The TrueVulgarians
@the-truevulgarians
@the-truevulgarians
Commented on: Music Or Lyrics ? Which Comes First?
04/12/14 11:03:09AM @the-truevulgarians:
For me, the creation of lyrics and music is founded on their symbiotic relationship. As someone who writes on acoustic guitar and composes chord driven tunes, it's a process like love and marriage. (OK, admittedly, I could have picked a better metaphor... but then again, what subject has inspired more songs? hehe) Chords and tempo always suggest an emotional point of view to my way of thinking. Minor chords may suggest a more sullen lyrical subject, while 7th chords may relate a more fanciful and upbeat point of view. Similarly a lyrical idea of the types we all might jot down in notebooks necessarily suggests a kind of emotional state that is reflected in the tempo of a song. So, for me at least, the two always proceed hand in glove. This ends up being an interesting rhetorical question because, frankly, I've never found anyone's modus operandi to be particularly illustrative. In truth, trying to relate how and why songs evolve is like trying to explain why you prefer one color over another. Do you like red because it reminds you of a dress worn by your first grade teacher? Do you like scent of lavender over that of rose because it reminds you of your grandmother? I don't think having someone articulate those types of things really is much assistance to a novice songwriter. While in my own experience, educating yourself as to journalistic tools that help one write better stories can provide some help, in truth, who in the hell knows from where songs emerge? You either have a driving need to explore a song concept and the innate talent to pull it off or you don't. We shouldn't be ashamed to admit not everyone can do it. In my view, it's not a mechanical process but a creative one that sets us apart from marginally lower animals. Make songs that please you and just go from there! Above all have fun, because in the final analysis, its the joy we get from doing it that brings out our best!
For me, the creation of lyrics and music is founded on their symbiotic relationship. As someone who writes on acoustic guitar and composes chord driven tunes, it's a process like love and marriage. (OK, admittedly, I could have picked a better metaphor... but then again, what subject has inspired more songs? hehe) Chords and tempo always suggest an emotional point of view to my way of thinking. Minor chords may suggest a more sullen lyrical subject, while 7th chords may relate a more fanciful and upbeat point of view. Similarly a lyrical idea of the types we all might jot down in notebooks necessarily suggests a kind of emotional state that is reflected in the tempo of a song. So, for me at least, the two always proceed hand in glove. This ends up being an interesting rhetorical question because, frankly, I've never found anyone's modus operandi to be particularly illustrative. In truth, trying to relate how and why songs evolve is like trying to explain why you prefer one color over another. Do you like red because it reminds you of a dress worn by your first grade teacher? Do you like scent of lavender over that of rose because it reminds you of your grandmother? I don't think having someone articulate those types of things really is much assistance to a novice songwriter. While in my own experience, educating yourself as to journalistic tools that help one write better stories can provide some help, in truth, who in the hell knows from where songs emerge? You either have a driving need to explore a song concept and the innate talent to pull it off or you don't. We shouldn't be ashamed to admit not everyone can do it. In my view, it's not a mechanical process but a creative one that sets us apart from marginally lower animals. Make songs that please you and just go from there! Above all have fun, because in the final analysis, its the joy we get from doing it that brings out our best!
About
Biography
The TrueVulgarians are a brother-sister duo hailing from just outside Cleveland, Ohio, having sung together for longer than they'd want to admit. Songs...
Rating
Awards
|