Music or Words First?

[LyricB]

For those of you who do write songs, I'm interested to know what comes first to you: the music or the words.

[katharina]

Originally Posted by LyricB

For those of you who do write songs, I'm interested to know what comes first to you: the music or the words.

I do lyrics and send them off to composers... right like Elton John and Bernie Taupin did it. I have a terrible time trying to fit words into existing music although I've done it a few times.

[FourBear]

I will usually be fiddling on the piano or guitar or something and find a nice bit of music that I can then turn into a song. I've always had problems finding appropriate lyrics for it, though.

[echos]

I just stumbled on this. I have been composing for years. I always start with the music. I have no lyrics to go with , most of the time. I sure can play a mean piano though, Echos

[katharina]

Originally Posted by echos

I just stumbled on this. I have been composing for years. I always start with the music. I have no lyrics to go with , most of the time. I sure can play a mean piano though, Echos

You need to find a lyricist! Unless you mean that you write music that's not supposed to have lryics, which is fine, too... in that case, and if you want to go further with it, you might check into doing movie scores or even video game music. I really can't suggest how to do that because I haven't tried it, I work with artists... but there's definitely a market for music alone.

[echos]

What? If I may ask do you do with music, and artists? The musical kind , I assume? Just wondering. And yes, I do the music alone , much of the time, Echos

[Ohanna1986]

I start with the lyrics. I have a hard time fitting the lyrics with the music, though. I'm not much of a musician. I play the flute, but I'd like to learn to play the piano or guitar. That would probably make things easier.

[redstrat]

all the same time just start hitting some chords and go to it

[SimonMosca]

I always write down the words first,but I change them around to suit the music once I get a riff or something in my head.But I always write the lyrics first.Like Jeff Buckley said "My songs come from poems.My poems from dreams".

[macluver]

i definitely start with the music first, then hum to get the melody , then finally the lyrics last. but its hard to get a feel for what your song should sound like with just one instrument, hence my signature

[Drake14]

So far i've only been able to write the song first, Not even the whole song, just the main riff. I can't seem to come up with an entire song, or any words >.<

[Mildred Pierce]

Music. Start with a melody and then build harmonic structure on that. That's how all the great composers did it....Of course you could always grab your little notebook and try to fit your bad poetry over your 4-track demos too. That's how I roll.

[Minnie_Mouse]

the words come to me first. i've been writing lyrics since i was ten and i just started tryin to make the music like sometime during a year ago

[fizzwings]

I've only just started and I go for the music first. If I start with the words I'm just writing poetry and I need to make the tune fit around it... that just doesn't work for me. I think the tune should be the focus of my music.

[anything98]

i write the lyrics first , 4 me once i get the song the music just sortta comes .

[danielle fidelity]

The music. I usually start humming something, then I figure out a simple chorus on guitar. That leads to just jamming around until the lyrics come to me.

[Nightshadeisis]

Originally Posted by katharina

I do lyrics and send them off to composers... right like Elton John and Bernie Taupin did it. I have a terrible time trying to fit words into existing music although I've done it a few times.

MAN OH MAN... I LOVE that you used them as your descriptive. One of the best writing tag-teams that existed. I love Elton's newer compositions, don't get me wrong, but Elton and Bernie's days were priceless.... so poetic and personal. They were priceless. You can't buy emotional and poetic content like what they brought to the table in their day.

I've discovered as a songwriter...I make a much better novelist. LOL I've been a writer for about seveteen years, pushing close to the age of thirty now. Written everything from poems to songs, fanfiction to original work in sci-fi/fantasy being the primary genre. I'm currently working on a book that I hope to get published, working title "Astral." But for the few songs that I have written, words came first with one exception. The one exception only due to it being a reprise of one that was already done. Basically a re-write or re-mix if you would call it. The story in my head takes on it's own shape, and I take to pen and paper from there. If the music takes a different turn, I just adjust it from there. *Points to what SimonMosca said above and grins* Jeff makes a lovely point.

[tira misu]

Originally Posted by Nightshadeisis

I've discovered as a songwriter...I make a much better novelist. LOL I've been a writer for about seveteen years, pushing close to the age of thirty now. Written everything from poems to songs, fanfiction to original work in sci-fi/fantasy being the primary genre.

This is exactly like me. I write poetry, and I write my own novels(Working on one right now). I do the same; I take my poems and try my best to work it into a song, but it's never really worked out for me. I do enjoy trying, though.

[trike]

It varies... sometimes words, sometimes music... sometimes hilarious words, sometimes not so hilarious music....

[Mixlister]

It varies for me to, sometimes I don't even like the song that much but if the words are meaningful it will change and when I understand it means something. I love acapella music and then I love instrumental music so I guess I'm split.