Questions tagged [lyrics]
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses.
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Coldplay lyrics [closed]
Did the group Coldplay really originally had the words "Roman Catholic priests are singing" in their song "Viva la Vida", and later replaced it with "Roman Cavalry choirs are singing"?
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Is there a standard way of singing over ii-V-I in jazz?
I am new to music theory especially jazz and blues. I have since learned about writing lyrics or singing over a traditional 12 bar blues progression using AAB form, thus repeating the first line (A) ...
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137 views
Difference between Indian and English lyricism besides language?
Suppose we sing or rap about dark themes (depression, alcohol, drugs, violence, sex) similar to modern American music from 1970-present day in Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, or Malayalam over Indian classical-...
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45 views
Efforts and examples of modernizing Indian lyrics and music?
English lyrics can express anything using “common language” (words you hear in everyday conversation) whether it’s love, politics, poverty, violence, or the end of times. English lyrics are direct, ...
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What is it called when a group of vocalists or chorus sing Ooh's oh's, ah's, etc?
I heard my chorus director refer to it as something sounding like dest cant or something, but since I'm hard-of-hearing, I couldn't hear all the letters.
If someone can give me the correct name for ...
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2answers
124 views
effective prosody in lyric-writing [closed]
In this post, this post, and my own post in the writing stack exchange, it is clear that stresses in words should be aligned with the strong beats of the music. Apparently these occur on odd beats, ...
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1answer
51 views
Scansion. Vocabulary
So I'm trying to get into poetry and using scansion to understand I guess the rhythm. MY question is what do you call it when you have a line with different stresses and unstressed syllables?
For ...
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3answers
3k views
When did the anonymous “you” become popular in western pop music?
This question might sound a bit facetious but I have been wondering for a long time. Many western pop songs are addressed to an anonymous "you". Presumably the song writer wants to write a song that ...
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2answers
224 views
Are there fewer rhymes in contemporary popular music? If so, why?
Vsauce mentions a study by Joan Serra showed contemporary pop music is less complex in its musical motives than it was, which he explains by a wider diversity in form and genres.
While complexity of ...
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3answers
1k views
I can't produce songs
I'm a guitarist, playing with 3-4 bands 4-5 days a week. I also study Sound Engineering and doing recording, arranging and mixing. My literature is not bad, and I have a good music education. ...
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1answer
121 views
How should I write out the word “Choir” to be sung in two syllables?
The word "choir" is pronounced /ˈkwī(ə)r/, but if I divide the syllables they are cho and ir.
So I imagine that if it's to be sung on two notes my choices are:
..
I think [based on this post}(https:...
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1answer
49 views
Lilypond: How to use repeat bars in markup lyrics
I am using \markup after the score for several verses of lyrics, so roughly
\score { ... }
\markup {
\column {
\line { ... }
...
}
}
How can I typeset repeat marks for a piece of ...
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3answers
215 views
How to write lyrics over multiple notes
When one wants to write a piece in which a 1 syllable word is split between multiple notes, how is this shown? Or a multiple syllable word over the same number of notes? A visual representation/...
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1answer
88 views
If I just change the lyrics and flow (very slightly) of a song is it called a cover or a remix?
Is it referred as to something else? Like my version of a song or tribute.
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2answers
1k views
Turning lyrics into melody
Ive currently been having great difficulty turning my lyrics and poems into a melody. i've considered aligning the accented syllables as well as the meter with accented beats but am still having ...
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0answers
66 views
Is there a term for when lyrics are integrated with words from a sampled beat?
Is there a term for when the lyrics of a song are integrated with words from a sampled beat? I see this particularly in hip-hop. For example, the hook from Game's "Dreams" has lyrics:
Lettin' the ink ...
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2answers
92 views
Techniques to facilitate the process of marking which words are stressed/accented by beat
I'd like to provide context first:
I'm currently pursuing a thesis project that uses a stylistic approach to rap music. I want to be able to prove that dividing rap bars by the (usually) four beats ...
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2answers
93 views
Can lyrics be added interleaved with notation in lilypond
When writing vocal music in lilypond, I find it easier to find my place when there are lyrics in near proximity to the notes, so I've been using linebreaks and comments to achieve this so far:
\...
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2answers
256 views
Lilypond – how can I write lyrics to rests in multiple stanzas?
could someone help me with my problem, please?
I have got this Lilypond 2.18.2 code:
\version "2.18.2"
\language "deutsch"
global = {
\time 4/4
\set Timing.beamExceptions = #'()
\set Timing....
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1answer
94 views
How do the lyrics fit with these notes? [closed]
I am looking for the proper distribution of the lyrics among the notes. The books gives the distribution for the first part of the lyrics leaves the distribution of the other two to the player.
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3answers
340 views
Engraving rules for lyrics (Word “didn't”)
What is the correct way to notate the word "didn't" if the "di" part correspond to one note and the "dn't" part correspond to another? Being a non-native English speaker I feel like I should write "di-...
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1answer
183 views
How can I make Lilypond start lyrics on the very first note?
With Lilypond, I'm trying to notate a song with lyrics - this song has lyrics sung from the very first note of the piece. But Lilypond always shifts the words over one note each (see image). I can't ...
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1answer
298 views
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Beams in classical vocal music
I had a look at different operas and songs with piano accompaniment. I noticed that one often does not connect beams that one usually would in instrumental music (such as four sixteenth notes in 4/4), ...
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2answers
288 views
Writer's block: how do you know when lyrics are “ready”?
After a writer's block of at least ten years, this guitarist is "ready" to move on with writing and recording the songs that lurk inside me.
My initial approach is diving back into my folders of ...
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1answer
116 views
Is there a name for when a line is too long for the metre?
In some songs, a line in one verse will be a syllable longer than the matching line in other verses, and this will be resolved by adding an extra note to the start or end of that line of melody (in ...
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1answer
713 views
Should a lyrics extension line (underscore) be used on tied notes?
I get that extension lines (undercores) are used where one syllable at the end of a word extends over multiple notes. But is this also true when the notes are tied together?
In other words: Is one of ...
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1answer
134 views
What are some common ways for songwriters and lyricists to find each other online?
Let's say I'm pretty comfortable at composing but bad at writing lyrics (or vice versa). What are the best ways for me to connect with a proficient lyricist online? Are there any "songwriter expertise ...
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1answer
143 views
How do you notate vocables?
Is it the same way as notating regular lyrics? Some of the vocables I would like to use are "ah" and "ooh".
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5answers
344 views
A seriously difficult question about mistakes and intepretation of music
I just came up with a question that I've never seen asked or talked about. It maybe obvious to everyone else in the world but I realized I simply can't answer it except with the non-answer.
This is ...
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6answers
214 views
Presenting lyrics for two singers
Myself and another singer will be performing a song together. Some parts I sing, some parts she sings, and some we sing together. But when it's time to perform we get confused as to who sings what. ...
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3answers
135 views
Little 'aside' in a vocal
What is the proper term for an 'aside' in music (mostly in vocals, but sometimes the score)? Many times these 'asides' MAY not be actually noted in the lyrics.
Two examples:
In Taylor Swifts 'Shake ...
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3answers
2k views
Rhythm notation for lyrics?
Are there any good notations for rhythm in song lyrics? Usually when I'm writing lyrics with pen and paper, I underline emphasis, which works for rap, but probably misses a lot of nuance for sung ...
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1answer
174 views
Question about terminology for a music sheet
I have developed an application for musicians that produces this output and I am not sure if we are using the correct terminology.
We currently use Chords and lyrics sheet but I think this is not the ...
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2answers
822 views
What notation systems exist for indicating rhymes, alliteration and cadence in rap lyrics?
The only example I've seen so far is The Rapper's Flow Encyclopedia, which uses standard musical notation with phrasing to indicate cadence, and lyric capitalization to indicate (but not group) rhymes....
6
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4answers
742 views
Lyric writing - books or essays?
Musical friends, I'm a competent writer of all forms of prose, dialouge, screenplays, and so on. But I have a secret desire ... I've always wanted to be able to write songs, that is to say song ...
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1answer
4k views
Singing the words to one song along with the music for another - what is this called?
Years ago I was setting out chairs during a pre-show rehearsal and since it was before everyone was due (rehearsal was scheduled to start in about five to ten minutes), folks were just playing around ...
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3answers
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Replacing words in the vocals of a recorded song
I am a middle school teacher and we are trying to play the song Roar by Katy Perry at our pretest pep rally. I was wondering if there is any way I can edit the song lyrics to say lion instead of tiger,...
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2answers
500 views
How does one remember epic song lyrics?
I would just like to know how one would go about memorizing long song lyrics. 10 minute + epics for example.
More specifically something like this: (Crystallised)
http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/...
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1answer
199 views
What's the term for speaking fast in a verse
Question: Is there any term for the singing style of saying a lot of words very fast in a verse, as if you tried to squeeze what are clearly too many words in that verse?
Is it just called rapping?
...
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3answers
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Stress in music
I am currently reading up on songwriting and am confused by the idea of stress in music. I understand it will be necessary to match the lyrics word stress with the music beat stress but dont know how ...
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8answers
5k views
Is writing lyrics similar to writing poetry?
I'm having trouble writing my first lyrics for a song. I think the main point I'm having difficulty with is how a lyric sentence is written? I know it's not written like a novel but similar to a poem ...
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4answers
2k views
A Major Key Song for a Sad Lyrics - a Mismatch?
Isn't it odd that I Dreamed a Dream, a very sad song from "Les Misérables", is written in a major key? Isn't it a mismatch between the lyrics and the music?
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7answers
733 views
Tricks and techniques for memorising songs
I've been googling and, unfortunately, coming up short in search of techniques, methods, systems or just simple tricks for how to memorise songs. I'm currently on a writing spree (I play the guitar ...
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1answer
648 views
Notes in small font
Is there a name for the notes that appear in smaller size in sheet music? Not grace notes, but rather notes to accompany alternative words in lyrics in different verses that require slight variations ...
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7answers
5k views
Good way to remember lyrics when covering songs?
I play covers of mainstream or rock music, which allows for alot of improv so there generally doesn't require much effort in terms of learning the music. Just kind of learn the song structure and ...
