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

I've not yet learned to play an instrument, 9ne. However, there've been profound changes in my outlook since I began in mid-2008 to write lyrics. (Prior to that, my interest was poetry/short stories.)

A. My lyrics - I like to think - have improved as a result of honest and constructive critiques offered on forums set up for this purpose. Reading and critiquing others' lyrics has also helped in the way I critique my own work.

B. I've become confident enough to begin creating melodies for my own lyrics (including two that I created - very slowly and during all-nighters - on my keyboard. Yes, I actually did buy a nice Yamaha a year or so ago. ). These vocal guides have been helpful to collaborators who then simply focus on a music bedtrack. Or it's given them - or the vocalist - a melodic basis to build upon, especially in terms of the phrasing. (Many songs have appealing music and lyrics but the phrasing is inappropriate, with emphasis placed on the wrong words. It's surprising how often this aspect of the performance is overlooked.)

C. I've overcome a natural shyness/reclusivity to the extent that I now have no problem posting A Cappella vocal guides to internet forums - for all the world to hear and to cringe at - or to collaborators.

As they say in Ireland, I've learned to "spring over my own shadow".

D. Most importantly, though, I've come to have a better understanding of music, and a truly deep appreciation of and respect for musicians. It's still to me a miracle how these men and women can elicit poignancy, joy, humour, drama, passion, anger, peace, love, hatred - every conceivable emotion - from a bunch of strings or by blowing air into an object or by hitting objects with sticks.

Before 2008, I'd liked music (of all kinds), even been inspired by much of it. But I'd never realised the extent of the passion, the love, the dedication, the skill, the blood-sweat-and-tears that a musician can pour into his/her work. For me, this has been humbling, enlightening, exciting, and inspiring.

It's also compelled me to search for information on music theory, to recognise the importance of certain basic chords, and to devour books like Oliver Sachs' "Musicophilia" and Daniel Levitin's "This Is Your Brain On Music" and "The World In Six Songs: How The Musical Brain Created Human Nature".

When a musician contacts me to ask if I'd write a lyric for his music, or to ask for permission to put music to a lyric of mine, I feel honoured.

I don't play an instrument. Maybe I never will. I wish I did. But I'm a lot further upstream than I was in July 2008.

Donna