were good or better lyricists. Sometimes I hear a song that sounds wonderful but the lyrics let the whole thing down. It’s true each of us has a subjective opinion, but I think it’s safe to say there are certain basic elements a lyric needs to have for it generally to pass muster.

As to playing an instrument: This is down to talent and desire (which Brian also refers to). I’d love to play an instrument, especially guitar or keyboard. Have even tried a few times. It simply didn’t gel. My strength apparently is words, and I’m not going to waste time forcing myself to do something that doesn’t come naturally to me. Time is too short, and I'd rather write lyrics. I can come up with melodies, though, and thank goodness for software like Audacity. It means I can get my melody ideas across A Cappella or with a downloaded ( and paid for ) basic backing track in the genre I envisage for the song. I send files like this to my collaborators – gifted musicians but not necessarily good lyricists – and they turn the whole thing into a song.

I don’t think anyone needs to feel she/he should do this or that (as Brian also stated eloquently). Musicians often approach lyricists because they – the musicians – aren’t “good with words”. Lyricists – like myself – approach musicians because we’re not “good with music”.

We all work together as best we can. The results are often wonderful.

Donna