STRUCTURE MOTION SUPPORTS EMOTION

Prosody is the appropriate relationship between different song elements:

1. Words and Music – major key (happy)2. Syllables and Notes – stressed syllables fall on stressed notes, in turn fall on metric stress3. Rhythm and Meaning – someone running (triplet rhythm) 4. The Main Idea is the principal lyric emotion producer5. Structure – five structural elements create emotion, and in turn support what is being said

Five elements of structure:

Lyric structure creates motion to support emotion:

Push forward to create – excitement, anticipation, or expectation Slow down to create – a sense of holding back, or unresolved feelings Draw attention to a word to create – surprise, delight, or any emotion Resolve to create – stability or unresolved to create – hanging, or instability Rub other elements against a stable element to convey a sense of instability

There are two elements, which create motion:

Words and ideas Lyric structure: Line group + Line structure

1. Line structure – Phrase Rhythm:

A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables DUM da da DUM da da…etc Stressed syllables are typically longer in duration, higher in pitch, and louder Typically stressed: if they carry meaning: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs Grammatically stressed: when some sort of contrast is stated

I asked you to throw it to me, not at me

Regular rhythm – stable pace, Irregular rhythm – unstable pace Two lines: matched rhythms – stability, unmatched rhythms – instability

2. Line structure – Line length (number of stressed syllables):

Longer line followed by a shorter line is less stable than shorter followed by longer Stop is more resolute or stable when matched phrases are rhymed

3. Line Group – Number of lines:

Odd (non-resolution and instability) – ‘I don’t trust you’…etc Even (resolution and stability) – ‘I like you’…etc Mismatch - difference between context and number of lines can create irony, denial, being hysterical…etc

4. Line structure – Rhyme Scheme and Rhyme Type:

Sonic connection tells us when to stop and when to move forward Outline ideas:

a aa bb ab b

A lack of rhyme can portray a desolate, or lost emotion…etc Consecutive rhymes can give a feeling of speeding up, purpose…etc

Rhyme type can enhance emotion:

Resolved Unresolved

Perfect – Family – Additive/Subtractive – Assonance – Consonance

John Hoddy

Idea 1

One IdeaIdea 2

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Song Element Tools:

1. Independent Tool One – Line Lengths (number of stressed syllables):

Structurally the first line’s length and rhythm sets the precedence for motion and stability.

Subject to the same rhythm the second line will support or not support motion by the structural arrangement of its line length, either by:

Stop Pace (no push forward) – match the line length of the first line Different Pace (push forward) – not match the line length of the first line Line length is the best tool for pace control

Line length is a stronger pace creator than rhyme.

2. Independent Tool Two – Rhyme:

Rhyme placement is a lesser pace creator than line lengths, however when they align they stop pace.

The earliest rhyme pace and rhyme stability may be heard is at the end of line two

Same Pace (no push forward) – rhyme with the last line Different Pace (push forward) – not rhyme with the last line Neither rhythm or phrase length can match rhyme’s control over flow

Distant rhymes will decrease the pace and consequently the emotion conveyed will be more distant, or unsure…etc

3. Tool Three – Rhythm:

Faster pace – more unstressed syllables, Less pace – less unstressed syllables

1. Tool Four – Number of Lines:

The second-last determiner of stability is the number of lines in a section

Stops motion (Stop push) – Even number of lines – feeling of stability – resolution Forward motion (Forward push) – Odd number of lines – feeling of instability – non-resolution

2. Tool Five – Rhyme types:

The last determiner of stability is the rhyme type in a section

Perfect – feeling of stability - resolution Consonance – feeling of instability – non-resolution

Effect of Common Meter (Rhythm):

Stability: Even number of lines, order of lines repeated, and each line has a counterpart

Speed: Unstressed syllables: same (constant), more (faster), more (slower)

Flow: Rhythm: closes internally (resolves) or at the end of the rhythmic section

Closure: Closure Type (Flow is a strong determiner of closure):

Expected – how one expected the section to close Deceptive – not resolved as expected, but familiar line length repeated Unexpected – no resolution expected: typically a closed structure, usually repeats the last line

Effect of Rhyme:

Stability: A desire for the repeat of a sound, desire for the repeat of an order

Speed: Rhyme manages pace: sequential (faster), apart (slower), no change (constant)

Flow: Rhyme manages flow: by stopping or keeping motion going

Closure: Closure Type (Rhyme manages, helps closure type, and flow is a strong determiner of closure):

Expected – how one expected the section to close Deceptive – not resolved as expected, but the last sound used is already in the structure Unexpected – expectations satisfied, but the last sound used is already in the structure

John Hoddy2