Simply put, lyrics are auditory art, poetry is visual art, and writing lyrics must be short.
Lyrics are not editorials, novels or essays. Generally speaking, a song has only a few minutes to sing. Even the Yellow River Chorus, Long March songs and the like were sung in just one hour. This is the most striking feature of the lyrics.
Lyrics need to be composed to fly in the wider world. Therefore, the lyrics must have the minimum sentence patterns and paragraph patterns. The sentence patterns in the first paragraph and the second paragraph should not be too different, otherwise there is no way to compose music. For example, what is the first paragraph of the well-known Dongfanghong? Dongfanghong, the sun has risen, and a Mao Zedong has appeared in China. ? What is the second paragraph? * * * Producers are like the sun, where it shines. ? This can be repeated. If we change the second paragraph to? Party, the sun in your heart, you shine brilliantly on the whole world! ? You can't sing the same song. Because its sentence pattern is completely different.
In terms of content, the lyrics should be small and big, shallow but not detailed, light and tasteful.
Beginners often have it? Mount Tai is our skeleton and the Great Wall is our backbone. The Yangtze River is our blood, and the Yellow River is our cradle. ? This kind of lyrics appears. There is nothing wrong with such a sentence, even very verve. But I made a big taboo: call? False, big and empty? . Because anyone can write this sentence, even more gorgeous than it, except the soul without lyrics? True feelings. If the lyrics have no real feelings, they will become slogans, and the slogans will be finished as soon as they are shouted, which will not attract the audience's attention. Really good lyrics reflect a profound theme through some small phenomena. Through unpretentious language and ingenious conception, the work is given more tension, and the connotation of the work is richer and the artistic conception is more meaningful. For example, Miss by Mr. Qiao Yu: Where are you from, my friend? Like a butterfly, it flew into my window, and he passed a small butterfly, reflecting a feeling of full charm and out-of-body experience. It's shocking, thought-provoking and delicious.
In addition, short and pithy lyrics also require it to be targeted. What you want to write should be conceived, laid out and organized into wonderful language around this theme. Missing is missing, and the east is the east. If you ramble and are not targeted, then you have written a thousand words, but the audience doesn't know what to say. Isn't this a mess?
In addition, when writing lyrics, we must pay attention to the following questions.
First, feelings should be rich, avoid by all means? False, big and empty?
? False, big and empty? Writing lyrics is the most common mistake made by all beginners (including some experts). Because there is no real feeling, it is easy to get excited. Maybe I feel fake myself, and I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to express myself, so I make up for it. To make up for it, you will make the second mistake: talk big. The result will lead to the third mistake: emptiness. Just like the example we gave above: Mount Tai is our skeleton and the Great Wall is our backbone. The Yangtze River is our blood, and the Yellow River is our cradle. ? If we analyze it, it is not difficult to find out? False, big and empty? Typical. First of all, it's not true feelings. At least not from the heart. Not close to life, not close to reality, not close to the masses, are all platitudes. This kind of rhetoric is a kind of "heritage", which is scary and empty. It is a cliche. Anyone can write it and no one wants to hear it. Emotional departure is unreal, unreal is bad, and bad is not beautiful. So? False, big and empty? It is the first taboo in lyrics writing, and you must not make it.
Second, the writing object should be targeted.
Lyrics are always written for people to sing. Therefore, before you start writing, you must think clearly: Who is it for? What kind of people and industries are they written for? Even who is the audience? It should be clear to everyone. Don't think this is a trivial matter. In fact, for the spread of lyrics, this is necessary and can not be ignored. For example, we're going to write a song about the soldiers in white for the medical staff. Can't you give it to them? Campus spring? Go and sing. Another example is the children's song you wrote, which is impossible for PLA soldiers to sing. Everyone understands this truth, but not everyone understands it when writing. When writing lyrics, if you distinguish between the objects, you can grasp the emotion of the lyrics with the language and mentality of your writing object, so that the author's rich feelings can be twisted into a rope, and one force can infect the audience and become a clue that affects the audience. Only in this way can you make the words simple and profound, and the composer can make music that arouses the audience, is suitable for singing and can make the audience applaud. Isn't this the case with the military song Song of 1234?
Third, the mood and structure of lyrics must be stable.
These are basically the same as the above. Before you write, be sure to find out in what mood you are writing this song. Is it affection or thunder? Humor or seriousness? This is very important for the writing of lyrics. Otherwise, what is written is love, but the taste is the battlefield of bullets; What do you mean? Three monks carry water to eat? , the content became a hymn, a mess. Therefore, a main line of lyrics can only write one content, and it must run through the mood. But there must be a difference between the paragraphs of the lyrics (note that it is not a natural paragraph, but a progressive level of content). This is the structure of the lyrics. Generally speaking, the structure of lyrics includes initiation, inheritance, transformation and combination. However, this, inheritance, transformation and integration, all need to have their own emotional characteristics. Is the tone; Inheritance is change; The turning point is the climax; Combination is regression. This is necessary in lyrics writing. Because the main lines and changes of lyrics can make it easier for composers to grasp the tone of lyrics, thus making the melody of music ups and downs, twists and turns lingering. Of course, there are also simple feelings throughout. Such as "National Anthem" and "March of the Sword". However, this is only an exceptional usage.
Fourth, start with a small problem and get to the point.
Beginners' lyrics are often big topics, which seem to be insufficient to express their majestic feeling. In fact, this is a big misunderstanding. Of course, you can write a big topic. As long as it is well written, it is welcomed not only by the society but also by the people. However, pour some cold water, do you have enough skills? Can you control the whole theme? You know, many masters fell off their horses because of this!
Starting with a small theme (that is, a small entrance), we often dig deeper. Take Mr. Qiao Yu's excellent work "Missing" as an example: from a small butterfly, I wrote down all my feelings and thoughts between friends; The song "Come home often" may not be so excellent, but it comes from? Go home often? Starting from such a trivial matter, it is also very successful to write about the happiness of family life on earth. Because its thoughts are ultimately healthy, popular, close to life, close to reality and close to the masses. Therefore, it is also successful. There is a famous one? Fire wind? , sang a song "Big Sedan", with all due respect: it's sheer nonsense. Because its starting point is good, but the idea is really vulgar!
Five, the idea should be clever, the language should be novel and the idea should be high.
Clever ideas are unconventional. On the basis of the above aspects, we should try our best to be novel and refreshing. The example we gave earlier? Mount Tai is our skeleton and the Great Wall is our backbone. The Yangtze River is our blood, and the Yellow River is our cradle. ? Such a thing is unimaginable. Should that sentence? The first person to compare a woman to a flower is a genius; Second, mediocrity; The third is a fool. ? An old saying. If you want to be clever, you must observe more, remember more, and have specific images in your mind. Speaking a new language means not saying what others often say, but saying that you are unique. For example, the first person tells a joke and everyone laughs; The second man said, maybe someone laughed; However, after the third person spoke, I'm afraid he just smiled. To say that there is something in others' hearts that is not in their mouths! I'm afraid everyone thought that Mr. Qiao Yu used butterflies to write his thoughts. Unfortunately, his old gentleman wrote them first. He wrote all the feelings and thoughts between friends. No matter how clever you are, you can only prove that you are a fool. If you write your own sentence from another angle (or image), everyone has thought about it from this angle but no one has said it, and you will succeed!
Noble and clean means that the content is healthy and conforms to? Three levels? Meet the aesthetic requirements of the people. Do you like that song? I miss the river in my hometown? It is obviously a wanderer's tone, but I sincerely praise my hometown and the development of my motherland. Therefore, the composer wrote the songs touching, beautiful and moving, leaving a deep impression on people. But the famous one? Fire wind? And his song "Big Sedan" is so vulgar that some people say it is a complete version of the textbook for newlyweds. There is a saying that can be encouraged to be clever, new in language and high in conception. Pay attention to all learning, always thinking that everything is an article? .
Sixth, pay attention to the form of lyrics.
Note that this refers to the form, which is completely different from the structure mentioned above.
Form is a distinctive feature of different lyrics and poems. We have said: poetry is to be read and tasted, and any form is not too much. Because it can be understood and experienced through readers' feelings, experiences, tastes and many other factors. But the lyrics are completely different. Mainly for the audience. In other words: at the beginning of your creation, you should be clear about the following elements: what song is it? Chorus? Sing together? Performing and singing? Men's singles or women's singles? Wait, you can't be careless at all. This is actually for the sake of the composer. Only when you really think about your own song, will you consider its characteristics and consciously create for the internal and external forms of this song. Otherwise, the song is likely to ramble, without a main line and a distinct theme that a composer can grasp. Therefore, your lyrics cannot be chosen by the composer to compose. Generally speaking, the most commonly used lyrics are: one paragraph, multiple paragraphs, one or more attached songs, etc. In a paragraph, the national anthem is representative. There are too many paragraphs and songs. How wide is a big river? ) is its typical representative.
Seven, some other basic elements of lyrics creation
In any case, there are always some basic elements in the lyrics. Roughly as follows:
1, sentence pattern
Sentence patterns are the basic forms of lyrics. That is, the number of words and syllables corresponding to each lyric should be basically the same. Even if the number of words is slightly different, the syllables should be roughly the same.
Step 2 rhyme
Unlike poetry, lyrics must rhyme. One, three and five can stay, and two, four and six must be distinguished. Lyrics generally do not change rhyme. Of course, if it is for the sake of meaning, it can also rhyme. But the effect is not as good as a rhyme.
3. Paragraph
Formally speaking, how many lyrics are there and are there any songs attached? Structurally speaking, how many emotions does a lyric have? Generally speaking, the front and back paragraphs of the lyrics should have different meanings, but we must take care of each other. Attached songs are generally summaries or extensions.
Step 4 talk
The words and sentences of lyrics must be simple, colloquial as far as possible, and no adjectives as far as possible. This is also one of the differences from modern poetry. I used a lot of adjectives, so I can only say that I wrote a lot of slogans. Note: A good song has no slogan, and a slogan is not a song! Popular folk songs are the most telling here!
Eight, the writing of popular lyrics
Popular lyrics are the product of the combination of new poetic imagery and traditional lyrics.
This is very random. At first glance, it seems to be rambling, or humming those words repeatedly. Many people say it is shallow, and it is an urban folk song.
Actually, it is not. There are many excellent works in popular lyrics.
For example, holding hands to love your love, because it holds your hand; Happiness is your happiness, and sadness is your sadness? .
Sincerely! Express sincere love that is heart-to-heart and never gives up.
Another example is romantic things. I think the most romantic thing is to grow old with you. Until I am too old to walk, you still treat me as a treasure in your hand? . Isn't this a classic emotional language?
It is actually quite appropriate to say that popular lyrics are urban folk songs. It is a kind of human voice and a description of mentality. It pays attention to delicate feelings, soul telling, concrete images and repeated singing.
In specific writing, popular lyrics do not pay attention to form as traditional lyrics do. You can rhyme to the end, or you can change rhymes freely, and everything goes well; Unlike traditional lyrics, which focus on positive themes, they express their feelings and pour out their hearts. So the writing of popular lyrics is very casual. At this point, it is very similar to new poetry. However, we still have to follow certain rules: short and pithy, rich in connotation, generally neat, basic rhyme, sense of melody, sense of syllable, lyrical repetition at climax and so on. This point, it can not be separated from the form of traditional lyrics. Innovative and connotative, these are the same elements in writing popular lyrics!
Mr. Qiao Yu, a great poet in China, said: Lyrics are the easiest to write and the most difficult to write. It is impossible to write a thing without solid basic skills, unique observation ability of the world, ability to capture and shape the image of life, and feeling and understanding of the rhythm and rhythm of music. ?