Ballads are poems that tell a story. They are considered to be a form of narrative poetry. They are often
used in songs and have a very musical quality to them. Remember, a ballad should have a smooth, songlike sound when you speak it aloud.
Here is an example:
I'll tell a tale, a thrilling tale of love beyond compare
I knew a lad not long ago more gorgeous than any I've seen.
And in his eyes I found my self a'falling in love with the swain.
Oh, the glorious fellow I met by the ocean with eyes of deep-sea green!
He was a rugged sailor man with eyes of deep-sea green,
And I a maid, a tavern maid! Whose living was serving beer.
So with a kiss and with a wave, off on his boat he sailed
And left me on the dock, the theif! Without my heart, oh dear!
And with a heart that's lost at sea, I go on living still.
I still am now still serving beer in that tavern by the sea.
And though the pay check's still the same, the money won't go as far
For now I feed not just myself, but my little one and me!
So let that be a lesson, dear, and keep your heart safely hid.
I gave mine to a sailing thief with gorgeous eyes of green.
Save yours for a sweeter lad who makes the land his home.
Ah me! If only I'd never met that sailor by the sea!
-- Lonnie Adrift
Notice how "seen" and "green" in the first paragraph rhyme? This rhyming pattern, called abcb, is
continued throughout the poem. "a" stands for one line ending, "b" for another, and "c" for another still.
Because there are 2 "b"'s, they are the two lines that rhyme.
How do I start writing a ballad?
Start with a key phrase...
...that pops into your head,
...or strikes you when somebody says it,
...and is connected with something you feel strongly about.
It may be a line of melody or words, or both.
Grab a tape recorder (or your computer mike)
and save this rough fragment immediately.
Build on this phrase.
Images related to the phrase
Similar phrases
Rhyming words
A tune that fits the phrase
Ask yourself questions.
Who is saying this phrase?
...Why? ...Where? ...To whom?
What is the reply?
How did they get into this situation?
Consequences
What rhymes with the key phrase?
Do these rhyming phrases trigger more images?
Construct verses.
Most usual is 4 lines, with the 2nd line rhyming with the last.
Arrange the verses into sequence.
Cobble together more verses to make a story.
The initial fill-in verses may be Yuk! but they give your imagination a framework.
Sing them over and over until, days (months?) later, better words come to you.
Keep going over the song.
Evolve the tune by chanting the verses.
Are any of those chord sequences in Lesson 1 suitable?
Rewrite the cobbled phrases; with repeated singing, natural phrases will come.
Do some editing.
Throw out unnecessary verses.
Add a chorus.
...or a refrain, or instrumental break.
Or turn the verse with that initial key phrase into a chorus.
The chorus gives the audience time to absorb the storyline...
...and lets them release all the emotions you have aroused in their souls.
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