Tools for Verse Variation

1. Add a line

When you look back at lesson two you’ll notice that all the standard verse types are four lines long. Adding a fifth line is one of the easiest and most effective ways to create a surprising verse. (Lesson 10)

a a b b x / “Got To Get You Into My Life” x a x a a / “It’s Only Rock And Roll”

2. Subtract a line

Remembering that all the standard verse types are four lines long, subtracting a line is another way to create a surprising chorus.

a a a / “It’s Too Late”

3. Change Regular Phrase Length(s)

Many of the standard verse types use two measure phrases. If you want to create a variation, changes one or more of the phrase lengths (Lesson 2)

x a a x b b / “I Can Love You Like That” 1 1 2 1 1 2

x a x a a 1 1 1 2 2 / “Hello, Goodbye”

4. Change the Rhyme Scheme

Change the two standard verse types (abab, aabb) by keeping the four line structure but changing the rhyme scheme

a x x a / “Listen To The Music”

5. Stack Standard Verse Types Together

Take either one of the standard verse types and stack it with the same type or another type

a a b b a a b b / “Life In the Fast Lane”

a a b b c c c c / “Russians”

a b a b c c /“I Don’t Wanna Cry”

Mental Connections: