Welcome to part 2 of the epic 3 piece saga : Magnificent Multis and Schemes.
To be honest I had some doubts about how the last blog entry would be digested.
Happy to say the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
It seems people are hungry for knowledge, so let me just say a quick thank you for your support and get straight into it.
This blog I’ll share how I change rhyme schemes throughout a standard 16 bar verse and also how I incorporate multi-syllable rhyme patterns.
Lets recap the basics:
16 bars in a standard verse
10ish syllables per bar
A rule of thumb I use when writing as well is the 4:4 rule.
Meaning 4 bars per rhyme scheme, 4 schemes per verse.
I’ll give an example:
1. (I write) rhymes to vent when my minds a mess
2. When my tightened hands stretch into primal flesh
3. Like that dynamite grind and the 90s meshed
4. A cyanide kept in a vipers chest
(Change)
5. Check, music thrives as this dude abides
6. Abuse mics like the wives of abusive dykes
Ok cool. So let’s break it down.
Bars 1-4 have the rhyme scheme of rhymes (i) and vent (e)
Tightened mess
Primal flesh
So on the 5th bar the rhyme scheme changes – just to mix it up.
So I’ll take the ending rhyme, loop it into the start of the 5th bar and create a new scheme.
Bar 4 ends with flesh (e)
Bar 5 starts with check (e) then goes onto a new scheme:
Music (u) thrives (i)
Dude abides
I’ll continue this for bars 5 through 8 and change the scheme again.
So this is a basic structure of a 16 bar verse.
4 bars of the same scheme, change schemes for another 4. Rinse and repeat.
Seems easy enough but it took me years of mistakes to learn that basic truth.
Let me just take a moment and say that this is by no means the only way or even the right way to write; I’m just sharing what works for me.
Writing is an individual process and different things work for different people.
Take what you want and leave the rest.
Sweet, so let’s look at multi-syllable rhymes.
I think it’s fair to say this is a skill that elevates spit game. It’s no secret that Eminem is one of my greatest influences. And one thing that Em does as good as – if not better than – other emcees is flex multis in bars.
Ok so let me give an example of what I’m talking about when referring to multis. This from Eminems ground-breaking Slim Shady Lp – ‘Come on Everybody’
1. Guess I’m just a sick, sick bastard
2. Who’s one sandwich short of a picnic basket (I ain’t got it all)
3. One Excedrin tablet short of a full medicine cabinet
4. I feel like my head has been shredded like lettuce and cabbage
Lots going on here. So let’s break these bars down.
Sick sick bastard (I, I, A,)
Picnic basket (I.I,A)
What he does with the last 2 bars is incredible.
Excedrin tablet short of a full medicine cabinet (E, A, E, A)
I feel like my head has been shredded like lettuce and cabbage (E, E, E, A)
So not only has he rhymed multi syllables – he’s built an inside multi rhyme scheme while still looping the use of the vowel A at the end of each bar.
Dude is a beast.
Let me just branch off for a moment and talk about the use of vowels.
I’ve given this a lot of thought and these are my thoughts so far.
5 vowels A,E,I,O,U
5 vowels that can rhyme in at least 5 different ways per vowel.
Example:
Good, govern, go, – 3 words using the letter ‘o’ with 3 completely different sounds. More importantly :
3 different ways to rhyme.
Take this concept and apply it to every word, vowel and syllable combination and suddenly it opens the door to a countless number of dope rhymes.
Lets recap magnificent multis
16 bars x verse
10ish syllables x bar
4 x bars per schemes
4 x schemes per 16
As many fuckin multis as you can!
Let me leave you with a scheme from one of my tracks ‘Madman’. This is some of my best work..if I do say so myself.
Peace, pieced in a fractured mind
Captured fragments of the rapture with an axe to grind
Written chapters in the havoc
Scribbled passages of madness
Hidden shackles of the black, cracked practiced lies
So we’ve covered a fair bit in the last 2 blogs. The 3rd and final instalment I’ll be dedicating purely to my process of writing hooks.
Methods to your madness of a madman… Blueprints on how to create lyrical art written with your bad hand.
Thanks for reading homie!
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