How to compose lyrics to a song? Practical advice from a songwriter for beginners in creativity.

So how do you write song lyrics? What should a future composer know in order to compose high-quality and soulful lyrics? First of all, let’s define our understanding of the subject: a song is a complementary rhythmic combination of words with music, the emotional coloring of which emphasizes the meaning of the song’s lyrics. The main components of a song are music, words, and their combination.

The content of the text is the free choice of the author, depending solely on his inspiration. A song can narrate both real-life events and, on the contrary, artistically convey the stream of consciousness and images evoked by emotions.

Typically a composer finds himself in one of three situations:

1. you need to write a song “from scratch” when initially there are no words or music;
2. you need to write thematic lyrics to the existing music;
3. you need to compose musical accompaniment for the finished text.

In any case, the key point is the rhythm of the future song, as well as its breakdown into semantic parts. It is very important to achieve a harmonious combination of the rhythm of the music and the semantic structures of the text – so that the music intertwines with the words and highlights them favorably. At the same time, we must not forget about the flight of the author’s soul, inspiration, thus maintaining a balance between constructivism and sincerity.

Musical direction of the song

The genre and style of music in which the song will be written – of course, depend on the musical preferences and worldview of the author. But first of all, you need to outline the goal that the future composition will pursue and decide on the target audience.

For example, to achieve a high rating, you need to choose a style that is popular among music lovers. After this, how to compose the lyrics of a song will largely be dictated by the scope and features of the chosen style.

Melody of the text. The choice between poetic form and recitative.

At the moment, there are 2 constructive approaches to constructing songs from mainstream musical styles. This is a poetic form of presenting material, in which the words are “chanted” according to a musical basis, and recitative. In the first case, we recommend paying attention to the poetic meter in the lines of text. In the second case, the text simply fits into the composition, relying more on its rhythm than on the melodic component. The choice between these two approaches depends almost entirely on the chosen musical style of the song.

For example, modern pop music, chanson, and folk songs use “singing” of the text when the words are inseparable from the melody. On the other hand, genres such as rap, hip-hop, and rhythm and blues use the overlay of text on a rhythm section, using the melody of the song solely as an element of the composition’s design.

Theme and idea of ​​the song

Speaking about the content and ideological content of the song, it should be considered as a kind of work of literature – after all, the concepts and are inherent in literature. Each composer must be able, in the content of the text that forms the theme, to clearly and expressively present to the listener the idea that he wants to express with this composition. Therefore, when wondering how to compose the lyrics of a song, you need to understand that the main goal is the expression of a certain idea, and the content of the text is only a tool for achieving this goal.

Structuring the text. Divided into verses and chorus.

Despite the fact that creativity is often an irrational concept, its fruits must have a form for ease of perception. In song lyrics, this is structure. As everyone knows, there are 2 main structural units – a verse and a chorus, between which connecting inserts are possible (but not necessary).

From the point of view of the content of the text, the verses should state the main meaning, and the chorus should contain the main slogan, the idea of ​​the song. In this case, the chorus should be melodically and emotionally distinct. In the classic version, there is an alternation of structural units, and, as experience shows, such a scheme is the most convenient for perception.

Author’s originality

And yet, despite all the boundaries, rules and recommendations, the main thing that makes a song memorable is the author’s personal zest. This is his originality, a flight of inspiration that makes you listen to the song again and again. Individual expressiveness should be in the text of each composition, no matter what genre or style it may be.

To learn how to compose song lyrics quickly and easily – literally right now, watch this funny video. Admire the ease and remember that what is so valuable in the world of creativity is what is simple!