Gary
EwerMusic Teacher, Clinician, Composer and Arranger. Author of "Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory," and “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting" suite of e-books.
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Lesson 1 |
Focusing Your Lyrics |
LESSON 6: Integrating Lyrics with
Melodies
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| Lyrics that exhibit... | ...Work well with melodies that: |
| determination, dedication, forthrightness |
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| love, tenderness, compassion |
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| a narrative (story) |
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Melodies generally need to be
structured so that they don't sound like an aimless wandering of notes,
and melodic patterns need to strongly consider lyric at any given time.
A later lesson will deal with form specifically. But for now, take this
important piece of advice: melodies generally work well if you keep the
following structural elements in mind:
For the following
activities, you may want to create a simple chord progression to
accompany yourself as you create your melodic fragments. Write down or
record your creations.
You can read much more about how to construct good melodies in "The
Essential Secrets of Songwriting." Download it today!
1. The following
are short fragments of text. Try setting each fragment to several
possible melodies. The kind of melody you choose will affect a
listener's reaction. For each one, try:
i) Many repeated notes, for "determined" quality;
ii) centrally-placed with melodic leaps, for emotional quality;
iii) mid-range, and mostly stepwise, for narrative quality;
a) You held it up like a dying flower.
b) Sister Susan, tell me why.
c) In the darkest hour of night.
d) No one saw and no one cared.
e) I answered the call.
2. Create a melody for the following text fragments. For each one,
write a melodic fragment that could serve as:
i) A verse
ii) A chorus
iii) A bridge
(Note: Refer to Lesson 5 for refresher on structuring verse, chorus and
bridge melodies.) Feel free to repeat certain words or phrases within
the text if needed (i.e., for emphasis).
a) I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too? (Emily Dickenson)
b) The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry. (Lewis Carroll)
c) And I am praying to God on high,
And I am praying Him night and day, (Padraic Colum)
d) As their fathers watch’d them once,
As my father once watch’d me; (Edmund Blunden)
e) He who is waiting
In the rain outside,
He who is standing
Where the dew drops wide. (James Stephens)
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Check out the
songwriting articles at The Essential Secrets of Songwriting website.
Click here. |
©2009 Pantomime Music Publications
P.O.Box 31177 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Contact Us: info@pantomimemusic.com | Contact Gary Ewer: gary@pantomimemusic.com
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