JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Why are there so many lyric-only folks?

Kevin,

Your header is "Why are there so many lyric-only folks?"

...and in the body of your opening post is

"It seems to me that any aspiring songwriter has to (mandatory, required, no excuses) learn how to play the piano or guitar to at least make suitable work tapes.

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So it seems to me that there is a hidden assumption here. That being that "ALL lyricists are aspiring songwriters", and to this I can say that this assumption is entirely false.

There are some lyricists that wish they knew music and of these many rectify their situations.

Many, however, are happy to work with composers. One definition of symbiosis is "any interdependent or mutually beneficial relationship between two persons, groups." And so many lyricists and composers find value in the old-fashioned concept of... "working together"...

When one can work on either music or lyric, I think one can put a lot more concentrated energy into such an endeavor, and concentrated energy usually results in better work than static energy. It's known as "focus", and isn't focus easier when one can "clear the deck" for it, and isn't "clearing the deck" easier when one has less on deck?

It is hard for one to lift oneself up by one's bootstraps, and so it is hard to "surprise" oneself in a solo situation, whereas the element of surprise and "stuff happening that you alone would never have thought of" is part and parcel of songwriting teams. In a word: they are fun, and they promote trust, compromise, and many other interpersonal skills.

Should a lyricist know something about music? Goes without saying, but nothing beyond a little theory need be known. But you pose the question, "why aren't they "doin' it for themselves", and this is what I have been addressing here.

Mike