10 Lyric Writing Tips for When You’re Stuck

Do you want to realize your dream song? This list contains some lyric writing techniques that will help you to write impressive lyrics as well as move on from any writers-block you may have. Those are the same techniques I personally use, and I vouch for every single one of them.

1. Use Movies and Images for Inspiration

One of the most powerful songwriting techniques is drawing inspiration from movies and images. There is always so much going on in every frame, and there is always some story you can translate into a lyric. Every scene can be described with so many words.

Another good tip is. You can try to play or sing your song while playing the video or watching the image. This makes it easier to immersive yourself in the world you’re trying to create.

2. Melody is King

The best melody is a simple one. A good melody is hugely important for any lyric to work! I like to think of the melody as more important than the lyrics. Whenever I’m writing, I just try to support whatever melody I got with words. Of course, sometimes it’s the other way around.

Remember though, a common rule is. That an easy melody may stick easier and draw listeners in. But a more advanced melody will stay fresh for more listening sessions.

3. Write for Yourself

Create lyrics that sound good to you. Sometimes when I’m writing lyrics, I tend to find myself writing to please someone other than myself. It’s easy to forget why I started in the first place. Writing lyrics should be a fun experience, not a dreadful one.

Reclaim your power, and don’t think about what the world will think of your song. Make it as good as you can, for your own ears.

People will interpret the lyrics completely differently from you. Even if you make it super clear, two people still won’t hear the same thing. So make it sound good. Let your emotions be your guide. The story is for you. Other people will interpret your story in a different way anyway.

4. Repeating Phrases Makes Writing Easy

Hearing the same words over and over again. Can have a profound effect.

By repeating phrases, you can make catchy lyrics as well as make it easy for yourself. Think of the song hallelujah for example. In the chorus, it’s basically just the word “hallelujah” over and over again. The song baby shark, which you can listen to in the video up above, is also really repetitive.

If you want other people to sing your song. You need to keep it pretty simple and intuitive. If you use repetitions, rhymes, and syllables you can increase the likelihood of people remembering your lyrics.

5. Write Half a Song Worth of Lyrics, and Mirror Those Lyrics Again

Most songs consist of some kind of verse and chorus. Often the second verse is a lyrically alternate version of the first verse. The same story is being told multiple times, but with different words.

By telling a story in the first verse, and basically telling almost the same story in the second or third verse. You don’t have to invent the wheel again.

This technique is great for when you’ve already written one verse, but you feel stuck when you’re trying to write more verses. Besides that, a chorus almost always has the same lyrics throughout the song.

6. If the Lyrics Stick to You, They Stick To Others!

This is pretty much a law when it comes to songwriting. When you take a break from writing lyrics and you unconsciously begin singing your own song. You are surely on your way to a catchy lyric. If it sticks to you, it’s likely it will stick to other people as well. If you experience the opposite, you may want to rewrite or scrap your material.

A lyric should be able to be learned by you. If you cant learn it without having to read your notes, how do you think other people will?

7. Use a Rhyme Engine

Rhymezone.com

I’ve been a Rhymezone user for many years. It’s a great website for finding rhymes! Sometimes, finding a word that rhymes with another word is crucial for the flow of the song. A rhyme engine like Rhymezone will help you find those words in no time. I’ve seen more people than me use it, and I swear it has saved me a bunch of times when I felt stuck.

8. If Your Stuck Move On!

If you get stuck with a verse or a chorus. Instead of trying to write the perfect version of it. Try to move from a qualitative approach to a more quantitative one. So, instead of trying to find the next word or sentence. Try to write a few new verses instead. This will allow you to be creative again so that you get into the zone.

I find myself, often being stuck with just trying to come up with the next word. When in reality, I’m just digging myself deeper into writer’s block.

9. Use No-language Sounds Instead of Words to Find Words

It sounds weird, but this is a powerful technique. If you’re trying to make a pleasant-sounding lyric, try to just make sounds in a rhythm instead of words, or just words that don’t totally make sense. Then translate whatever sound you came up with, into words that sound close to the mouth noises you’re making.

By doing this, you will often end up with the most ideal words and rhythm, lyrically. It’s a way of using your voice even more like an instrument.

10. Get Inspiration from Poems

https://poets.org/

Poems are great for inspiration. They naturally contain words that engage the imagination. You can’t just blatantly copy a poem, but you can take a great deal of inspiration from them. Sometimes they’re also nice because they contain so beautiful descriptions.

Thanks for reading!

Writing lyrics can be hard and you should know, that in many cases. Songs are written through collaborations. So when you succeed in writing a good song all on your own, it’s an impressive feat.

Let me know in the comments if you want me to add something, or have thoughts about this article!


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