Weekly Newsletter 7.3.25

Feeling Stuck? Let an Instrumental Track Inspire Your Next Song (The art of toplining!)

Hi Reader,

Have you ever heard a beat or instrumental track and immediately felt a melody bubble up in your chest? That’s the spark of toplining—the art of writing lyrics and melody over an existing musical track.

Whether you're a seasoned songwriter or just stepping into your creativity, toplining is one of the most freeing and fun ways to craft a song. I personally love toplining for these reasons. Here's why it's powerful—and how you can get started.

✨ What is Toplining?

Toplining is the process of writing the vocal melody, lyrics, and phrasing on top of a pre-produced instrumental. In other words, the track comes first—and you bring the story, voice, and soul.

From pop hits to sync placements, many modern songs are created this way. It's collaborative, fast-moving, and incredibly inspiring.

🎧 Why Try Toplining?

• Instant Inspiration: The music gives you a mood and groove to respond to.
  ​
• Creative Focus: No need to start from scratch—you can dive straight into emotion, imagery, and vocal flow.
  ​
• Industry-Ready: Many producers and music libraries look for topliners to complete tracks for placements or artist pitches.
  ​
• Practice Makes Play: It’s one of the best ways to stretch your melodic and lyrical muscles.

🛠 How to Start Toplining

1. Choose a Track That Moves You
   • Pick an instrumental with a vibe you love (moody, upbeat, cinematic—whatever calls you).
2. Feel First, Then Flow
   • Hum melodies. Don’t overthink it. Let your voice “dance” over the beat.
3. Wordless Melodies → Lyrics
   • Start with gibberish or placeholder words. Once the melody is solid, shape lyrics that fit the emotion and rhythm.
4. Build a Hook
   • Your chorus is key. What’s the emotional high point of your topline? Build toward it.
5. Record a Rough Demo
   • Use your phone or DAW to capture ideas quickly. Imperfect is perfect—just get it down.

🔥 Need a Track to Try?

I'll send you a royalty free track in your favorite genre created for toplining practice. Want one? Hit reply, tell me your favorite genre, and I’ll send you a track that you can start writing to today.

You don’t have to wait for the perfect idea to write a song. Let the music lead the way, and trust your instinct to tell the story it inspires.

Here’s to finding your next melody in the rhythm that’s already playing.

To your continued happiness and success,

~Andrea of BLB ✨💜🎶

P.S. Want guided feedback or support around toplining? I offer one-on-one songwriting for healing online sessions click here to book yours today, and let’s create something beautiful together.

​ ​​​

​