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Rhyme or Reason: Part 3
By Mary Dawson
I believe it was Mark Twain who once commented:
Anybody can write the first line of a poem. The trick is to make
the second line rhyme with the first.
...which brings us to the next installment on the often-frustrating, sometimes-gratifying.
always-intriguing subject of Rhyme.
In our last two segments we've been studying words that can be combined to
produce rhymes and the difference between Perfect Rhymes and Near Rhymes. While
there are a still many "perfectionists" who don't accept Near Rhymes as being quite
legitimate, I -- for one -- love the new freedom they allow the lyricist. I have
previously defined Near Rhymes as words that surprise the ear with their unexpected
compatibility. In other words, they sound "enough alike" to satisfy the ear's desire
for sound similarity while simultaneously allowing an unending supply of vocabulary
words to express the core idea of a great song.
But it's not just a matter of finding words that rhyme. There is also the
very important
matter of rhyme patterns or rhyme schemes formed by the lines
of the lyric. A thorough understanding of the many options available can make the
difference between "just another good song" and a worldwide hit!
Perhaps the most basic of rhyme schemes is the couplet. A couplet is simply two
successive rhymed lines having the same lyrical cadence and forming a unit. The
couplet has been in existence as long as human beings have been writing songs and
it is still a very effective rhyme scheme because it is so easy to remember. Some
of our earliest favorite songs are formed by couplets. Consider this wonderful
lyric (stressed syllables are emphasized)...
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Notice that this very famous, international, generational hit is basically made up
of two simple couplets. Each couplet has two rhyming lines of seven syllables with
four stressed syllables occurring in parallel places. The cadence or lyrical meter
of each line is the same and matches exactly with the cadence of the melody. The
first couplet is repeated at the end as a refrain.
Couplets, of course, can have any number of syllables per line in a variety of
meters. Watch for couplets as you read poetry and listen to songs on the radio,
but be careful that you don't become a "couplet-only" lyricist. Many novice
songwriters overuse the couplet so that it becomes as clichéd and predictable
as overused Perfect Rhymes (love, dove, above). It is wise to combine the couplet
with another rhyme pattern to create interest and prevent boredom. What about
trying a quatrain?
A quatrain is a rhyming unit of four lines rather than two. The most common is
the simple 2/4 Quatrain -- in which lines two and four rhyme with each other but
lines one and three do not. Below is a verse and chorus demonstrating masterful
use of the 2/4 Quatrain. The song, We Will Always Remember, is part of my
publishing catalog. It was written by some Colorado songwriters as a response
to the Columbine Tragedy, but the lyrics seem just as appropriate for September
11, 2001 -- or for any painful loss. The verse section is made up of two 2/4
Quatrains and the chorus is written in the same rhyme scheme. (Again, I've added
stresses to show the cadence of the lyric.)
We Will Always Remember1
On a day like any other
We never knew how much our world would change
Something happens in a moment
That makes us never look at life the same
Though today are hearts are breaking
And time is standing still
We'll face this day together
Knowing that our hope is real
Chorus:
We will always remember
The love that you shared - you touched our lives
We will never forget you
Your memory will always survive
Notice the skilful use of Near Rhymes in the crucial lines two and four. Also
note that in the verse section the quatrains are slightly different from each
other in cadence and number of stressed syllables, yet in each section lines one
and three are similar in rhythm -- as are lines two and four.
OK...so we've learned a couple of good, basic rhyme schemes. Most aspiring songwriters
become comfortable with both the couplet and 2/4 Quatrain and use them frequently
in their songs. In fact, many of the submissions I receive as a publisher or for
consideration on my radio show, I Write the Songs, are written in one of these
two basic rhyme patterns -- and I use both of them often in my own writing. The
couplet and the 2/4 Quatrain can almost be considered 'meat and potatoes' of
effective songwriting because they are very effective and familiar, supplying
rhymes in 'expected' places providing the payoff the listener's ear is waiting for.
But once we have mastered these basics, we need to keep stretching ourselves to
create lyrics that are still more enticing to the ear.
One way to increase the impact of the quatrain is not only to rhyme lines two and four
... but to rhyme lines one and three as well. While the listener's ear does not
demand rhymes on the odd lines, it is pleasantly surprised when they occur and
this extra tightness in the lyric serves to hold the crucial 'listener interest'
all the way to the end of the song. I have termed this technique the Odd/Even
Quatrain to distinguish it from the 2/4 Quatrain (above). Remember that one of
the main reasons we use rhyme at all is to help listeners remember the song. So
if we can use a few more rhymes than are absolutely necessary, the song will be
more memorable. Let me add, however, that we should never sacrifice the meaning
of the natural language just to produce a rhyme. Well-written rhymes should not
"stick out like a sore thumb" but should seem spontaneous, as if they are just
happening as the words flow.
Another little trick is to combine quatrains with couplets to provide contrast.
Perhaps the verse section could be a quatrain and then change to a couplet in the
chorus...or vice versa. Remember, the chorus (which contains the hook/title) should
contrast and stand out from the verses. A change in lyrical cadence and rhyme
pattern can help to provide the lift that will let the listener know we have
arrived at the chorus.
Here's an example of a verse and chorus of one of my own songs, written with
composer Cheryl Bocanegra, which combines the Odd/Even Quatrain with the couplet:
One and Only2
Odd/Even Quatrain:
How did it happen? I don't understand it
Was it a miracle that brought you here to me
All my life I looked for love - I schemed and dreamed and planned it
But I could never find someone to make my life complete
Pre-Chorus Couplet::
Now you're standing here right before my eyes
Don't have to be a genius to recognize
Chorus Of Couplets:
You're a one and only - there's no one quite like you
No one looks at life or looks at me the way you do
No one else can hold me when the world comes crashing in
I can't be lonely when I see your one and only grin
You're a one and only and because your love is mine
You'll be my one and only til the end of time
The song begins with an Odd/Even Quatrain (rhyming lines one and three as well
as lines two and four) followed by a couplet which serves as a 'pre-chorus' build
into the chorus. The chorus continues the rhyme pattern with three sets of couplets
in matching lyrical meter or cadence.
You might also notice that there are some internal rhymes in this lyric -- in other
words, rhymes that occur within a line rather than at the end of it -- such as:
All my life I looked for love - I schemed and dreamed and planned it
-or-
I can't be lonely when I see your one and only grin
Anywhere you can insert a rhyme naturally and still maintain the established meter
or cadence of the line...do it!
One note of caution. Once you establish a lyrical cadence and rhyme pattern in the
first verse, you must be careful to maintain it exactly in verse two. Remember,
the same music will be used for both verses. If the verses don't 'match' lyrically,
it will force the music to 'mutate' and will make the song seem to wander.
As usual, the best way to become fluent in the use of couplets and quatrains is to
study the lyrics of the hits. Take note as to whether or not one of these rhyme
schemes are being used and pay attention to where the stresses fall. Then
write...write...write yourself! If at all possible, try to hold yourself to the
Odd/Even Quatrain and combine quatrains and couplets to provide contrast and interest.
Next time we'll examine more rhyme variations that can add still more interest to
your lyrics. Keep stretching yourself and you'll find yourself growing "rhyme after
rhyme."
1 We Will Always Remember / Words and Music by Cindy Marotta and Sydney Hostetler
© 1999 I Think I Can Music (BMI); All rights reserved. Used by permission
2 One and Only / Words and Music by Mary Dawson and Cheryl Bocanegra
© CQK Music (ASCAP); I Think I Can Music (BMI); All rights reserved. Used by permission.
**From her earliest childhood years writing simple songs
and poems with
her father, through her twelve years as an overseas
missionary, to her present,
multi-faceted
career as an author, lyricist/songwriter and conference speaker,
Mary
has always been adept at using words to communicate her heart to
others.
She is the President of
CQK Records &
Music of Dallas, Texas, a company which creates and
produces songs in a panorama of musical styles for a
variety of audiences,
She is the host of "I Write the Songs,"
a nationally syndicated radio talk show,
especially created to
inspire and instruct the more than 40 million aspiring
songwriters in the U.S.
Mary is a frequent public speaker and seminar lecturer
and teacher of songwriting in her popular Living Room Seminars.
She is a Contributing Editor for The Internet Writing Journal
®. You can visit her website at:
www.cqkmusic.com. You can reach Mary
by email.
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