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Welcome to my Q&A page on the subject of songwriting. Here I'll post questions and comments from writers and expound on whatever subject seems interesting on a particular day. Feel free to email me a question, and if others might benefit from our exchange, I'll post it here. Below you'll also find some links below for songwriter-friendly sites that might interest you.

The Distinctions Between a Poet
and a Lyricist

Tera asked me this:

I have been writing poetry for a very long time and have had my work published in various literary magazines. I wanted to try something else with my writing, and since I love music and recognize that most songs on the radio rhyme, as do all of my poems, I thought of songwriting. Then I realized it was going to be harder than I'd expected. What is the difference between a song lyricist and a songwriter? Does the lyricist simply write the words that make up the whole song and the songwriter does the sheet of music with the music notes? Obviously a songwriter could do both, but a lyricist would be better off collaborating with a songwriter for the finished product if they, like me, don't know how to write music notation.

Here's my response:

Your question brings up the distinction between a "pure" lyricist and a songwriter. Actually a lyricist IS a songwriter, but a traditional song isn't complete until it also has music.

A lyricist can have a great career without ever writing a note of music, as long as they form one or more powerful partnerships with composers. So, the question becomes this: how does a lyricist attract talented collaborators?

Unlike a poem, a song is meant to be sung, and that makes all the difference! Since you are already a poet, I would suggest making an in-depth study of hit song lyrics in genres that you enjoy. And I emphasize the words "hit" and "enjoy." There are reasons certain songs become popular, and I suggest paying more attention to those ones and learning their secrets to success.

I also suggest you explore the genres of music you truly enjoy if you're going to commit yourself to this path. There are so many styles, so many niches, and some of them will necessarily hit you harder than others. Honor those emotional responses, and really look closely at the lyrics of those types of songs. How did the writer(s) hook you in? How did they use the various tools at their disposal to keep you interested, touch your emotions, and stimulate your mind, heart and senses? It's no accident when you come out at the end of a 3-minute song transformed. The writers had a purpose, and sometimes they succeed!

A huge aspect of lyrics is their adherence to Song Form. Most popular songs these days are Verse/Chorus songs, but it's valuable to learn about all of the common forms. You can read in depth about the conventions of the Verse/Chorus form in many books, or just listen to songs with a massive, sing-along Chorus. You probably know thousands of them already. Notice the distinctions between the lead-up and the payoff, the tension and the release, the informational and the emotional. Pay attention to where the melody and the lyric repeat, where they take twists and turns, how simple or complex the patterns are in the various sections, etc. I could go on and on. But there is a fine art to writing lyrics, and the more you do it, the more you study, and the more feedback you get, the better your lyrics will become.

By taking classes, participating in songwriting communities, finding mentors and doing a lot of writing, your lyrics will gradually improve and you will begin to attract collaborators. Also, tell EVERYONE you know that you're a lyricist, and just keep doing it. Contact the musicians you already know, and find out if they're also songwriters. There are zillions of composers out there who need great lyricists. You just need to bring something of value to the party. I have an article on my site called "So You Want To Collaborate?" on this subject, here:

Keep writing, and I hope this is helpful!

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Getting the Most Out of a Collaboration

Gary asked me this question about co-writing:

I've been writing solo for many years, and at this point am turning out good songs consistently — occasionally, better than good. It may take me 3 weeks of rewriting, or longer, before I'm satisfied with every line. I've tried co-writing once or twice, but so far, over the course of a 3-hour meeting, we haven't got much past choosing a title and nailing down a scenario. Lines produced have generally not been "keepers." In one case, I took a co-writer's hook home and came back with a finished song (words & music) all 3 of use were happy with. But how can I get better at writing quickly in the same room with others?

Here's what I wrote back:

I'm glad to hear you're writing successfully alone. Three weeks to create a "better than good" song is impressive. A great song doesn't really occur in time as much as it does in quality of inspiration, and it sounds like you've been able able to tap into your own deep well.

Sometimes it's taken me years to discover the perfect form for an idea, a title, or a line. But if the spark is strong it will keep popping up over and over until it's fully expressed.

Collaborator-wise, it appears you're not quite "clicking" with these particular co-writers (yet). Spending 3 hours and not coming up with much of anything sounds like a bad date, as does contributing 90% of the "keeper" material in a song.

There's a mysterious, invisible force that takes over during a successful co-write, during which all space and time disappear. You have to sort of "wake up" out of the trance at the end in order to rejoin the rest of humanity. If that's not happening with these folks, you might want to seek out some other writers.

You can't craft, contrive or construct a good song. It has to emerge organically from something real and true. Of course, skilled writers can make anything sound decent, and they can touch all the bases regarding song form, rhyme, meter, hooks, chords and melody lines. But without the heart, soul or spirit present, there's no deeper purpose to the exercise, and the song will die a death, usually sooner rather than later.

I suggest you make a list of your strong suits and weak suits, and go about finding collaborators who supplement your weaknesses. For example, I'm much better with lyrics and melodies than I am with chord progressions, arrangements, rhythms and engineering. So I seek out people who play guitar or piano/keyboards better than I do, or create cool tracks, beats or vibes that I never could have come up with. Then we go into that magical trance together. Even long-distance! In the past several weeks I've written 3 songs with people in Sweden, and haven't even spoken to or met any of them. But they're all strong where I'm weak, and vice versa.

Someone in the collaboration has to be brave enough to toss their ideas into the ring first. I am detached enough from the outcome to willingly do this, by bringing a title, a Verse and Chorus, or a full lyric to most writing sessions. If my co-writers aren't glomming onto it excitedly within seconds, the idea gets put away for later (or never). Then it's their turn!

Admittedly, ya gotta kiss a lotta frogs to find your prince (or princess). I've written with probably hundreds of people over the last 30 years, including one who I've written with for over 20 years. With some collaborators, one song was one song too many. And believe me, some of them had written massive hits! There was no logical reason why we couldn't work well together. It's just that the magic was missing. As my friend and I used to say, "It's an energy thing."

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