Transitioning Flows Through Bars

A lot of rappers make the mistake of just writing in four bar patterns and recording like that. You don’t want to always do that, or your flow will seem very bland and or choppy when you try to squeeze in lines.What you want to do is use techniques to learn how to transition between bars properly so that you flow is seamless (pun intended):\

• Keep talking about the same subject textually. You can create your sentences and phrases to go across the bar line in order to make it rhyme at the end of the next line; OR
• You can stop on the end of the bar mid-sentence, then continue in the next bar and rhyme at the end.

A great example is J. Cole’s ‘Crooked Smile’, which we discussed in an earlier lesson. He stopped in the middle of his sentence at the end of the bar and then continued and finished it at the end of the next bar. It was all one solid sentence when combined.

Tip #1

Avoid pauses greater than a 1/4 note unless it’s for dramatic effect (for example, at the end of a hot punchline).

If you are going over the bar line, try having at least one rhyme every three phrases or it will create too much TENSION to the listener and not be appeasing to the ear.

As always, never rely on filler words. Make every word count in these circumstances.

Tip #2

Repeat similar rhythm patterns all the way through. We went over this in the break down lessons for Mims’ ‘This is Why I’m Hot’ (YouTube), Rick Ross’ ‘Hold Me Back’ (YouTube) and A$AP Ferg’s ‘New Level’ (YouTube) but I would go back and re-watch them just in case.

This technique can also be done in the rhyme pattern. For instance, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Rigamortis’ (YouTube) is based on a short line then a long line. Since it follows the same pattern all the way through, it creates a rhythm that is a flow.

Tip #3

Use internal rhymes inside of your next bar that rhyme with the end of the last bar.

After you rhyme in the middle of a bar with a rhyme from the end of your last bar, you can create a new rhyme at the end of the same bar.

Sounds a bit confusing, I know. So here is an example. Such as the below lyrics from Biggie’s ‘Hypnotize’. Look at how he rhymes one line, then internal rhymes the next but moves to another word to start a new rhyme by the end of the bar.

Tip #4

Make words rhyme using their consonant sounds.

In Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’, look at how he makes ‘pALMs’, ‘ARM’, ‘VAWMIT’, ‘MAWM’, ‘CALM’, ‘AND’, and ‘BAWMB’ all rhyme by bending how they are said.

He continues patterns like this through the entire song: