Pat Pattison Songwriting

If songwriting had a gym teacher it would be Pat Pattison. He is the coach who hands you a clipboard full of tools, looks you dead in the eye and says write better lines. This guide distills the Pattison approach into usable practice routines, clear explanations of the terms, and exercises you can do between scrolling your feed and checking your streaming stats.

You will get

• What Pat teaches and why it works for millennial and Gen Z writers
• Exact craft tools like assonance, consonance, internal rhyme, and prosody explained in plain language
• Real life scenarios that show how to use each tool in a song
• Daily drills, long form exercises, and a finish workflow so songs get completed
• A mega FAQ with answers that treat you like a smart but distractible human

Who is Pat Pattison and why should you care

Pat Pattison is a long time professor at Berklee College of Music and the author of the book Writing Better Lyrics. He teaches lyric craft with the relentless focus of someone who has watched thousands of songs get stuck at the last fifty feet. His teaching is practical. He gives names to what great writers do so you can practice it. He also taught a popular online course called Songwriting Writing the Lyrics which introduced his methods to millions of students worldwide.

Listen up. Pattison is not a poet who expects inspiration to land like a golden seagull. He is a coach who insists that technique matters. He teaches the kinds of micro skills that make a phrase singable and memorable. If you want lines that stick to listeners like gum on a sneaker you will want some Pattison tools in your pocket.

Big ideas from Pattison you will actually use

• Concrete detail beats abstract emotion A specific image lets listeners feel the scene without you saying how they should feel.
• Rhyme is a craft choice not a party trick How you rhyme affects rhythm clarity and memorability.
• Prosody is the silent engine Prosody means how words fit the music. If stress and melody fight the listener loses.
• Micro practice wins Daily small drills build the ability to make great lines under pressure.
• Edit like a surgeon Pattison shows you how to cut weak lines without losing the song soul.

Core tools and what they actually mean

Pat uses a toolbox. Here are the items and how to use them in language that does not require a music degree or a thesaurus from 1983.

Imagery and sensory detail

Imagery is concrete stuff you can see, smell, touch, hear, or taste. Sensory detail makes songs feel lived in. Instead of writing I miss you write The kettle clicks and I leave two mugs in the sink. That image pulls the listener into a scene. You do not need to be poetic. You need to be specific.

Real life scenario: You are writing a breakup chorus. Instead of saying I am lonely pick a small object from the apartment and put it in the line. A dent in the spoon. A song becomes true when the listener says I have seen that spoon before.

Assonance

Assonance is repeated vowel sounds inside words. It creates a soft musical glue that makes lines feel like a single breath. It is not the same as rhyme. Example: the long A in late fake ache keeps those words feeling connected.

Why care: Assonance helps when you need a line to roll off the tongue without looking like a nursery rhyme. It keeps phrasing smooth and natural.

Consonance

Consonance is repeated consonant sounds often at the end of words or inside them. It can tighten a line and give a sense of punctuation. Example: the T sound in left, night, wait gives a crispness.

Real life example: If your chorus ends with a lingering vowel use consonance earlier in the line to give it shape and prevent it from floating away.

Alliteration

Alliteration is repeated initial consonant sounds. It is a spotlight. Used occasionally it can make a phrase stick. Used too much it reads like a tongue twister. Try it for a title or a hook phrase.

Internal rhyme

Internal rhyme is rhyme inside a single line rather than at the end of lines. It gives momentum. Example: I walk the block then stop to watch you walk away. The block and stop rhyme inside the sentence and push you forward.

End rhyme and slant rhyme

End rhyme is what people expect in songs. Slant rhyme, also called near rhyme, is a looser match. Slant rhyme lets you avoid predictable phrasing while still giving the song a satisfying sonic echo. Example: love and enough are slant rhymes. Explain the term to your roommate and they will nod and go back to their phone because it sounds smart.

Rhyme density

Rhyme density is how often rhymes appear. A dense rhyme scheme can feel lyrical and playful. Sparse rhyme can feel raw and conversational. Pattison teaches control. Pick your density based on genre and the emotional need of the song.

Prosody

Prosody means matching the natural stress of language to musical stress. If you sing a word that is normally weak on a strong musical beat it will feel wrong. Speak your lines out loud like you are texting a friend. The syllable that you emphasize while talking should land on the strong beat of the music. That is prosody. It saves songs from sounding amateur.

Metaphor and simile

Pat calls metaphors tools not ornaments. A strong metaphor reveals not just a comparison but a relationship between inner feeling and outer image. Keep metaphors small. If the song is about missing someone one line that nails an image is better than three trying to explain a mood.

Exercises Pat Pattison would make you do in a room with no wifi

These exercises are ripped from the educational spirit of Pat but written for real artists who also have jobs and snacks. Do them for 10 to 30 minutes a day and your lyric muscles will get noticeably less flabby.

Object writing

Pick one object within reach. Write nonstop for five minutes describing only that object. Use all five senses. No metaphors. No feelings. Example: Your phone, the dents around the charging port, the faint coffee stain, the sticky power button. After five minutes circle three images you could use in a verse. Why this works: It forces you into concreteness which then implies feeling without naming it.

Rhyme grid

Create a grid with a word you want to rhyme in the chorus on the left column. Then for five minutes list every near rhyme, internal rhyme, and phrase that contains the sound. This is not time to judge. It is time to collect. Use family rhymes where vowel families or consonant families match. Real life: If your chorus ends with the word night you might collect bright, right, tight, right now, tonight, street light, bite, appetite. Then write lines that place those words where the music wants them.

Vowel pass

Sing on open vowels over a simple chord loop. Do not think about words. Record two minutes. Then go back and mark the melodic gestures that felt like places a lyric could land. Those are your hook skeletons. Pat loves this because melody dictates the language rather than the other way around.

Prosody checking read

Read each line at normal speaking speed and mark which syllable you stress naturally. Now sing it to your melody and check alignment. If the stressed syllable is on the off beat you will sense friction. Fix either the melody or the words. This is the work that makes lyrics sound effortless.

Chain rhyme drill

Write six lines where each line rhymes internally with the next line. The rhyme can move across the stanza like a chain. This forces you to think about internal relationships and prevents you from landing on the lazy end rhyme on every line.

Rhyme types explained with examples you will steal

Rhyme is not a single thing. Pattison teaches you to see rhyme as a toolkit where each type has a job.

Perfect rhyme

Two words that match vowel and final consonant sounds exactly. Example: night and light. Use when you want clarity and singability. Use sparingly in verses if you want intimacy. Use more in hooks.

Slant rhyme

Also called near rhyme. Example: gone and moon. Use when you want surprise or a slightly off kilter feeling. It reads like honesty because it sounds conversational rather than tidy.

Internal rhyme

Rhyme within a line. Example: I keep the keys above the sink so I do not sink into what I think. Internal rhyme speeds lines up and makes them more musical even without steady end rhyme.

Eye rhyme

Words that look like they rhyme when written but do not when spoken. Example: love and move. These are dangerous in songs because they may read fine on a lyric sheet but fall flat sung out loud. Always sing test them.

How to apply Pattison methods to a full song workflow

We are not creating theses. We are finishing songs. Here is a workflow that blends Pattison techniques with modern songwriter needs and minimal ego.

1. Core promise Write one sentence that says what the song is about in plain speech. This is your north star.
2. Title ladder Write the title and five alternate titles that capture the same idea in fewer or stronger words. Pick one that sings easily.
3. Vowel pass Record a melody pass on vowels. Mark the gestures that want repetition.
4. Prosody check Speak your lines. Mark natural stresses. Align stresses to beats.
5. Image pass Do object writing for the scenes in verse one and verse two. Choose concrete details only.
6. Rhyme grid Build a rhyme map for the chorus and pre chorus. Decide on rhyme density.
7. Internal rhyme layer Add internal rhymes to move the listener through lines without heavy end rhyme.
8. Edit like Pattison Run the crime scene edit. Remove abstractions. Replace being verbs. Check for prosody issues again.
9. Demo Record a rough vocal with minimal production and listen for lines that feel clumsy.
10. Feedback loop Play it for two trusted listeners. Ask one question. Which line stuck with you. Fix only what hurts clarity. Ship when it functions not when it becomes perfect.

Before and after examples

These show how Pattison edits work in practice. They are not hypothetical. They are the work you will do in your notes app at 2 a.m.

Before

I am sad and I miss you at night.

After

The barista calls my name then keeps walking. I drink your favorite latte to keep my hands warm. I count the coins you left in my coat pocket at midnight.

Why the after works

• Concrete images instead of the abstract phrase I am sad
• Small timestamp like midnight which grounds the scene
• Specific action like drinking the latte which implies trying to replace presence

Before

We used to be close and now the love is gone.

After

Your toothbrush keeps leaning toward the sink. I rotate it back afraid of what straight means. The mirror never says anything but it knows the shape of the room without you.

Why the after works

• Objects stand in for emotional truth without naming the feeling
• Verb choice rotate instead of change gives action and agency
• Small detail mirror knows feels creepy in the best way because it suggests memory

Common mistakes Pattison helps you avoid

• Telling instead of showing You used words like lonely, sad, angry. Fix by replacing them with small images.
• Bad prosody A strong word lands on a weak beat. Fix by rephrasing the line so the natural stress falls where the music wants it.
• Lazy rhyme Every line ends with the same rhyme. Fix by mixing internal rhyme and slant rhyme and by lowering rhyme density where you want intimacy.
• Too many metaphors The song sounds like a poetry contest. Fix by keeping one strong metaphor and letting images do the rest.
• Over explaining The second verse repeats the chorus idea like you are worried listeners missed it. Fix by adding new detail or a small reversal.

How to practice like a pro when you have a job and snacks

Patison will tell you to practice daily. Cool. Here is a schedule that respects your attention span.

• Monday quick object write 10 minutes
• Tuesday rhyme grid 15 minutes
• Wednesday vowel pass 20 minutes
• Thursday prosody read 10 minutes
• Friday chain rhyme or internal rhyme drill 15 minutes
• Saturday assemble a chorus from the week 30 minutes
• Sunday rest or listen to 3 songs and annotate concrete details 20 minutes

Do less than an hour a day. Consistency beats heroic all nighters that end in three good lines and a pizza regret.

Troubleshooting common questions

My rhyme sounds forced. How do I fix it

First check prosody. Maybe you are stretching a word across beats it does not want. Second try slant rhyme or internal rhyme. Third change the word you are rhyming with. Often the problem is the fixed word not the rhyme idea. Real life hack try replacing the target word with a different image and see if the rhyme becomes automatic.

I write good lines but cannot finish songs. Help

Finish practice by setting constraints. Time box a session to 45 minutes and commit to leaving with a chorus and one verse draft. Use the core promise method. Also remove options. Fewer choices equals more output. If you find a better line later you can replace it. Shipping trumps perfection.

What is a prosody nightmare and how do I avoid it

A prosody nightmare is when natural speech stress fights a musical stress. Avoid it by speaking lines at normal conversation speed then singing them. If the stresses do not line up fix the lyric. Keep the words that carry emotional weight on strong beats.

Case study: applying Pattison to a pop ballad

Quick walkthrough so you see everything in one short sequence.

1. Core promise write I will not call you back tonight.
2. Title ladder create three options I will not call, Not Calling Tonight, Phone in My Pocket. Pick I will not call because it is direct and singable.
3. Vowel pass over two chords find a rising gesture on will and a long vowel on call.
4. Prosody speak I will not call. The natural stress is on will and call. Place will on a pickup and call on a long strong beat. Good match.
5. Object writing for verse find the image you keep dining alone at your small round table, the second spoon, the unmatched mug.
6. Rhyme grid choose a rhyme family for the chorus around call and pocket. Collect fall, small, wall, wallet, socket. Use slant matches like enough to avoid sing song.
7. Internal rhyme add a line I slide the phone into the drawer then hold my breath. Slide and hold give internal motion.
8. Edit cut the phrase I am done with you and replace with hands in pockets. Show not tell.

Result a chorus that feels like a decision not a lecture and a verse that sets a scene that listeners recognize in their own apartment. That empathy is what gets a song played twice.

How to steal Pat Pattison methods without sounding like a school assignment

The secret is not to recite techniques. The secret is to use them until they are invisible. Do object writing until detail flows. Do vowel passes until melody picks words for you. Do rhyme grids until rhymes are choices not accidents. When these tools are invisible your songs still have craft but they feel human.

FAQ

Who is Pat Pattison

Pat Pattison is a Berklee College of Music professor and the author of the widely used book Writing Better Lyrics. He teaches lyric craft with a focus on concrete detail, rhyme control, and prosody. He has taught millions through in person classes and online courses.

Do I need Pat Pattison to write good lyrics

No. You do need discipline and practice. Pat Pattison offers a framework and exercises that accelerate learning. His methods are shortcuts to clarity but not a requirement. The work is practice and iteration.

What is prosody and why does it matter

Prosody is how words stress match musical beats. It matters because natural speech stress that agrees with the music sounds effortless. Bad prosody makes even strong lines feel off and distracting. Always speak your lines before you sing them to check prosody.

How often should I use rhyme in a verse

There is no fixed rule. Think of rhyme density as a tool you can dial up or down. For intimate verses use sparse end rhyme with internal rhyme for movement. For choruses increase rhyme density for catchiness. The key is intentionality. Choose density based on emotional and rhythmic need.

Is object writing the same as sensory writing

Object writing focuses on describing a single object in detail using the five senses. Sensory writing can be broader. Object writing is a drill. It creates concrete images you can use in songs. It also unlocks details you would not invent when trying to be clever.

How do I stop sounding like a textbook when I use these tools

Use the tools until they are part of your voice. Then stop naming them in your head. Write quickly. Edit slowly. Keep one raw, human detail in every stanza. That keeps technique from becoming sterile.

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