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- Lyric setting is the process in songwriting of placing textual content (lyrics) in the context of musical rhythm, in which the lyrical meter and musical rhythm are in proper alignment as to preserve the natural shape of the language and promote prosody. Prosody is defined as "an appropriate relationship between elements." According to Pat Pattison, author of Writing Better Lyrics, prosody is created when all musical and lyrical elements work together to support the central message of a song. To achieve prosody, the rhythmic placement of a lyric in music must support its natural rhythm, meaning, and emotion. Proper lyric setting involves the identification of stressed and unstressed syllables. These syllables are distinguished by their suprasegmentals, or their qualities of intonation, duration, and dynamics. The numerous parts of speech hold different levels of meaning and are assigned different levels of importance. Stress is not only determined by natural rhythmic meter, but also by a word's level of meaning. Stressed and unstressed syllables form into rhythmic patterns, similar to musical beats. All musical time signatures are made up of strong and weak beats. The stressed and unstressed syllabic patterns of lyrical content are aligned with strong and weak beats of music in order to ensure lyrics are easily recognized, correctly understood, and fulfill their ultimate meaning and emotion. The purpose of proper lyric setting in a song is to establish lyrical content in its most authentic form to promote relatability. (en)
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