Do you write music or lyrics first when trying to pen great songs? Does it make a difference? Personally, I’ve found it to be a key factor in progressing as a songwriter and vocalist. This is why, and the pros and cons of each method, in my opinion.
About me – deathdoom.com, music and more
- Stefan Nordström
- Musician, songwriter, content creator, digital freelancer
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Bands: Desolator, Soliloquium, Ending Quest, Ashes of Life, Trees of Daymare, The Ashen Tree
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Music or lyrics first – why even think about it?
So, why is this even important to bring up, and why do I think about it so much? Well, I obsess over becoming a better vocalist and songwriter, and I believe melodies and hooks are a huge part of it. Vocal phrasing has been one of my big considerations, but so has writing music and lyrics in the best possible way. I’ve developed a lot, but there’s a long way to go. Hopefully you can learn something from my progression over time.
My musical background and trajectory
As a death metal growler that transitioned into clean vocals over time, vocal melodies have proven to be an obvious issue. I write lyrics and phrases with rhythm in mind. They fit, usually being inventive enough in a rhythmical aspect.
However, when I started having guest vocalists on my albums, singing more with other people, and analyzing my melodies, I realized I’m simply not putting in the work. I was often just singing the chord tone over and over again, kind of emulating growl patterns with my clean voice. Expectedly, people were pretty bored with my melodic output. And it took me a while to understand why.
After I took vocal lessons and made humming and melodicing a part of my arsenal, plus started dissecting songs vocally when learning them, a lot happened. It was a big step towards using my voice as an instrument and making more interesting music. Anyway, I’m digressing a bit, but it’s good to know where I come from and how I got here musically.
Writing music or lyrics first – pros and cons
Both methods have their pros and cons. There’s no need to entirely go for one of them, but try to base the choices on your music style and identity.
Music first
Pros:
- Easier to write for the ear and create unique, memorable melodies
- Melody can inspire emotion and lyrical ideas
- Easier to build chord progressions and structure early
Cons:
- Turning syllables and notes into meaningful lyrics can be hard
- It can negatively impact the storytelling and emotional depth
A music first approach allows you to use your ears and chops to create memorable melodies that pop out. If you’re a musician first and lyricist second, it’s the way to go, and you’ll probably get to that place naturally.
Lyrics first
Pros:
- Full focus on storytelling and emotion
- Easier to craft strong themes or messages
Cons:
- Risks turning melodies flat and cramming too many words in
- Can feel rhythmically awkward
I think a lyrics first approach gets more important if you lean towards a more folk approach, where your voice is more exposed. It also grows increasingly important if you have something really heartfelt to say, which isn’t the case for all music. But please don’t cram too many words there, no matter the style, especially if some other poor sucker is singing it. I sure know that experience.
What about combinining it?
For me, songwriting often combines the lyrical and melodical. In the olden days, it would pretty much only be based on the lyrics and rhythms. I’ve picked up a lot, and I’ve improved a lot. Finding a middle ground that works for your music style is probably best.
My challenges
Vocal ideas come and go – often in forms of words or phrases
Lots of my lyrics and written on the fly, e.g. in my smartphone’s Notepad app. There’s a lot of stream of conciousness going on, and when ideas come, they flow. I can’t really capture them in my DAW and process the crap out of them, neither practically or without losing my flow. Some of my best lyrics and concepts show up this way, but the risk is that they turn into predictable vocal melodies.
Kicking old habits
Humming vocal melodies and syllables without words didn’t come natural to me. Neither did penning vocal ideas on guitar. But this needs to happen to write better music. If you’re in a similar position, you have to active try to change the way you work. An example: if you have some cool guitar ideas or similar where you want to put clean vocals, start out by humming syllables instead of adding lyrics. I should have done this sooner!
Challenging my boring ideas
It’s easy to become complacent. I’m definitely the type of musicians that stick to my original ideas a lot of the time. And sometimes, that’s fine. But with vocal melodies, there is a lot to gain by dissecting and perfecting ideas. Put your vocal melody in Melodyne and move some notes around, or try to move a few notes or syllables to unexpected places. Stretch things or change up the phrasing. It can propel your vocal melodies from good to excellent.
Being alone behind the wheel
I haven’t been composing in a proper band environment for years. My best bet at getting feedback and input is sending my stuff around, or getting pals over to listen to my stuff and work on it together. It’s far from enough, but whenever there’s discussion and teamwork happening, things move forward and turn more interesting. Working in an isolated fashion definitely makes me write more stale, predictable music.
Conclusion – music or lyrics first
There is no right or wrong when it comes to songwriting. How do you do it, and how do you think it impacts your output? I’m curious to hear, as well as how my own approaches shine through in my music. Hit me up on Instagram.
Curious how my music sounds? Want to support me?
If you want to hear what I’m up to musically, start by checking out my progressive death/doom metal band Soliloquium. It features a variety of styles, and some songs really takes the music or lyrics first consideration to light. If you dig my content, the best way to support is to buy my digital music on Bandcamp. Cheers!
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