Lets have a songwriting contest

plus if some one copetes in pairs, one can do the lyrics, and the other can do the music :o

plus if some one copetes in pairs, one can do the lyrics, and the other can do the music :o

That's fine by me. Remember that a lyricswriter has to take the musical aspects into account while writing it, so you'll need to be able to communicate that to the person who does the music. While leaving the melody to the musician is often fine you'll want to create a rhythm for your lyrics to make sure that no matter what happens musically the rhymes and flows you invented won't get wasted. The easiest way to do that would be to use a freeware notation program and write it down, giving one note to each syllable. As the melody doesn't matter you can just give them all the same pitch as long as you make sure the note length is set properly.

Heck, if you send me your lyrics like that I'll turn it into a song as soon as I get back to my place.

I think we all can agree that life and death should be the topic

Wow. I'm not even gone for a whole day and I miss everything.

I would be interested, although I'm not so good at working with other people, and am still trying to get the whole MP3 thing figured out (technologically impaired). IF I can manage it, though, I'd love to participate, and I think it's a good idea. And this sounds like the main point is the lyrics, but an MP3 and some basic music, is desired, just for context? Sounds good to me. Can't guarantee anything, but it sounds fun.

Don't know where Rachael and Disaster are, probably just heven't noticed it yet, but I'm in.

Oh, and I was going to say, I like that topic. Life and Death. Broad, interesting, and open to all genres.

Crap, I just remember, my guitar is acting screwy. Look forward to an odd buzzing noise in the background.

lyrics without music is called poetry, not lyrics Agree with Arjen here, without any idea of the timing and general sound, it's basically just a poetry competition. Even if people don't write music for the lyrics they come up with, perhaps they could record an acapella version, just to give an idea - if you have *absolutely* no idea of the music or general sound you want for the lyrics you are writing, then you really ARE just writing poetry!
Even if your chord changes are sloppy and your voice sounds like a frog, atleast it'll allow us to judge the lyrics in a reasonably proper fashion Well, as I'm a sloppy frog, that's good to know! :lol: :lol:

Perhaps someone needs to actually draw up a definitive set of rules (sort of like a contest entry form) and post it / a link to it, so then everyone can see it, and participate if they agree to the rules? Otherwise, this thread will go on and on, and the actual contest won't come about due to constant changes / exchanges of ideas about the contest :P

Life&Death sounds like a decent enough topic; broad enough, genre-crossing, and the writer can take whatever spin they like on it.

Pete

Maybe, then, the two-person-collaboration is the way to go - one to post lyrics, the other to turn them into music?

:D :D :D

Vic

get three topics and poll them for who wants what?

hope/hopeless

life/death

love/hate

? i think the love hate may be too broad...

Oh, I personally don't care that much, life/death is interesting enough as well. Maybe just count the opinions in this topic and go with that.

I think that you should have to write music with your words. Looks at beatles lyrics, they are very simple and use short words, they probably wouldn't win the lyric contest.

But the songwriting contest...

Frankly you cannot judge lyrics with no music "it would just be poetry." Good poetry and good lyrics are very different. Im not saying that something cannot be both, but good lyrics can make bad poetry and good poetry can make bad lyrics. If you can't write music for your song...maybe you shouldn't enter a songwriting contest.