Estimated reading time 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Tired of writing cliché rhymes in your songs? Want to know more about rhyming? Rhyming in songs seems straightforward. However, a lot more craftsmanship needs to go into it than it seems. Learn Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting will start you down the path toward your goal.
This article uses literary terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Discussing Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting
In Learn Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting, we’re going to take a look at the different types of rhymes. Let’s start with some basic ones.
Pure Rhymes:
With pure rhymes, only the first sound changes.
fork/stork, chair/bear, red/bed
This type of rhyme can be one of the strongest forms of rhyming, certainly the most obvious. To find them, you can simply go through the alphabet.
Slant Rhymes:
Some would say that slant rhymes should not be called rhymes at all. Instead, they’d call it assonance. Slant rhymes happen when the vowel sounds remain constant, and the beginning and ending consonants change. This makes for a softer, less obvious rhyme. Often the ending consonants will be similar in sound.
bask/cast, web/bed, con/bomb
While slant rhymes do not sound as strong as pure rhymes, they can help you get away from cliché word choices and forced rhymes.
Also, they can be good when you want something a little more subtle than a pure rhyme. Pure rhymes often seem to clunk into place.
Multiples: Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting
The next topic we’ll look at in Learn Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting has to do with the number of syllables that rhyme.
Single Rhymes:
As the name says, it may have only one syllable that rhymes.
cry/dry, cloud/loud, feel/heal
However, it can also include multiple syllable words where the last syllable rhymes.
kowtow/hoosegow, coincide/Eastertide
Double Rhymes:
With this two-syllable rhyme the stress must fall on the first syllable. Also, the vowels and consonants, except for the leading consonant, must match.
wading/fading
Triple Rhymes:
Triple rhymes work like double rhymes, but now with three syllables.
compliance/defiance
Specialty Rhymes: Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting
Now Learn Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting will take the rhyming to the next level.
Internal Rhymes:
Very common in country music, this technique has you rhyme within the line.
It ain’t no sin trying to win.
Joined Rhymes:
Similar to an internal rhyme, a joined rhyme begins the second line with the rhyme while retaining the line ending rhymes as well.
I’m looking for food
Dude holding back is rude
Extended Rhymes:
Extended rhymes contain a word-pair where one of the words has an extra syllable. They prove useful when you need more rhyming options.
cut/gutless, blunt/hunted, sun/runner
Repeated Words:
While not strictly a rhyme, repeated words can sometime be effective when a rhyme won’t do.
Avoid These Rhymes: Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting
This section of Learn Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting talks about what not to do when rhyming.
Eye Rhymes:
It looks like the words should rhyme, but they don’t. They should be avoided in pop lyrics.
care/caress, boot/soot
Homonyms:
Here we see another non-rhyme. Homonyms contain the same sounds with different spellings and meanings.
More often than not, you avoid them, unless you have the rare situation where repeated words represents the best option. In that case, homonyms might work too.
pair/pear, time/thyme
Moon/June Rhymes:
Mobile Users: the following lyrics look better if you rotate your phone 90o to the right.
Moon/June rhymes equals cliché and hackneyed rhymes. You identify them when the listener can predict your rhyme. In fact, the best way to test for lazy rhyming: see if you can guess what comes next.
For example:
Hear we stand beneath the moon
My heart aches, you’re leaving (cliché rhyme)
But now, in pale light, clasped hand in hand
Against the world we’ll make our (cliché rhyme)
And after you’re gone, I will be blue
But to our love I will stay (cliché rhyme)
Moon/June rhymes are deadly to a song. At best, your lyrics lose impact. At worst, your listener becomes board and tunes out your song.
Always dig deeper with your rhymes and constantly look for something beyond the easiest first option. Striving for better represents the craft of songwriting at its best.
Forced Rhymes:
Be careful not to force a rhyme just because you don’t have any other word that will fit. Doing this yields bad word choices and can also lead to oddly inverted lines. Slant rhymes can help relieve the pressure to force rhymes.
Conclusion
Do you want to take your rhyming to the next level? In this last section of Learn Rhyme and Reason in Songwriting, I’ll leave you with two more tips:
- If you’re going to take songwriting seriously, you need a good rhyming dictionary. Of course, these days you can find free rhyming dictionaries online.
- Chapter three of Pat Pattison’s Writing Better Lyrics talks about what Pattison calls family rhymes. Chapter three contains a chart of family rhymes designed to help you create slant rhymes out of similar consonants.
Good luck and have fun writing.
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
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Glossary
Why It’s So Hard for Someone with a Good Ear to Learn Sheet Music
Do you want to learn how to read music, but just can’t? Are you a teacher that has students with good ears who struggle with reading? Having a good ear can be a two-edged sword. The student can pick up music quickly by ear. However, the same strength can create challenges for score reading. Read more to learn why it’s so hard for someone with a good ear to learn to read sheet music. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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How to Harmonize in Minor Keys
Do you have a hard time singing minor keys in tune? According to Hagerman and Sundberg, minor thirds are almost as hard to tune by ear as major seconds, and much harder than major thirds. However, sing-along song tracks can help! Read more to learn how to harmonize in minor keys. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Songwriting – Let Her Scream
Do your lyrics lack powerful emotions? Do you want to learn how to write using stronger images? Take Mark Twain’s advice, “Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.” The first of Twain’s sentences uses abstract language, but the second uses concrete images instead. Simply put, when you describe a scene, you need to show it rather than tell it. "Songwriting - Let Her Scream" shows you how. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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How to Use Color Coded Note Head Extenders for LD and Special Needs Rhythm Learning
Have you ever had students who don’t hold their notes long enough? This remains a very common problem with all students, not just with ADD, LD, and special needs students. Read more to find out how color coded note head extenders can help your students to read rhythm better. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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