Chapter 15: Form Follows Function

[cool_E]

Chapter 15: Form Follows Function

 

From Pat Pattison's "Writing Better Lyrics"

 

Pat introduces the term PROSODY (prahz-a-dee)

 

Prosody means that elements are working together for a common

purpose. Matching stressed notes and stressed syllables or having

the lyric phrase lengths and rhyme schemes supporting the song's

emotion.

 

Pat goes through an example of a song verse. His example

begins with a 6 line section where the three lines preceding

the end all have the same end rhyme as well as an internal

rhyme. These fast rhymes slam the ideas home and put us

into emotional overdrive.

 

Pat then changes the lyric removing rhymes, lengthening

lines etc. until all prosody is removed.

 

Pat then discusses the principle of contrast. Simply put each

part of a song has a function. The verses develop the story,

situation or characters. The chorus summarizes. Since song

parts have different functions they should have different forms

(i.e. length, meter, rhyme scheme). Pat then analyzes a song

lyric in which the chorus and verse have approximately the

same form. This creates a boring, ho-hum lyric.

 

Exercise:

 

Pull out one of your old lyrics.

Write down the rhyme scheme, meter (number of stressed syllables

per line) for each line in each verse & chorus.

 

Is the chorus different from the verses? Does the meter & rhyme

scheme help to build emotion? Do the elements work well

together? Re-write the lyric (or at least part of it) to achieve

better prosody.