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Chapters
1.Counting Bars
2.Rhyme Schemes
3.Wordplay Rapping
1.Count Music/Bars
Music is sounds, combined together in a repetitive manner in a way, which is pleasing to the ear. These sounds are made by instruments right? Now just think of your voice as an instrument on the track. Thats all there is to it. Singers hold melodies, we talk and rhyme, but we both map our voices as just another instrument on a song. Therefore you need a system with which you can “map out”(put) your voice on the instrumental, in any way you want.
Now let me scare you just a bit..One standard song has 3 verses. Each verse is made up of 4 quatrains.Each quotrain is made up of 2 couplets. Each couplet is made up of 2 bars..Confused?!
Okay, press play on this instrumental and read on..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSOsUW3GC80
Are you listening to it? Can you hear the beat? What you have is..
bass drum bass drum
bass drum bass drum
bass drum bass drum
bass drum bass drum (in some beats thats usually the transitional phase, where the melody changes a bit)
and it starts again!
Now just change the basses and drums with numbers from 1 to 4. It goes like..
1 2 3 4 <——-Thats a Bar
1 2 3 4<——-Thats a Bar
1 2 3 4<——-Thats a Bar
1 2 3 4 <——-Thats a Bar
One standard song has 3 verses. Each verse is made up of 4 quatrains.Each quotrain is made up of 2 couplets. Each couplet is made up of 2 bars. Is it clearer than before? I hope so.
Bottom Line-How to Count Music
All you gotta do in order to count bars/music is just to sync in with the speed of the instrumental..and count the 4 beats. Let me give you a good analogy. Are you working out? If not, you should start. Think of it as sets of repetitions. The set is your verse. The repetitions are your bars. You do 16 bars for one verse. Same like doing 16 repetitions for a set.
Why do you need to be able to count bars?
Well, first of all it allows you great freedom when you write. You can start your rap from any place you feel like. Second of all, next lesson I will be telling you: Now I want you to write me a couplet with a rhyme scheme 4-2-4. That means, 2 bars(couplet) with a rhyme on the 4th beat on the first bar and rhymes on the 2nd and 4th beat on the second bar. Hah..Confused? Dont worry..We gon talk about rhyme schemes next time. My point was that its essential to know how to count bars.
2.Rhyme Schemes
It might sound complicated for some of you, but it really isnt. Rhyme scheme is a scheme which determines on which one of the four beats, your rhyme should be placed. Okay lets start with a simple and easy example. Perhaps its gonna get clearer. We gonna start with a basic couplet(2bars).
Right about now I be thinking what to write
Tell me whats ur take am I black am I white
Now what we have here is two bars with their rhyme words(write,white) on the 4th beat of an instrumental. This couplet would have a rhyme scheme of 4-4. Got it? Meaning that when you rap over the instrumental, you say your rhymes at the end of the bar, right on the 4th beat.
Okay..I know some of you got confused. If Im wrong, thats good. If not, I will do another example.
Now if I tell you: I want you to write me a couplet with a rhyme scheme 2-4-4, can you do it?. This means I want you to write me 2 bars. The rhymes of the first bar are going to be placed on the 2nd and 4th beat and the rhyme of the second bar is going to be placed on the 4th beat. It should look something like that-
Man im okay, rhyming all day
Learn how to rap no need to pay
Okay? Rhyme schemes are the technical foundation that you really need, in order to be able to write rhymes freely..all over the instrumental. Drop em where you feel like, without feeling any restraint. So YOU NEED TO LEARN THEM!
Lastly, what if I tell you to write me a couplet with a rhyme scheme 3-1-4? Yes, you guessed it right. You put the first rhyme on the 3th beat, the second one on the 1st beat and the last one, on the 4th beat. It looks like this-
Man you gotta buy a microphone, practice rapping
home, get better to be well known
So what?
Now since you know this, it gives you great freedom to express your creativity. Feel free to start your rap after the 1st, 2nd, 3th or 4th beat. Feel free to put breaks wherever you want.
3.WordPlay Rapping
V Click V
Big L and Jay-Z Freestyle - YouTube
Man, thats just crazy. Most of the freestyle is done with wordplay and I chose to use it, just to show you what kinda sickness you can create when you master this technique. Its one of the most advanced techniques in rapping. It takes time to think of your lyrics, its not easy, but needless to say, its one of the most respected techniques within the rap community. You start using it, you go on another plato. Feel me?
Now let me take a couplet from Big-L so we can analyze it together. First thing he says.
Yo I got slugs for snitches, no love for bitches
puttin thugs in ditches when my trigger finger itches
Okay, think of word play in a similiar way like we did the fast rhyming shit. Its blocks of words, finishing with an end rhyme. However, the difference between fast rapping and wordplay is that in wordplay, you gotta include other rhyme words inbetween the end rhymes. So basically its rhymes within the rhymes, man. I know it sounds complicated, but it really aint.
For example, analyzing the couplet above, he got 2 blocks.
1st Block is (Yo I got slugs for snitches)
2nd Block is (no love for bitches puttin thugs in ditches when my trigger finger itches)
Snitches and itches are the end rhymes(the blocks finish with them)
slugs, no love, bitches, thugs, trigger and finger are the inside rhymes(the rhymes within the borders of the blocks)
You recognize when a block finishes, when the rapper puts a pause on it. I know thats not always the case, but I dont think each and everyone of you is at that point, where he can trully improvise with that technique.
So, let me do the most basic and easy wordplay so I eliminate the confusion. Imma do a couplet where the end rhymes gon be on the 4th beat and the other shit gon be inbetween. Okay, check it out.
Homie you can blow me cuz im sick of talkin with ya
When you see my gun dont try to run cuz Imma get ya
See what I just did?
First bar, I rhymed homie and blow me, WITHIN THE BAR and then I finished with the end rhyme(with ya)
Second bar, I rhymed gun and run, WITHIN THE BAR and then I finished with the end rhyme(get ya)
When you do wordplay, remember that you can put any kinda rhyme within the bar, as long as you put a pause on your end rhyme. Otherwise, you wont be able to define your blocks and its gon get too messy.
1.Bumb a beat. Any beat. Now write a basic 4-4 couplet. For exampe:
Now Im doing wordplay but I wanna go and drink
Show me that you love this and just post my god damn link
lol. So there you go. Now
2. Figure out a way, that you can put some rhymes inside. For example:
Hey im doing wordplay but today I wanna drink
Show me that you love me let them know me post my link
So my first block finishes with (drink), inbetween rhymes(hey, wordplayand today)
My second block finishes with (link), inbetween rhymes(show me, love me and know me)
Thats it. This is basic shit tho. Only imagination restricts you from doing what you wanna be doing. We are at the point where we dont use rules no more. Its all anarchy baby. After you get the hang of the 4-4′s, maybe you gon be able to do something like this: (and im thinkin of this as I go guys, dont think I have a pad with lyrics next to me or something, lol)
When im fuckin done, Then we chillin rock it with a
gun in a slum, in the den we cock it son
My first block finishes with (done), inbetween rhymes(when, fuckin)
My second block finishes with (slum), inbetween rhymes(then, chillin, rock it, gun)
My third block finishes with(son), inbetween rhymes(den, cock it)
1.Counting Bars
2.Rhyme Schemes
3.Wordplay Rapping
1.Count Music/Bars
Music is sounds, combined together in a repetitive manner in a way, which is pleasing to the ear. These sounds are made by instruments right? Now just think of your voice as an instrument on the track. Thats all there is to it. Singers hold melodies, we talk and rhyme, but we both map our voices as just another instrument on a song. Therefore you need a system with which you can “map out”(put) your voice on the instrumental, in any way you want.
Now let me scare you just a bit..One standard song has 3 verses. Each verse is made up of 4 quatrains.Each quotrain is made up of 2 couplets. Each couplet is made up of 2 bars..Confused?!
Okay, press play on this instrumental and read on..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSOsUW3GC80
Are you listening to it? Can you hear the beat? What you have is..
bass drum bass drum
bass drum bass drum
bass drum bass drum
bass drum bass drum (in some beats thats usually the transitional phase, where the melody changes a bit)
and it starts again!
Now just change the basses and drums with numbers from 1 to 4. It goes like..
1 2 3 4 <——-Thats a Bar
1 2 3 4<——-Thats a Bar
1 2 3 4<——-Thats a Bar
1 2 3 4 <——-Thats a Bar
One standard song has 3 verses. Each verse is made up of 4 quatrains.Each quotrain is made up of 2 couplets. Each couplet is made up of 2 bars. Is it clearer than before? I hope so.
Bottom Line-How to Count Music
All you gotta do in order to count bars/music is just to sync in with the speed of the instrumental..and count the 4 beats. Let me give you a good analogy. Are you working out? If not, you should start. Think of it as sets of repetitions. The set is your verse. The repetitions are your bars. You do 16 bars for one verse. Same like doing 16 repetitions for a set.
Why do you need to be able to count bars?
Well, first of all it allows you great freedom when you write. You can start your rap from any place you feel like. Second of all, next lesson I will be telling you: Now I want you to write me a couplet with a rhyme scheme 4-2-4. That means, 2 bars(couplet) with a rhyme on the 4th beat on the first bar and rhymes on the 2nd and 4th beat on the second bar. Hah..Confused? Dont worry..We gon talk about rhyme schemes next time. My point was that its essential to know how to count bars.
2.Rhyme Schemes
It might sound complicated for some of you, but it really isnt. Rhyme scheme is a scheme which determines on which one of the four beats, your rhyme should be placed. Okay lets start with a simple and easy example. Perhaps its gonna get clearer. We gonna start with a basic couplet(2bars).
Right about now I be thinking what to write
Tell me whats ur take am I black am I white
Now what we have here is two bars with their rhyme words(write,white) on the 4th beat of an instrumental. This couplet would have a rhyme scheme of 4-4. Got it? Meaning that when you rap over the instrumental, you say your rhymes at the end of the bar, right on the 4th beat.
Okay..I know some of you got confused. If Im wrong, thats good. If not, I will do another example.
Now if I tell you: I want you to write me a couplet with a rhyme scheme 2-4-4, can you do it?. This means I want you to write me 2 bars. The rhymes of the first bar are going to be placed on the 2nd and 4th beat and the rhyme of the second bar is going to be placed on the 4th beat. It should look something like that-
Man im okay, rhyming all day
Learn how to rap no need to pay
Okay? Rhyme schemes are the technical foundation that you really need, in order to be able to write rhymes freely..all over the instrumental. Drop em where you feel like, without feeling any restraint. So YOU NEED TO LEARN THEM!
Lastly, what if I tell you to write me a couplet with a rhyme scheme 3-1-4? Yes, you guessed it right. You put the first rhyme on the 3th beat, the second one on the 1st beat and the last one, on the 4th beat. It looks like this-
Man you gotta buy a microphone, practice rapping
home, get better to be well known
So what?
Now since you know this, it gives you great freedom to express your creativity. Feel free to start your rap after the 1st, 2nd, 3th or 4th beat. Feel free to put breaks wherever you want.
3.WordPlay Rapping
V Click V
Big L and Jay-Z Freestyle - YouTube
Man, thats just crazy. Most of the freestyle is done with wordplay and I chose to use it, just to show you what kinda sickness you can create when you master this technique. Its one of the most advanced techniques in rapping. It takes time to think of your lyrics, its not easy, but needless to say, its one of the most respected techniques within the rap community. You start using it, you go on another plato. Feel me?
Now let me take a couplet from Big-L so we can analyze it together. First thing he says.
Yo I got slugs for snitches, no love for bitches
puttin thugs in ditches when my trigger finger itches
Okay, think of word play in a similiar way like we did the fast rhyming shit. Its blocks of words, finishing with an end rhyme. However, the difference between fast rapping and wordplay is that in wordplay, you gotta include other rhyme words inbetween the end rhymes. So basically its rhymes within the rhymes, man. I know it sounds complicated, but it really aint.
For example, analyzing the couplet above, he got 2 blocks.
1st Block is (Yo I got slugs for snitches)
2nd Block is (no love for bitches puttin thugs in ditches when my trigger finger itches)
Snitches and itches are the end rhymes(the blocks finish with them)
slugs, no love, bitches, thugs, trigger and finger are the inside rhymes(the rhymes within the borders of the blocks)
You recognize when a block finishes, when the rapper puts a pause on it. I know thats not always the case, but I dont think each and everyone of you is at that point, where he can trully improvise with that technique.
So, let me do the most basic and easy wordplay so I eliminate the confusion. Imma do a couplet where the end rhymes gon be on the 4th beat and the other shit gon be inbetween. Okay, check it out.
Homie you can blow me cuz im sick of talkin with ya
When you see my gun dont try to run cuz Imma get ya
See what I just did?
First bar, I rhymed homie and blow me, WITHIN THE BAR and then I finished with the end rhyme(with ya)
Second bar, I rhymed gun and run, WITHIN THE BAR and then I finished with the end rhyme(get ya)
When you do wordplay, remember that you can put any kinda rhyme within the bar, as long as you put a pause on your end rhyme. Otherwise, you wont be able to define your blocks and its gon get too messy.
1.Bumb a beat. Any beat. Now write a basic 4-4 couplet. For exampe:
Now Im doing wordplay but I wanna go and drink
Show me that you love this and just post my god damn link
lol. So there you go. Now
2. Figure out a way, that you can put some rhymes inside. For example:
Hey im doing wordplay but today I wanna drink
Show me that you love me let them know me post my link
So my first block finishes with (drink), inbetween rhymes(hey, wordplayand today)
My second block finishes with (link), inbetween rhymes(show me, love me and know me)
Thats it. This is basic shit tho. Only imagination restricts you from doing what you wanna be doing. We are at the point where we dont use rules no more. Its all anarchy baby. After you get the hang of the 4-4′s, maybe you gon be able to do something like this: (and im thinkin of this as I go guys, dont think I have a pad with lyrics next to me or something, lol)
When im fuckin done, Then we chillin rock it with a
gun in a slum, in the den we cock it son
My first block finishes with (done), inbetween rhymes(when, fuckin)
My second block finishes with (slum), inbetween rhymes(then, chillin, rock it, gun)
My third block finishes with(son), inbetween rhymes(den, cock it)
I will Update later on.
(disclaimer below written 4/9/2012)
I take no credit for writing this.
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