Two weeks ago, I started this series on Songwriting tips for musicians in the 21st century. And so far, I have given 3 essentials tips that will help you become a better songwriter. Last week, for instance, I shared with you that your songs need to have a central theme/ idea and that you need to arrange your song lyrics in such a way that your listeners understand the main idea/ theme of the song clearly. Today, I have another tip to share with you, which is:
Be a little poetic
Now, I don’t mean you should hire a poet to write you a poem and then you add melody to it and call it a song. That’s going overboard. What I want you to understand is that music is an art. And so, as much as your lyrics should have a central theme/ idea that they are communicating to your listeners (clearly), they should also be artistic. Even if the melody of your song is removed and the lyrics are just read, they should still be pleasing to the ears.
Poets are known to paint beautiful pictures with words. That’s what you should aim at with the lyrics of your songs. Also, poets are known to say a lot of things with just few words. As a songwriter in the 21st century, you need to master that craft. You should be able to pass across to your listeners, the entire message you have for them in just 3 to 4 minutes of your song; the same message a preacher would take an hour to preach.
Even though this should be very obvious, I think it is worth mentioning here (because of some of the songs I’ve heard in the past) that part of being poetic includes rhyming the words of your song. Now, it’s not every line in the song that must necessarily rhyme, but it sure makes your lyrics sound more pleasing to the ears if you do this. Remember, YOU ARE A SONGWRITER, NOT A PREACHER. Your song is a piece of art, not a sermon. So, as much as the message is important, the words of the song must also be written in a manner that they are pleasing to the ears.
I know some artists have taken this to the extreme by just stringing words that rhyme together, attaching a sweet melody and calling it a song (with no message to communicate). But that’s not what I’m talking about here. That’s why I took the pain to recap last week’s tips at the beginning of today’s article. Have a central theme or message, but take time to choose the words you use to pass that message across in your song, in such a way that it would be sweet to the ears.
No matter where you got your inspiration from (even if an angel gave the song to you in your dreams), take time and re-arrange the words. Use synonyms that portray the same message but sound better in the ears. I’m tired of hearing songs from Bible verses that are sang word-for-word, the way it is in the verse (especially King James Version), when the words could be substituted with synonyms that would have been much better. I’ll say this again, “You’re a songwriter, not a preacher” so write songs, not sermons.
This is where I’ll stop on today’s songwriting tips for musicians in the 21st century. Before I go, I’ll like to inform you that we’re are offering a 50% discount on all deals at Jeplune Music studio as part of our Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. This offer ends on 1st December, 2021 and think you should take advantage of it while it lasts.
Alright, that’s it. Bye!
