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Fitting Lyrics and Rhyming: An Intro to the Thirteen Rhymes

Songwriting9 minFrom progressions to a melody · building structure · rhyming lyrics

Stuck on “forcing words in”? Get the rhythm first, then fill in the words, then use the friendliest rhyme scheme, and the lyrics will flow.

Video lessons are in production — follow the notes and practice checklist below and you'll learn it just fine.
Stage 12 · Write Your Own Song5 lessons

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Show all 5 lessons
  1. If You Can Strum, You Can Write a Song: Don't Wait Until You've “Learned Enough”7 min
  2. Hum a Melody Over a Progression: Your First Original Phrase9 min
  3. Build the Skeleton: Verse, Chorus, and Bridge8 min
  4. Fitting Lyrics and Rhyming: An Intro to the Thirteen Rhymes9 min
  5. From Covers to Originals + Simple Arranging8 min

Rhythm first, then fill in the words

Don't start by cramming in a word count. First hum the melody's rhythm with “la la la” and count clearly how many notes are in each line, then fill in words “one word per note” — in Chinese this is called “one word, one slot.” That way the words and melody mesh naturally, with no awkwardness.

Three of the friendliest rhyme schemes

AABB (rhyming in pairs) is the simplest and most singable; ABAB (alternate rhyme) has more rise and fall; ABCB (only lines 2 and 4 rhyme) is the freest and good for storytelling. Starting your first song with AABB is the safest bet.

A practical Chinese approach: four lines per section, with lines 1, 2, and 4 rhyming and line 3 set free to vary (the “setup — develop — turn — resolve” shape, with the start and end echoing each other).

The Thirteen Rhymes: a quick reference for Chinese rhyming

Group the finals of Mandarin into 13 “rhymes” (fa-hua, suo-bo, nie-xie, yi-qi, gu-su, huai-lai, hui-dui, yao-tiao, you-qiu, yan-qian, ren-chen, jiang-yang, zhong-dong), and characters within the same rhyme can rhyme with one another — looser than classical poetry's rhymes, and plenty for popular lyrics.

Don't agonize over a perfect rhyme: near-rhymes (like ai / ei) work well too, and keeping “the word you actually want to say” matters more than forcing a rhyme.

  • 💡 Try to land your stressed words on strong beats; align the melody's high point with the word you most want to emphasize, and the chorus will grab people.

Practice checklist

  • Fill words into your chorus melody “one word per slot,” using AABB rhyme first.
  • Pick one “rhyme” and list a few characters that rhyme with each other, ready to use.