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The best songs written are a partnership of many elements that all just seem to work together. Some songs are known for their clever lyrics, or beautiful melody, or captivating chord progressions. But ultimately it requires that all components support each other.
When it comes to writing song melodies that work well with lyrics, you really need to start with the lyric. English is not a tonal language, per se, but there is a natural rise and fall to the way we speak words. And when you create melodies to deliver those words, you’d be well-advised to preserve that natural rise and fall, as well as the inherent rhythm of the text.
So if you’ve created a lyric and you’re now looking to set those words to a newly-created melody, consider the following three important tips as you begin the process of writing your song’s melodies:
- Speak your lyric melodramatically. By over-emphasizing the up and down of the words, you start to hear melodic shapes that can lead to solid ideas.
- Take note of the natural pulse of the words. Every word, and collection of words, has its own internal rhythm. As you consider melodies to set those words, try to retain that natural rhythm. Getting this part wrong is the most common reason for songs winding up on “worst songs ever” lists.
- Consider the emotional content of the words and ideas you’re setting. Generally speaking, more vocal energy is generated by higher melodies than lower ones. That means that emotional words will often have more impact if they’re set higher in pitch. (This is a major reason why choruses are usually pitched higher than verses).
There is lots more than can be said about lyrics and how they relate to other components within your song. But those three tips above will go a long way to making sure that you’ll create a natural-sounding melody that delivers your lyric with the strongest impact.
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