sudeep Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 I was watching this show called "Classic Albums " of all time...and they were doing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Basically they talk to the artists/producers/musicians about the making of different classic albums...excellent show. What i was really surprised about was Elton Johns method of songwriting...apparently Bernie Taupin just handed Elton fully complete lyrics to songs...and Elton just sat at the piano and put music to them. I would have always thought it would have been done the other way around. does anyone else write like this? I read an interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber talking about how he used this method when composing the music to Cats (normally he wrote th music first)...and he said it was incredibly difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philbo_Tangent Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 I've always composed this way, except a very few times when I custom-wrote lyrics to fit already-finished music. I consider lyrics to be poems that are sung; the rhythym of the words is what inspires the music to appear. For me, forcing an already existing rhythym onto words is difficult and unnatural.. Phil Tangent Studios http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Tangent2/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Originally posted by sudeep_rao@hotmail.com: What i was really surprised about was Elton Johns method of songwriting...apparently Bernie Taupin just handed Elton fully complete lyrics to songs...and Elton just sat at the piano and put music to them. I would have always thought it would have been done the other way around. does anyone else write like this? Yes, I do. I love to compose like that. I read the lyrics over several times to take in their groove, colors and emotions. I can almost always quickly extrapolate a melody or melodic phrase from at least one part of them. Then, I put them on the music stand of my piano, and see what comes out of my fingers. I can frequently get at least one good idea on the first pass. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menomosso Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 When I write with someone else's words, I find it tons easier to work text first; however, when writing both music and lyrics myself, I HAVE TO have a musical idea first. Josh menomosso.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billjv Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Normally I write by myself, and so I start by writing the lyric, possibly with a hook that gets me started. As I'm writing the lyrics I usually get melodic ideas forming as I go - so when the lyrics are finished, I've already got the melody mapped out and can sit down and play the song. When I write with others we tend to focus on the lyric first. After getting an idea (usually a first verse and chorus) we'll start playing around with melody and chord structure until we find something we like. bv "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." -Carl Sagan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shniggens Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 The thing that amazed me about the DVD was the fact that they were writing, recording, and mastering up to 5 songs a day on that album. Absolutely incredible. Amateur Hack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Clark Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Somewhat similar story... When Woody Guthrie started getting older, and apparently too sick to play an instrument, he still kept up with his mantra of writing a song a day. The end result is hundreds upon hundreds of songs that have never had music written to them. A few years ago Wilco and Billy Bragg were approached by Nora Guthrie, Woody Guthrie's daughter, to record some of her father's unfinished works. The result was Mermaid Avenue volumes 1 and 2. I just picked up the second volums, and while it's not a very consistent record, the shining moments are spectacular. A good example of writing music to pre-existing lyrics... Personally, when I write, I come up with a verse or two before I even touch my guitar / piano. I find if I write the music first I end up constricting what I can do with my lyrics, whereas the other way around feels a bit more natural. I think it really is a matter of personal preference, and also what kind of music you're writing. I doubt Dylan writes his music first, just as I doubt ELP wrote their lyrics first My music is like a movie for your ears - Frank Zappa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudeep Posted July 25, 2003 Author Share Posted July 25, 2003 Originally posted by shniggens: The thing that amazed me about the DVD was the fact that they were writing, recording, and mastering up to 5 songs a day on that album. Absolutely incredible.amazing wasnt it? and his guitarist was saying they were doing songs in at least 3 takes...sometimes the first take. I also find it suprising that you would go into the studio without a song written...i guess if youre elton you can back your talent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 I nearly always write from the other way around - music first, lyrics second - but the Taupin / John approach obviously works well for them - even though I find that method (lyrics first, then music) to be generally much harder to do. BTW, I think GYBR is one of the all time classic albums... I think it was done in a very short time - two weeks or so. An amazing accomplishment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolipsismX Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 I usually have to write the music first because I tend to just stay in the same key when I write around a melody. So when I write songs, I usually write the chords followed by a melody which will become the lyrical melody, and then a third melody which will be the main instrumental hook. All of this, like I said before, is because my songs tend to be too simple when I write melody first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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