The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    Some compositions include lyrics.
    If you ever do any of that sort, how do you format your lyric sheets?

    I've looked around online and found several different answers. Some may be full of wisdom and others may be full of beans but I don't know which is which.

    I'm typing up lyrics for 75 songs and figured I might as well decide on a format and do them all the same way.

    My default is single spaced with an indent for the chorus and a double-indent for the bridge.

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  3. #2

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    I know nothing about this, but I have known singers with notebooks of lyrics of hundreds of songs. If I was a singer, I think I would want all the lyrics to appear consistent - probably all in a single large clear font, same line spacing, same distinctive indications among verse, chorus, bridge, interlude, intro, ending, etc.

    I guess what I'm suggesting is to do that, I would collect the lyrics as text files and use the computer to format them all identically to my preferred look and layout.. then print, punch holes or place in plastic pages, and put in a ring binder. You should definitely ask around; you may find that whatever you might settle on as a format may likely be redone, a little differently, by each singer. The preference might be just a raw text file with word wrap to chunk the sections so they can quickly edit it to their own specification.

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by pauln
    I know nothing about this, but I have known singers with notebooks of lyrics of hundreds of songs. If I was a singer, I think I would want all the lyrics to appear consistent - probably all in a single large clear font, same line spacing, same distinctive indications among verse, chorus, bridge, interlude, intro, ending, etc.

    I guess what I'm suggesting is to do that, I would collect the lyrics as text files and use the computer to format them all identically to my preferred look and layout.. then print, punch holes or place in plastic pages, and put in a ring binder. You should definitely ask around; you may find that whatever you might settle on as a format may likely be redone, a little differently, by each singer. The preference might be just a raw text file with word wrap to chunk the sections so they can quickly edit it to their own specification.
    Not sure I understand the question, but I have a vocal book and here's what I did.

    3 ring binder with plastic sheet protectors.

    Each song has 5 copies of the lead sheet and one copy of the lyric.

    The lyric is printed on one page in the biggest font that will fit for that song. I don't want to have to squint at a lyric in front of an audience.

    I try to start each phrase on a new line. I guess that could be ambiguous, but I guess I get close enough. I suppose you could think about a certain number of bars per line, but I don't think that way when I'm singing (even though I can read).

    There's an argument for printing on, I think, 28 lb paper, because it stands up better on a music stand, but I don't bother.

  5. #4

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    The lyric sheets I created for myself only have the first 3 or 4 words for each verse. It is very easy for me to memorize things.

    But when I'm singing without any lyric sheet I would tend to say the verses either out of order, or mixing them up (e.g. half of one, with the other half of the next etc..).

    With the first 3 or 4 words the memory kicks in for the rest and I'm able to sing the song with the correct lyrics in the right order. E.g. With regards to 'the right order', often that doesn't matter but it does for The Ballad of John and Yoko; Without those first 3 or 4 words I had the couple traveling in Europe all out of order!!!

  6. #5

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    Hm, what would the most readable font? Maybe google knows

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by emanresu
    Hm, what would the most readable font? Maybe google knows
    I think Helvetica.
    Times New Roman and Calibri and Arial are widely accepted.

    If you're doing the lyric sheet for yourself, pick whatever you like.
    If you're doing it to submit to a potential publisher, there are other considerations...

    Once upon a time, writers used Courier font. It's the font used for this cap:
    Lyric Sheet Formats-writer-cap-jpg
    That's when people used typewriters. (This font is easy to read because each letter occupies the same amount of space. If you type up five pages in this font and then type the same material in Times New Roman, it won't take five pages. Newspapers want the smallest font they can use but that middle-aged people and older can read without strain.)

    Courier New was the default in some early writing software programs.

    Song lyrics are different because everyone is using a computer and there is some flexibility with fonts. (I think Courier New might look odd to someone in the song publishing business.)

    Times New Roman was once the default in Microsoft WORD and many use that. Calibri is the default now, and I think many use that too.