Lyric Technique - please help!

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Quintus
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Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by Quintus » Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:55 am

Hi there all

Can anyone please recommend a contemporary source, either written or visual, where one can attain material to improve lyric writing technique?
Just got a return and it's an area that needs work on.

Would really appreciate any input.

Thank you!

Margaret

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BruceBrown
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Re: Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by BruceBrown » Tue Mar 24, 2015 3:55 pm

The Craft of Lyric Writing by Sliela Davis. It's not new, but it's very, very good.

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Re: Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by Quintus » Tue Mar 24, 2015 11:58 pm

Thank you so much, will check it out!

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Re: Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by VanderBoegh » Wed Mar 25, 2015 8:28 am

Hey Margaret, this free 6-week online course from Pat Pattison is amazing. Pat is a tremendous teacher (he's a professor at Berklee School of Music), and has been a major influence on many big-name artists. Heck, John Mayer was one of his students.

I took this class last year and took so many notes I can't hardly sift through them all. I may take it again, because it's that good.

https://www.coursera.org/course/songwriting

~~Matt

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Re: Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by AmandaJane » Wed Mar 25, 2015 2:33 pm

I am a lyricist, and I second Matt's suggestion above mine re Pat Pattison's songwriting course on Coursera - I have done the course twice, back to back, when it first started. It is excellent if you get used to the structure and peer reviewing system.
There is a new one starting on April 20th.

Also, the things that helped me no end (and still do, esp Robin Frederick's books and thoughts -

Robin Frederick's books - the 2 big ones - 1 is aimed at Film/TV songs and the other is aimed at writing for artist pitches/your won songs for radio etc/pop charts. Both are available on Amazon and are excellent.

I also bought Pat Pattison's both on Lyric Writing - also available on Amazon. It is good, but I needed to use it in combination with Robin's books above, which were far more practical in nature.

Robin Frederick also has an excellent website where she gives out info and stuff from her books for free, with a newsletter and comprehensive facebook page
http://robinfrederick.com/
https://www.facebook.com/robin.frederick.music

BUT, I watch TAXI TV every week, week in week out. Not everything is relevant to me as a lyricist, but more is than you would think. I collaborate on almost every song (I do write music also, rarely), and I need to know about the recording basics, what works and what doesn't work, and so on. Lyricists don't exist in a vacuum !

Hope this helps :) And if I can ever help at all, please ask. I'm no expert, but I'm learning slowly !
Sláinte, Amanda



Amanda Jane West - Lyricist | SoundCloud | My Website |

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Re: Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by AnitaKristine » Wed Mar 25, 2015 4:31 pm

Hi Margaret,

I did the Pat Pattison songwriting course on Coursera and learned tons - I'd highly recommend signing up for the next session in April. Amanda's listed some great books , too - got them all and have found them really useful.

Also - I found a great songwriting coach through watching an archived TAXI TV show. I loved what she was saying and was emailing her to sign up for workshops before the end of the TV show. I learned so much during those skype workshops in the first 6 week session, that I signed up for two more sessions back to back. Her name is Suzan Koc (pronounced "Koch"), she's got some serious experience and credentials and she's an absolutely lovely person to learn from. Super down-to-earth, gracious and straight-forward. I can't say enough good stuff about her! :D

http://www.suzankoc.com

Good luck and keep writing! …. and as I've heard numerous times on TAXI TV: "Write, submit, forget, repeat. " A great mantra! :)

~ Anita

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Re: Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by Quintus » Wed Mar 25, 2015 10:50 pm

Wow Amanda, Matt, Bruce; you guys have been absolutely instrumental in your advice, these forums are truly a wealth of information and support! Cant thank you enough!

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Re: Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by Quintus » Thu Apr 02, 2015 7:21 am

Hi Anita

I signed up for the course today! Looking forward to it!!

Tx
Margaret

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Re: Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by SteveJCurtis » Mon Apr 06, 2015 9:56 am

Hi there.
You'll love the Pat Pattison course. It's great.
And as well as all the other great suggestions, have a look at this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Tunesmith-Inside- ... 0786884886

Regards / Steve

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Re: Lyric Technique - please help!

Post by davekershaw » Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:23 am

SteveJCurtis wrote: And as well as all the other great suggestions, have a look at this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Tunesmith-Inside- ... 0786884886

Regards / Steve
Agreed! A very informative book, from someone who really knows the game.

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