#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Do you prefer Lyrics or Instrumentals, has the Song remained the same?

I was just commenting on Thorsten Hinrichsen's "Oh my dear my Reindeer" instrumental album, the question came into my mind do people prefer vocal or instrumental songs, in my view doing instrumentals is very difficult, it is harder than doing songs with lyrics as there has to be plenty of strong phrases and riffs in there to keep the listener's attention!

I sometimes add the odd instrumental in an album, not to make the numbers up but just because some pieces don't need lyrics, there is plenty to say without words but it has to be busy enough to hold the listener's attention otherwise it could just become background music.

Many artists such as Justin Johnson have mastered the instrumental and they prefer to play these all the time - I have yet to hear him sing...one day maybe ! ;-)

Justin packs a lot of technique and interesting twists and turns into his pieces and has mastered the skill of holding the listener's attention, usually if you're singing lyrics people will listen, especially if you include a catchy chorus, some lyrics from classic well known songs are so strong they would stand up without any music at all, they would stand alone as poems, is a song just a poem with music?

Up until the 50's, 60's and into the 70's it seemed to be all about the lyrics, there was always a story in the song, many modern pop songs rely on very few lyrics, just a repeated phrase matched to a riff, good for dancers and Gym users but has the popular music song been dumbed down?

Interested to hear your thoughts! :-)

4 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on January 25, 2015 at 9:59am

why thank you Patrick - around 60 songs and instrumentals on, I still reckon the first one was the hardest, go for it! write about what bugs you or things you know, keep a recorder notebook (cellphone will do) :-)

it is the support from my friends here on the Nation and playing live that keeps the ball rolling :-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jim_N on January 25, 2015 at 12:37pm

“To be is to do” - Socrates.

“To do is to be"- Jean-Paul Sartre.

♫ Do be do be do ♫ - Frank Sinatra.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on January 25, 2015 at 9:04pm

:-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on January 25, 2015 at 12:10pm

Patrick, I'm on a mac and have a program called 'iMovie'. Not sure what you would have on windows. It's a program that lets me recored video right from the camera and mic on the computer. Someone turned me onto this idea and I swear by it. Record a short movie of your idea. That way you can SEE what you did. Always say what tuning your using. Personally I have over 150 ideas and progression of ideas on my computer. I actually counted. : ) A digital camera or cel phone will work just as well.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Patrick Curley on January 25, 2015 at 8:16pm

Thanks Rat. I will try that (on my mac!!!).

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Diglydog on January 25, 2015 at 10:30pm

I think that the way we use music has changed a lot. I can remember buying an album, reading the cover notes and admiring the artwork, and then sitting down and listening to it. Not doing anything else, just listening to it. Good lyrics and the quality of reproduction were important.

Today, music often forms a backdrop to something else. It's just something to numb one of your senses and people have their iThing on 'shuffle' or compile their own playlists. As long as it has a catchy beat, it's fine. As Steve T mentioned, modern music is digital. File size and bandwidth are important for storage and digital broadcast, so the sound is compressed. We have the finest production equipment ever, yet our music is distinctly lo-fi.

A lot of music has become just another commercial opportunity. Large corporations or wealthy individuals are happy to make a fast buck out of the latest poster boys or girls and move on. The 'Somewhere's Got Talent' series of programmes is the epitome of this.

For me, the lyrics are important and a talented vocalist with good lyrics hold my attention. And, yes, when I have a bit of time, I'll still sit down and listen to an album all the way through.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on January 26, 2015 at 4:11am

ironically with the CD the opportunity to listen to the album all the way through is greater than the LP by not having to get up to flip it half way through, except with the CD you get an hour, plus another half hour of outtakes and remixes = numb bum! ;-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Keith on January 26, 2015 at 5:27am

I would love to hear an instrumental album that pulls you in an emotional journey. I love concept albums, lyrical or instrumental doesn't matter to me but if your album is also a book with a begining middle and end then it will be to me either great art or campy, both of which I love, I also love the ones that try for high art, take themselves far too seriously and fail hard into campy ( mr roboto anyone?) just my taste but take me on a journey and I'll go with you.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jim_N on January 26, 2015 at 6:15am

Keith > Don't know if you're familiar with his music, but maybe check out Jean-Luc Ponty (violin/jazz fusion). One of my favorites of his is "Mystical Adventures" album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_s7P11NHRk

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Scott aka Farmer Ted on January 26, 2015 at 5:47am

Call me old fashioned...but to me, most of today's pop music sucks the proverbial ring piece, and is better suited for elevator shafts and parking structures...not over the radio waves. Doesn't really matter to me whether a song is lyrical, instrumental, or both. I avoid rap & hip hop like a festering boil...country-western-honky tonk music makes me break out in a rash, and imho, any one using auto tune should be forced to listen to bag pipe music for 72 hours non-stop, dialed to 12, then given a face-to-face serenade from Kenny G, accompanied by a duet from Julio Iglesias, and Sponge Bob Square Pants for another 3 day binge.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Diglydog on January 26, 2015 at 7:29am

I think that pop music has always contained it's share of rubbish - right from the 1950s to today. It's just that I listen to today's mass market music and can't imagine any of it enduring.

We watched a programme on TV the other night about Queen's best songs. They were an amazing band. A real wall of sound from just 4 people, all of whom were talented musicians who could write excellent songs. The same could be said for several other rock bands up to the 1990s.

There doesn't seem to be any bands or artists around these days that will match the lasting appeal of outfits like Queen, the Stones, the Beatles etc, whatever genre they come from.

Or maybe I just don't get out enough.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by c# merle on January 26, 2015 at 10:02am

you don't get out enough. there's amazing stuff going on musically but you won't hear any of it on the 'mainstream'. guys need to stop glorifying the past or the future will dry up...though fat bottomed girls is a great bit of rock n roll