Lyrics
Rhyme Scheme
- Definition
- A rhyme scheme is the pattern formed by which lines in a lyric rhyme with one another, often mapped using letters such as AABB or ABAB.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Songwriting stage
- writing
In practice
To identify a rhyme scheme, each line ending is labeled with a letter, and lines sharing the same letter rhyme with each other. An AABB scheme rhymes the first two lines together and the next two together, while an ABAB scheme alternates rhymes between every other line. Different schemes create different senses of pacing and closure across a verse.
Songwriters choose a rhyme scheme partly by instinct and partly by genre convention, then often vary it slightly between sections, using a tighter scheme in the chorus for memorability and a looser one in the verses for storytelling flexibility. Deliberately breaking an established rhyme scheme at a key moment can also draw extra attention to a specific line.
Example
A verse follows an ABAB rhyme scheme, with lines one and three rhyming on 'window' and 'shadow,' and lines two and four rhyming on 'door' and 'before,' giving the verse a steady, alternating pattern.