Posted in: Musicouching by SamLogger on September 24th, 2010 | 0 Comments
Songwriting is crucial writing skill in popular music. Overwriting method helps generate new ideas and develop writing abilities.
Songwriting has become a crucial writing skill in today’s popular music. It makes lyrics’ business more open; and even a writer who is a beginner in this field can make a huge difference. Including you.
Have a great phrase in the head but afraid to use it? Have a fantastic idea of the chorus but are troubled with rhyming? There is probably the safest method of how to put your thoughts into work with all doubts fading away.
This method is ‘overwriting’. It means you take any song from your playlist and substitute real lyrics with your own. There are millions of songs around the globe, so the working field in enormously big. Choose one and have a pilot overwriting.
Keep in mind – no matter what song you put your lyrics on they must match with song’s identity (mood, message similarities and so on). For example, up tempo songs require smaller words and easy to understand message. Ballads – on the other hand – can be more difficult and soulful. It is advisable to check for song’s genre, too. If you’re intended to write in jazz, it will not be a good practise to have rock song for overwriting.
What is important – your new song doesn’t need the same structure of the original song. You just take the pattern which include line and verse/chorus length, melody’s time. You can even add another sections as bridge if your song needs it.
When your lyric job is finished, it’s preferred to have a ‘song check’ – singing your lyrics to original melody (to be sure everything is matching perfectly) – although it is not obligatory. After that forward your lyrics to melody writer (if it’s not you) who will write a new melody to your lyrics. It is significant to remember that your lyrics can’t stay with original song’s melody. This method works for lyrics overwriting only.
Overwriting method ensures already built song structure which has strong verse, chorus, bridge platform. It is an amazing way how to get yourself well established song carcass if you want to save some time of creating one. What means the most – no plagiarism here, because, as stated above, original melody will be removed and your lyrics will get their own unique melody.
Start your day with an idea for lyrics. Find the best suitable song which corresponds to this idea. Overwrite lyrics and then put a new melody. It will cost nothing, just a feeling of being a songwriter. What you do after is up to you!
