If you’re interested in writing lyrics with meaning, that’s great! Writing lyrics can’t be quite confusing, especially when you don’t know where to begin. Most people can write lyrics or would like to learn how but do not know how to play musical instruments. Many potential lyricists wonder if writing song lyrics without music is possible. Although it is easier to write those lyrics when playing an instrument, it is entirely possible. You can write lyrics without music, and it will still turn out meaningful.
The lyrics-writing process is different for every lyricist; there’s no right or wrong approach. Sometimes, you might have to wring song lyrics without having an instrument with you; how do you get it done? That’s what this brief article is all about; showing you the steps to writing song lyrics without music. The best part is that the essential qualities of writing song lyrics do not require music. By the end of this article, you’d be able to writing song lyrics anywhere; let’s get started.
Writing Song Lyrics Without Music is a Great Way to Build Your Skills
If you find yourself writing down lyrics everywhere you go, that’s great. This action is popular mostly among hip-hop artists. However, with another music genre, it can be pretty tricky. Writing song lyrics without music sometimes makes the song lyrics sound wrong. However, continually doing this is the best way to build up your lyrics writing skills. It is a great way to become a professional because it keeps your brain sharp and ready to create songs whenever you can. Embracing the process helps you hone your skills to become a better lyricist. When you have an idea, you shouldn’t hold back. Put it down and figure out what music it goes with later. Writing song lyrics is great for practice and is always worth doing. Now that we have that down let’s find out how you can get it done.
Writing Song Lyrics Without Music – The Process
Writing song lyrics without music is possible and an excellent idea for you as an artist and a lyricist. Below are the crucial steps that’ll guide you to write lyrics without music; let’s begin.
Find Inspiration
As a lyricist, the hardest part is usually finding the inspiration to start. You can’t simply pull ideas out of the air, so you need to find a way that ideas come to you. Most artists believe that lyrics ideas come to them when they’re alone or somewhere quiet. Finding your inspiration is the first step in writing song lyrics without music. There are many ways inspiration can come to you; you could decide to step out to an art gallery or anything you love doing. Focus on what all these things are telling you and pay attention to the details surrounding you. You should always keep a lyric journal with you or use Evernote on your smartphone. This journal is so that you have a place to put it down when an idea hits you.
Another way you can find inspiration is from the topic of the song. Every song you write has a topic; you can brainstorm various concepts you would like to write lyrics about. Once you have the subject down, the next step is to create a roadmap of how you want the song to go. This brainstorming process usually helps you develop many ideas. No worries, the best songs are borne out of many random thoughts. Write your ideas down and start sifting out the ones you don’t like. Doing this will get you well on your way to writing song lyrics without music.
Write down random lyrics.
We already mentioned in the previous step that you should always carry a journal with you. This journal is where you will write every potential idea that pops into your head. You should write down ideas, rhymes, and lyrics. You will then take these random ideas and build up from them; this will require you to add extra parts to complement them. When you go through your journal and combine different features, you might find that you already have a sweet hook. Figure out where everything you wrote fits into; you might be able to salvage even a chorus from it and then write a verse to complement it. Your rough song ideas could be perfect lines, and finding where each line or rhyme fits puts you well on your way of writing song lyrics without music.
If your main idea forms the first verse, you will find it easy to write the second part. Remember that every thought is a stepping stone; you just have to figure out the arrangement. To help you along, if you like to sing the melodies as you develop the lyrics, you can utilize your smartphone. Simply record your voice and then playback to see how the lyrics sound to you.
Tell a Story
When you’re reading a poem or a novel, you expect some sort of narrative. The same goes for songs, even when you’re writing song lyrics without music. Your lyrics should tell a kind of story. As the song progresses, the lyrics will unfold a story that makes sense to those listening. The best lyrics have a clear message, and you need to figure out the story you would like to tell those listening to the lyrics. Another way to figure out your story is by considering how you would like the listeners to feel when the song ends.
Record Your Lyrics
The next step in writing song lyrics without music is recording your music. You could use a simple recording device or your smartphone to do it. Singing your melodies is possible without music. This process will help you develop your rhythm and harmonies. If you have a bit of rhythm, recording it could help you create the song lyrics further. You could record different parts like your background vocals, vocalization, and more separately. Listen back to it, and you will find it easier to improve what you already have.
Figure Out The Song Structure
Another thing you will have to do when writing lyrics without music is to figure out the song structure. Your central idea is what helps you create a structured song. This step is where you separate into verses, bridge, and chorus. Typically, your song structure usually depends on the song you’re writing. A hip-hop song’s structure varies from that of an EDM song. However, there are some basic structures you can start with when writing song lyrics without music. The exciting part is that there are varying song structures to pick from. It all depends on your preference. However, many suitable structures are ideal for lyricists who are just starting. The essential parts you need to figure out are your verses and chorus. Once you have this, you can fill out the rest of the structure quickly.
There’s a standard structure that’s simple and gives lyrics a narrative and suspense-filled feeling. The widespread pattern is intro-verse 1-chorus-verse 2-chorus-bridge-chorus. This song structure is catchy and makes you stick around for more. If you don’t know these terms well enough, you can check out the method behind the music dictionary for a better understanding. Pick the song structure popular with your genre, cover the verses number and lyrics, and cover how your songs play out.
Start Harmonizing
Once you have the lyrics, structure, and rhythm down, it is crucial to harmonize. For most people who are writing song lyrics without music, this is usually the most challenging step. However, harmonizing is not impossible without music, and you can do it too. The rhythm and baselines may be what you will hear first. However, you will eventually hear the actual harmonies. Practice is vital to get better at harmonizing. If you keep at this process, you’ll find it easier in no time at all.
Seek Professional Opinions
Once you have it all down, you can ask for opinions from other lyricists, musicians, or even a friend. Who knows? You might get views on lyrics you can add or some parts of your lyrics that you need to cut out. Be open to criticism and only seek out those you know would be sincere with you. You could even start a jamming session with them and test out how they like your new lyrics. Who knows? You could create a new song in the process.
Mistakes You Should Avoid When Writing Song Lyrics Without Music
Writing song lyrics without music is not easy, but the steps above make it achievable for you. However, some people go overboard with the mistakes we would be outlining. Below are some errors that complicate the process of writing song lyrics without music.
Way too many rhymes
Rhymes are a great way to create exciting and catchy lyrics. However, when you use them too much in your songs, it begins to sound childish. Some of the best songs today use rhyme subtly in their songs, and still, they make music history. Rhyming helps to make a song catchy, but it shouldn’t serve as a distraction from the main message your lyrics convey.
Creating misleading lyrics
Most songs today sound so unreal that you could easily believe a machine wrote them. Most artists today simply write songs because they want to earn money. However, lyrics writing goes beyond that. You can use recent trends in your lyrics to gain popularity, but if your lyrics are misleading, you’ll eventually fail. If listeners discover your lyrics don’t reflect who you are, you might lose them.
Poor lyrics
When you write poor and mismatched lyrics, it could cause the process of writing songs without lyrics to become complicated. Using your syllables correctly is essential to the process of writing lyrics. The number of syllables and the pattern of the different syllable types determine the flow and tone of your music.
Writing without a hook.
If you want your song to become popular, you will need a hook. The hook also has to be at a strategic point which is at the beginning. This strategy is prevalent even in television ads. Your hook should be catchy if you want to catch your listener’s attention.
Final Thoughts
From this article, it’s pretty clear that writing song lyrics without music is entirely possible. All you have to do is stick to the steps above, and you’ll have a completed song in your hands in no time. Also, avoid the mistakes above as they only serve to complicate the song-writing process and cost you a masterpiece. Now that you know exactly what you need to do to start writing song lyrics without music, all you have to do is take the first step.
