Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Hip-Hop 101: Laws of Lyrics I

I'm starting a new series called Laws of Lyrics, this is for the people new to writing lyrics and who would like to get better at it. This guide will cover tips and tricks you can use to improve your lyrical ability and write fuller, well structured songs. Every week I shall put out a new part.

Laws of Lyrics I: Structure and Concept

Welcome to my school of music! First things first, before you go about writing anything, you HAVE TO HAVE a concept or a basic idea in mind unless it's a freestyle. If you write a song, it has to be concentrated on a topic which listeners can understand. Make lines intertwine and structure your verse so it resonates. 

Trick: Something I do when I get a concept for a song, is that I write down a basic draft of what I want my verse to look like and where I want to place different things. While making this draft, do not force yourself to make it rhyme, let it flow naturally as if you're writing a story. After that's done you can take the already structured verse and polish it so create rhyme schemes, add punchlines, adlibs and finalize your product. 



This trick is useful because a lot of times what happens is when people get so involved in writing punchlines and making things rhyme, they start to lose grasp of the concept and message of the song. Every song MUST have a topic or a central idea. It can be as simple as 'I got money' or it could be a deeper story telling song, or something delivering a message.


Example:

Concept:
The boy was walking down the street looking for change in his pockets
Because he had no money and nothing to eat or drink
Lost his mother on the way, Feeling so lonely and cold
Life is tough when you're young and have no one around

*Finalized Product:
Feet hurt, hands in pockets, searching for loose change 
Nothing but lint and papers, fiending for food or rain
No one to hold him close, mother went missing
Feeling imprisoned, he's to young to suffer living.

*Notice how I did match it line for line, the final product does NOT have to be written exactly like the draft. The purpose of the draft is to help you visualize what the verse should look like. It is a general outline that you can follow. 

If you are a more experienced writer then this trick isn't aimed at you. This method is mostly for beginners to help them understand the importance of structure and key concepts of a song.

2 Comments:

minecraft129 said...

I can get lyrics, i need to work on my flow.

Anonymous said...

dats wassup

http://foarthelulz.com

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