Do you know how to use rhyme schemes?
When we use rhyme in writing song lyrics, it helps to keep a rhyme scheme in mind. Rhyme helps give a song a sense of structure and make lines more memorable and catchy.
You may have already studied rhyme schemes in school, but let’s do a quick recap. Look at the lines below:
Twinkle twinkle little star A
How I wonder what you are A
Up above the world so high B
Like a diamond in the sky B
Twinkle twinkle little star A
How I wonder what you are A
The rhyming words appear at the end of each line, which is the most common type of rhyme. Each line is labelled with an alphabetical letter, and the lines that share rhyming words are labelled with the same letter. We then use that sequence of letters to describe the rhyme scheme.
Therefore, in the example above, as lines 1, 2, 5, and 6 all rhyme (star/are), and lines 3 and 4 rhyme (high/sky), we would call this rhyme scheme AABBAA.
Here’s another example:
Finding me outside A
I can’t fall asleep B
How my body aches C
How I’ve fallen deep B
This rhyme scheme is ABCB. Only lines 2 and 4 rhyme (asleep/deep), so we only label them as the same letter.
Changing up the types of rhyme schemes you use is a good way to keep your writing fresh. Have a go at the tasks below…
BEGINNERS
- Listen to a favourite song of yours, and write down the lyrics of the chorus, or look them up online. Label the rhyme scheme.
- Write four lines of lyrics using the rhyme scheme AABB. Then try again, using the rhyme scheme AABA.
- Make up your own 6 line rhyme scheme, and write some lyrics using that!
INTERMEDIATES
- Listen to a favourite song of yours, and write down the lyrics of the song, or look them up online. Label the rhyme scheme of the whole song, and notice how it changes between each section – verse, chorus, pre-chorus, etc.
- Write some lyrics using a more challenging rhyme scheme – for example, ABCBDB
- Write a song where the chorus, verse and middle section all use the same rhyme scheme.
- Write a song where the chorus, verse and middle section all use DIFFERENT rhyme schemes.
We’d love you to enter your songs into The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 competition. It’s a great opportunity to get your songs heard and connect to other young songwriters around the world….as well as winning some fantastic prizes!
