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All about the first line

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(@lavadave)
Trusted Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 54
Topic starter  

I'm curious if anyone else is the same as me. If I write a decent first line for a song or a verse, then I'm usually happy with the end product, but if I can't come up with a good first line it's already over. Anyone else feel similar?


   
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(@misanthrope)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2261
 

Is it really that you can't work without a foundation that you like, or is it that you're giving up from the end of the first line onwards? I'm the latter myself - if it's not working I just have to move on to another song, I can't snap myself out of it :roll:

ChordsAndScales.co.uk - Guitar Chord/Scale Finder/Viewer


   
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(@dustdevil)
Estimable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 99
 

To a certain extent, that's true. You have about 15 sec. to catch a listener's ear. After that, they will tune you out no matter what comes after. It doesn't have to be your best 15 sec., but it's got to be something that makes the listener want to know more.

John A.

They say only a pawnshop guitar can play the blues. An eBay one does it better. A guitar's bound to feel unloved if her owner plasters pictures of her over the internet for all to see and then sells her off to the highest anonymous bidder.


   
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(@dneck)
Prominent Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 630
 

I think its all about having the melody and the words fit together to convey the mood or theme of the song. The first words are important I agree, but I also think that you shouldn't give away too much too quickly with your lyrics. The first words should raise questions that makes you want to hear the rest of the song so you can know the whole story.

"And above all, respond to all questions regarding a given song's tonal orientation in the following manner: Hell, it don't matter just kick it off!"
-Chris Thile


   
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(@barnabus-rox)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 2957
 

I am not a one liner per say ...

More like two lines I get a good couple of words made into 2 or 3 lines then its' full steam ahead ..

Or sit for days thinking ..thinking ...nothing ..nothing ..

So very simular but to write a couple verses I need those first 2 or 3 lines

Just a side note I try for a chorus first ...

Dneck makes a good point but I reply to this by saying , if you can't play a instrument then the structure of the song will supply the melody ..

When I write I get the tune , melody rolling around in my head as I write
I can't sing . I can't play go to my music on my signature and this proves my theory I can't play and sing .But I love to write

Hilch

Here is to you as good as you are
And here is to me as bad as I am
As good as you are and as bad as I am
I'm as good as you are as bad as I am


   
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(@dneck)
Prominent Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 630
 

I find it tricky to write a good song without already having a melody. Whenever I just try to write words it ends up being AABB or ABAB and only makes room for a simple chord progression. (sometimes thats all it needs to be though)

Personally I like to write the music first and then imagine the vocals in my head while playing it. I then decide the mood of the song and write the words to fit the melody. It takes much more skill to fit a melody to words. (Im talking beyond a E-B-A progression)

Its important to make sure your not always falling back into the same rhyme scheme when writing the words first if your planning on the music being more complex.

"And above all, respond to all questions regarding a given song's tonal orientation in the following manner: Hell, it don't matter just kick it off!"
-Chris Thile


   
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