A bar means a line of lyrics in rap music. The term bar is rooted in music theory and has a lot of significance in hip-hop, essentially because a bar is a unit of measurement. Basically, there are 4 counts in a bar and that is why a bar is known as one line of lyrics with 4 counts. Mostly, each rap song contains 2-4 verses and each verse has 16-32 bars. Bars make it easier to keep a count while writing and help in communicating the song.

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This image is a sophisticated explanation of what bars are in a rap song. 

So here is how you can write great bars and bring your rap journey to the next level:

1. Analyze different rap song lyrics

Analysing great rap songs that are loved by the audience gives you an upper hand while writing bars for your song. You can analyse a rap song by picking one of the famous rap songs that you like and then breaking down its lyrics, beats, hook and rhyme schemes. This will help you dig deeper into the themes and ideas that rap artists have put into writing the bars of that rap song.

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2. Understand rhymes schemes

One of the most striking parts of rap that make it so alluring is the great rhymes that rappers write, which also fit into the theme. Rhyming makes the song seem more catchy and glide with the beats. Rhyme schemes are nothing but the order in which the rhymes are placed in the song. Here, rap is connected to poetry. There are various types of rhyme schemes that are used by rappers based on their vision for the song. Rhyme schemes are classified on the basis of syllables, repetition, consonance, alliteration, etc.

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Rhyming is a part of rap that tends to have a significant aural impact on the listener, making for a great performance.

Here are a few rhyme schemes that are commonly used by rappers:

  • Perfect rhyme
  • General rhyme
  • Slant rhyme
  • Tail rhyme
  • Holorime

3. Explore literary devices

If there is something that can make your bars more impactful, then it is making the best use of literary devices. You can creatively boost your song by using these appropriately.

The artistry put in to incorporate different literary devices in the rap lyrics stands out as a significant element. A metaphor is a literary device that equates two things which have subtle similarity whereas similes compare two things or scenarios using a connecting word. These two are frequently used by rappers. Other than these, figures of speech like alliteration and double entendre are also commonly found in rap songs.

4. Get into the habit of writing

Usually, it gets difficult for beginners to start writing bars because of the lack of flow. As a beginner, you need to start building habits that get you in the discipline of writing bars. The best way is to not focus on the quality at first and paving the path to writing consistently in the beginning. You can always work on the quality part later. Beginning can be the toughest part of learning or doing anything new, so give yourself that initial push.

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Here's an action plan for you to write bars consistently:

  • Note down the themes and topics that you’d like to write about.
  • Select one topic at first.
  • Start writing sentences that revolve around your theme.
  • Build more content into paragraphs from the sentences for you to have a narrative while writing bars.
  • Now build bars and verses from the paragraph you wrote.

Writing bars as a beginner can be intimidating but it is not as tough as it seems to be. After all, writing and performing rap is a learned skill and just like others you can do it too! Working towards it consistently and a tad bit of professional help will help you easily master it. If you are looking forward to focusing on your rap career without burning your pockets then FrontRow's wide range of courses seems to be the perfect fit. So what are you waiting for? Launch your rap career by learning the technicalities straight from the masters like Divine, Shah Rule and Gully Gang. Click here to have a look at the course curriculum!

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