---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes I'll try something on piano and…"
description: "\"Sometimes I'll try something on piano and move to guitar, but usually that comes after scratching down some ideas for lyrics.\" — Melody Gardot"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/melody-gardot-4469_guitar_sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-an_1225295.jpg"
---

#  Sometimes I'll try something on piano and move to guitar…

![“Sometimes I'll try something on piano and move to guitar, but usually that comes after scratching down some ideas for lyrics.” quote by Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/melody-gardot-4469_guitar_sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-an_1225295.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/melody-gardot-4469_guitar_sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-an_1225295.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/melody-gardot-4469_guitar_sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-an_1225295.jpg)

> “Sometimes I'll try something on piano and move to guitar, but usually that comes after scratching down some ideas for lyrics.”

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Creative ideas often start with lyrics before exploring instrumentation, leading to richer compositions.

**In simple terms:** Lyrics precede music choices.

Key Takeaway

Write lyrics first, then match instruments.

Themes

creativity songwriting process

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

advice process

When to use this quote

- songwriting sessions
- collaborative jam
- personal composition

Key Concepts

artistic flow instrumentation ly expression

Questions to Reflect On

- How does lyric writing shape your musical choices?
- Can you start with melody and still capture the same depth?

A Different Perspective

May limit spontaneous instrumental discovery.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Lyrics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrics/) [Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/)

## Related quotes

> [I have a piano and a guitar, and I tend to switch back and forth between those two instruments to help me get inspired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lennon/i-have-a-piano-and-a-guitar-and-i-tend-to-switch-back-and-forth/)

[Sean Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lennon/)

> [My hobbies are playing piano and guitar, pining for girls, worrying about climate change, pining for girls, and the poetry of John Keats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-veitch/my-hobbies-are-playing-piano-and-guitar-pining-for-girls-worrying/)

[James Veitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-veitch/)

> [I do radio gigs, three-minute spots, solo shows, so I still get plenty of practice at the sniper attack - me at a piano…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-grammer/i-do-radio-gigs-three-minute-spots-solo-shows-so-i-still-get-plenty/)

[Andy Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-grammer/)

> [I've played piano and guitar when I was younger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-wilson/i-ve-played-piano-and-guitar-when-i-was-younger/)

[Debra Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-wilson/)

> [I am saying what comes out, because I'm really not a methodical writer. I'm not a good building writer, where you are like "well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fitzsimmons/i-am-saying-what-comes-out-because-i-m-really-not-a-methodical-writer/)

[William Fitzsimmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fitzsimmons/)

> [I sit around and play acoustic guitar - usually acoustic, sometimes electric, occasionally piano, but more often guitar, just trying to come up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-sit-around-and-play-acoustic-guitar-usually-acoustic-sometimes/)

[Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/)

> [Before I even pick up a guitar, usually the words are done. So I'm not first and foremost a musician. I'm first and foremost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-dacus/before-i-even-pick-up-a-guitar-usually-the-words-are-done-so-i-m-not/)

[Lucy Dacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-dacus/)

> [If I am feeling musical and I pick up the guitar, usually something will eventually come out and I'll see where it goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fitzsimmons/if-i-am-feeling-musical-and-i-pick-up-the-guitar-usually-something/)

[William Fitzsimmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fitzsimmons/)

> [One day, I would love to learn how to play piano and guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-bowie/one-day-i-would-love-to-learn-how-to-play-piano-and-guitar/)

[Tori Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-bowie/)

> [I play piano and guitar and I do write my own stuff so to a certain extent I know what I want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-fleeshman/i-play-piano-and-guitar-and-i-do-write-my-own-stuff-so-to-a-certain/)

[Richard Fleeshman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-fleeshman/)

> [My first instrument is piano, I play some piano and guitar. So my solo music is more like real singer/songwriter type stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-jean/my-first-instrument-is-piano-i-play-some-piano-and-guitar-so-my-solo/)

[Nikki Jean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-jean/)

> [For a female artist, it takes a lot more to be taken seriously if you're not sat down at a piano or with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dua-lipa/for-a-female-artist-it-takes-a-lot-more-to-be-taken-seriously-if-you/)

[Dua Lipa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dua-lipa/)

> [All day long you write little ideas on the piano and the guitar, but sometimes all you have to do is come in, set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-granduciel/all-day-long-you-write-little-ideas-on-the-piano-and-the-guitar-but/)

[Adam Granduciel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-granduciel/)

> [A lot of the songs are written on piano or guitar, so I contribute, and I have done so since the beginning. So it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-corr/a-lot-of-the-songs-are-written-on-piano-or-guitar-so-i-contribute-and/)

[Caroline Corr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-corr/)

> [I'm really getting better at guitar. I'm not trapped behind a piano. You can get out and move with a guitar and still direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-king/i-m-really-getting-better-at-guitar-i-m-not-trapped-behind-a-piano/)

[Carole King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-king/)

## More by Melody Gardot

> [Baby I'm a fool who thinks it's cool to fall in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/baby-i-m-a-fool-who-thinks-it-s-cool-to-fall-in-love/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [With someone like Cole Porter, Perry Como, Louis Armstrong, or Bessie Smith, you had people who understood emotion, could translate it into a melodic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/with-someone-like-cole-porter-perry-como-louis-armstrong-or-bessie/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [Music is the universal language; it is the soundtrack to our existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/music-is-the-universal-language-it-is-the-soundtrack-to-our-existence/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [I'll write whenever I can and I'll use whatever instrument is around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/i-ll-write-whenever-i-can-and-i-ll-use-whatever-instrument-is-around/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [It's just incredible to be working alongside with the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, sharing the story of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/it-s-just-incredible-to-be-working-alongside-with-the-emmett-till/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [I'm a bad walker but I can dance tango. You know why? Put your hand up. Push on my fingertips and just hold it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/i-m-a-bad-walker-but-i-can-dance-tango-you-know-why-put-your-hand-up/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [Not doing music period is the death of a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/not-doing-music-period-is-the-death-of-a-musician/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [Alber Elbaz really understands the female body and his designs are so flattering to the female form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/alber-elbaz-really-understands-the-female-body-and-his-designs-are-so/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [I mostly wear black with occasional contrast and splashes of colour. I love my curves but I like fitted rather than tight clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/i-mostly-wear-black-with-occasional-contrast-and-splashes-of-colour-i/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [I love how my life is turning out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/i-love-how-my-life-is-turning-out/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [Do a Christmas record!' NO! Call Michael Buble! I'm not saying there's something wrong with that. But that's not me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/do-a-christmas-record-no-call-michael-buble-i-m-not-saying-there-s/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [Writing is something I take very seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/writing-is-something-i-take-very-seriously/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [I'm a free person. I don't want to be tied down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/i-m-a-free-person-i-don-t-want-to-be-tied-down/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [People can't accept when you change sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/people-can-t-accept-when-you-change-sometimes/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

> [I didn't ask to be a musician, but I see the responsibility of it and I am grateful for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/i-didn-t-ask-to-be-a-musician-but-i-see-the-responsibility-of-it-and/)

[Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

[Explore all 110 Melody Gardot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/)

## More Guitar quotes

> [I'll tell you one thing: I will always play the sh\*\* out of my guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/i-ll-tell-you-one-thing-i-will-always-play-the-sh-out-of-my-guitar/)

[Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/)

> [I remember people would talk about Country Music like it was this sexist, lame thing. Well, no, because Dolly Parton is writing songs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neko-case/i-remember-people-would-talk-about-country-music-like-it-was-this/)

[Neko Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neko-case/)

> [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/)

[Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/)

> [Growing up in Dallas, my first influences on the guitar were T-Bone Walker and Les Paul. T-Bone taught me how to play lead guitar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/growing-up-in-dallas-my-first-influences-on-the-guitar-were-t-bone/)

[Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/)

> [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/)

[Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/)

> [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/)

[Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/)

> [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/)

[Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/)

> [I play, like, 12 instruments. Guitar, piano, harmonica, African drums... I'm working on mastering the accordion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-grabeel/i-play-like-12-instruments-guitar-piano-harmonica-african-drums-i-m/)

[Lucas Grabeel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-grabeel/)

> [I learned tabla for three years when in school, then started picking up the basics of the acoustic guitar when in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupam-roy/i-learned-tabla-for-three-years-when-in-school-then-started-picking/)

[Anupam Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupam-roy/)

> [I took guitar lessons and recorded the song in New York. It was kind of a dream. I got to pretend I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-took-guitar-lessons-and-recorded-the-song-in-new-york-it-was-kind/)

[Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/)

> [There's a need for music that has urgency and emotional honesty. That's why people are reintroducing themselves to guitar music - that instrument has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mura-masa/there-s-a-need-for-music-that-has-urgency-and-emotional-honesty-that/)

[Mura Masa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mura-masa/)

> [I like to be quiet and play guitar and just chill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/post-malone/i-like-to-be-quiet-and-play-guitar-and-just-chill/)

[Post Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/post-malone/)

> [My first proper 'Here's your guitar, Joseph' was a 1981 Chiquita, one of those Erlewine travel guitars. And it was good for a four-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/my-first-proper-here-s-your-guitar-joseph-was-a-1981-chiquita-one-of/)

[Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/)

> [Kenny Burrell is the grand master of jazz guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dizzy-gillespie/kenny-burrell-is-the-grand-master-of-jazz-guitar/)

[Dizzy Gillespie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dizzy-gillespie/)

> [Because of my background, I never felt comfortable with these R&amp;B divas, but I'd hate to be just some pensive girl with a guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-bailey-rae/because-of-my-background-i-never-felt-comfortable-with-these-r-b/)

[Corinne Bailey Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-bailey-rae/)

[Browse all 3,915 Guitar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Sometimes I'll try something on piano and move to guitar, but usually that comes after scratching down some ideas for lyrics.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Melody Gardot"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-and-move-to-guitar-but-usually/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Guitar"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-and-move-to-guitar-but-usually/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/melody-gardot-4469_guitar_sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-an_1225295.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/melody-gardot-4469_guitar_sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-an_1225295.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f3/melody-gardot-4469_guitar_sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-an_1225295.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sometimes I'll try something on piano and move to guitar, but usually that comes after scratching down some…” — Melody Gardot",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Melody Gardot",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Sometimes I'll try something on piano...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-and-move-to-guitar-but-usually/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/sometimes-i-ll-try-something-on-piano-and-move-to-guitar-but-usually/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
