I have stumbled on a really cool website that functions as a SLANT RHYMING DICTIONARY which is an AWESOME find if you are a songwriter or a lyricist. The website is:
http://muse.dillfrog.com/sound/search
Its part of a blog called dillfrog.com and although I have no idea who the author is, I am forever in their debt for coming up with such a cool little site. There are lots of other killer things on it as well: It has a guitar chord dictionary and an album tracker - to name a few.
But back to Slant Rhyme:
If you are a songwriter or a lyricist, chances are that at one time or another, you have run into issues with rhymes. Rhyming is an integral part of songwriting, but the problem is that many rhymes are really obvious and overused – so if you employ the most popular type of rhyme – which is called “Perfect Rhyme, “ your songs might have a trite “been there done that” feel to your listeners.
I tend to view lyrics as poems that are constrained by the musical elements surrounding them.
In certain types of poetry, you might have a bit of free reign over the syllabic structure of your lines. BUT - when you have to fit poetry into the confines of a musical element - the words of the song - and more importantly the syllables of the words - have to weave AROUND the musical phrases to create a separate melody that floats over the top of the instrumental lines. This is hard.
To make it harder, much of the time the instrumental elements of the song are often written first and the separate melody also needs to contain words that sound good together and make sense…at least a little.
It becomes even harder to say something in new and innovative ways, while still remaining soulful and true to the song. Even if you are writing Hard Rock and Metal, you have to have soul and you can’t seem fake in your sentiments or your songs will fall flat.
What is Slant Rhyme and why will it help my songwriting?
Slant rhymes are rhymes that are close, but not perfect. There is usually a similar vowel sound at the end of the two words that makes them go together well or there is a similarity of some type in the way the words end.
I’m going to take a series of words and show you perfect rhymes that go with them in one list and then show you a slant rhyme that I have used in some of my own songs in the second list. Here goes:
Perfect Rhyme
Light Might,
Storm Perform
Faces Traces
Night Bright
Time Chime
Parade Afraid
Lies Eyes
So, the rhyming words are O.K, but they seem a bit forced.
Now, check out the same words with a Slant Rhyme:
Light Hide
Storm Warning
Faces Away
Night Mind
Time Lies
Parade Away
Lies Climb
See how the words fit together, but they aren’t annoyingly similar?
Slant Rhyme is important because people don't like trite poetry that expresses emotions and situations in the same old tired terms.
The only thing worse is when you can sense that the author has the beginnings of a good idea, but then they screw it up just for the sake of making something rhyme in the “Perfect Rhyme” scheme.
Check out this little web site when you are writing your next set of lyrics and see if it helps you.
…and remember to send any questions that you have about recording to: homerecordingdope@gmail.com
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