Music or Lyrics?

[Drum Monkey]

My band members (one guitarist, one bassist) and I are having a disagreement as to what part of a song should be written first, the music part (instrumental) or the lyrics (words). I would just like to hear your opinions on this.

Thanks,

-DM

[insanepunkguy]

in my band, i wirte aload of lyrics and we write the music together, it doesnt matter what order, i dont think that u should try and put music to lyrics or the otherway around, it should just come naturally, i dont write my music to a tune, i just write them like a poem and then put them to a tune weve written

[Ruining]

We almost always write the lyrics fist, then pick the ones with the mood we're trying to go for and then if we need to make adjustments to make the lyrics fit, we adjust. It works best for us this way, but it boils down to your own style.

[Drum Monkey]

I realise there is no specific rule as to what should be written first, I just wanted to hear you opinions on this topic...

It was a 2-to-1 today, the guitarists said we should write music first and then lyrics but I completely disagreed. I figure if you write the lyrics first, you can make them into any tune or rhythm (more or less a peom) without being boxed in. My guitarists said that by writing the music first, it's much easier to go all out :rolleyes: Once we start writing some more we'll probably do it both ways, although we'll have to see what our singer says...

-DM

[Steerpike]

My guitarists said that by writing the music first, it's much easier to go all out

Whatever the hell that means.

Personally, I do a mix of both. Some songs I'll write the lyrics first, then the music. Sometimes the other way around. This works best for me since I can keep switching things up and keeping them fresh. Like musical crop rotation.

[marvin]

Dude me and my guitarist get together and write, i dunno I keep all my lyrics on call and he has all pre-written riffs in hand, it ends up with a love child of what he writes musicly and what I write lyricly, its good that way cause i love werid stuff so im quite chuffed when he has written a love song and im screaming hate words, it works for me, plus that sort of thing is our style now.



Ofcorse it doesn't always work that way somtimes I write the whole song or he gets together with the bass player and the drummer and I show up and They'll be like 'QUICK LYRICS QUICK!!!!!' and so I think on my feet.

Just make sure when you write lyrics whether or not you write them first or last, you mean the words if you do that there is no reason to fight about the "way it happens' and its easier to just 'let it happen'

Ben

[Drum Monkey]

Whatever the hell that means.
By writing the guitar part before the lyrics, they can write a better guitar part (ex. more complex or cool sounding...)

-DM

[mutt]

Writing a song is a bit of a process for me. Sometimes i have a rifff or chord progression stuck in my head, so that gives me something to work out some rough lyrics to. Then structure the song, and add music and lyrics where i see fit.

Also, i keep a scrapbook of lyrics that I can pull from at anytime during one of those writers blocks....you know how it is....its a struggle, but a fun one!

best of luck,
Dave