STRUCTURE MOTION SUPPORTS EMOTION

Prosody is the appropriate relationship between different song elements:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Words and Music major key (happy)

Syllables and Notes stressed syllables fall on stressed notes, in turn fall on metric stress
Rhythm and Meaning someone running (triplet rhythm)
The Main Idea is the principal lyric emotion producer
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:

1.

Words and ideas

Lyric structure: Line group + Line structure

Line structure Phrase Rhythm:

A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables DUM da da DUM da daetc

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

2.

Line structure Line length (number of stressed syllables):

3.

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

Line Group Number of lines:

4.

Regular rhythm stable pace, Irregular rhythm unstable pace

Two lines: matched rhythms stability, unmatched rhythms instability

Odd (non-resolution and instability) I dont trust youetc

Even (resolution and stability) I like youetc
Mismatch - difference between context and number of lines can create irony, denial, being
hystericaletc

Line structure Rhyme Scheme and Rhyme Type:

Sonic connection tells us when to stop and when to move forward

Outline ideas:
Idea
Idea

a
a
b
b

One

a
b
a
b

A lack of rhyme can portray a desolate, or lost emotionetc

Consecutive rhymes can give a feeling of speeding up, purposeetc

Rhyme type can enhance emotion:

Resolved

Unresolved

Perfect Family Additive/Subtractive Assonance Consonance

John Hoddy

Song Element Tools:

1.

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

Structurally the first lines 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 rhymes control over flow

Distant rhymes will decrease the pace and consequently the emotion conveyed will be more
distant, or unsureetc
3.

Tool Three Rhythm:

1.

Faster pace more unstressed syllables, Less pace less unstressed syllables

Tool Four Number of Lines:

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

2.

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

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

John Hoddy

Speed:

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

Flow:

Rhyme manages flow: by stopping or keeping motion going

Closure:
closure):

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

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 Hoddy