| Statistics |
Total online: 1 Guests: 1 Users: 0 |
|
Main » 2013 » December » 21 » Lyric Writing 101- Part Two
7:51 AM Lyric Writing 101- Part Two |
Lyric Writing 101: Part Two This is Part two of my Lyric Writing guide. Here you
will learn how to accompany words by writing alternate lyrics.It is important
not to mistake alternate lyrics with cover songs. There are many ways to cover a
song, you can alter the lyrics slightly to modernize it like in the Disturbed
cover of Tears For Fear’s "Shout”. You can also alter the tune slightly as seen
in Madonna’s version of Don MacLean’s "American Pie” or Sheryl Crow’s cover of
Guns n Rose’s "Sweet Child o’ Mine” [also altered to change the voice from male
to female] huanghaiyan451. You notice that the song in essence stays the same,
both lyrically and melodically. For more examples of cover songs, see the
reference to ‘Triple M’s Musical Challenge’ in Part 1 of this guide. What are
they? Alternate lyrics use both the melodic and lyric arrangement of a
pre-existing song. The ‘new’ lyrics are sung to the same melody, and in the same
manner as the original song. This process is not only used by novices, there are
a number of established artists that use this practice.Why write alternate
lyrics? Many novices use this practice as a tool to help the learning process of
combining words with music. As for established artists, well there are several
reasons why - some possible reasons are as follows.* One of the most common
forms of alternate lyrics are parodies. Check out any of Weird Al Yankovic’s
work. Some of his titles include ‘Amish Paradise’ ("Gangsta’s Paradise” by
Coolio); ‘It’s all about the Pentiums’ ("It’s all about the Benjamin’s” by Sean
Combs, Notorious B.I.G, Sean Jacobs, et al); ‘Constipated’ ("Complicated” by
Avril Lavinge).* Alternate lyrics can be used to add a little ‘flair’ to a live
performance, or break the monotony of playing the ‘same’ song every night whilst
on tour. This can be seen in the Guns n Roses track "Don’t Cry” [both versions
can be found on the ‘Use Your Illusions’ albums].* Perhaps too much was written
in the original song draft and the writer adapted the excess to make a ‘new’
track. Or possibly the writer was unable to decide on a particular angle on the
song, and continued to alter the song until they found something they were happy
with. This can be seen in the Staind song "Outside", you can find one of the
original versions of this song through a simple search on the ‘net.Getting
StartedIt is probably best when you first attempt to write alternate lyrics, to
choose a song that you are familiar with. When choosing a song, try to pick a
melody you know well. To start with, examine the lyrics, making note of patterns
such as rhyme schemes and syllable count. What do I mean by this Peuterey prezzi? Look for which line
ends rhyme together and whether there is a pattern to it. Count the number of
syllables in each line and see if there is any intentional design to them (note
not all will have this, but it is important to take note of what is there).* --
* Make sure you know the song well, listen to it 100 times if need be. You need
to be able to not only call the melody to mind but also how the lyrics are
placed and sung. What are you going to write about? You will need to have a
clear idea of what you are going to write about. If you are going to write a
parody, what topic are you going to use? Jot down any ideas and thoughts you
could cover in the song, use something like the word association exercises in
Part 1 of this series. If you decide to do a more serious song, jot down some
ideas/words, etc that come to mind - this can help you when it comes to the
writing of the lyrics.Now I can’t tell you exactly how to go about the actual
writing process. Everyone has their own style and methods, to be honest, I’m not
exactly sure how I write, it just comes to me. I can however, give you some
pointers to keep in mind when it comes to writing alternate lyrics. Hints and
Tips# I mentioned earlier to take note of the syllable count. By keeping this
count in mind you will be able to keep pace with the original song. Keep a copy
of the lyrics close by for easy reference if it makes it easier for you. I’ve
noticed a couple of examples in my travels have disregarded this, ending
disastrously for the song. The reason this happens is because the ‘beat’ [or
syllable count] for the lyrics has been disrupted, throwing out the flow of the
song. For example, if the original lyrics go: 7/8/7/7 and your alternate lyrics
go 5/6/5/7; you can tell straight away that there is going to be some problems
in the flow of the ‘new’ song. This may take a little more time and planning in
the writing of the lyrics, but if you stick with the ‘format’ of the original
song your lyrics will thank you for it.There is an exception to every rule, and
there is one to this. You can sometimes get away with being one syllable out
either side of the actual count. Though you need to be careful when doing this
because it has a chance of not working. This will not work for all songs, so you
will need to be careful when applying it. This technique can help give you a
little more freedom to work with, however, I strongly suggest leaving this
technique until you are more familiar with lyric writing.# If a lyric has a
specific rhyme scheme, try and stick with it. Just like poetry there are
different styles that are used. If a piece uses freestyle rhyme, you may be able
to get away with using free verse for your lyrics.# Try to stay away from the
lines or phrases used in the original song especially if you are doing something
drastic like converting rock influenced lyrics into that of say Christian
lyrics. That in itself could be a very effective song [genre mixing is very
popular these days] but only if it is done correctly. Remember what you are
writing about, I recently saw a piece that tried to convert a piece about street
racing into a Christian based song. This would have been very effective if they
didn’t use the same phrases that were in the original song that conflicted with
what the author was trying to say.# You can, if you like, use a prompt from the
original song if you are writing about a similar topic. As in the first examples
given on types of alternate lyrics, both the Guns n Roses and Staind songs
mentioned, the chorus’ stay the same and ties the two sets of lyrics together.
You can use a line or two if you like to ‘tie’ your piece to the original song
and to compliment to your ‘new’ song. * * * * * * * * * *By using alternate
lyrics you are able to teach yourself how to accompany words with music. Once
you feel comfortable with the accompanying of words and music in this form, you
can take a go at a little harder technique found in the next Part 3 of this
series, Sampling and Ghost Songs.
Related article:
http://www.peutereyshow.com/blog/?p=28
http://www.peutereyshow.com/blog/?p=23
|
|
Views: 291 |
Added by: fdshf
| Rating: 0.0/0 |
|
|
|
