IN THIS LESSON

Now, let's get into a very brief review of focal point. Can a focal point be in the beginning of a bar? A focal point can be anywhere in the placement of the first bar. The beginning, the middle, and obviously the end. It is the establishment point of what a rhyme consists of. Without knowing what the focal point is, you can't create a rhyme. Can a focal point be after a measure of the bar is completed? Yes.

A focal point does not technically have to be in the first bar you relay. It can and should at least be in the second bar to establish that you are eventually going to run. There have been instances where a focal point starts even later, but typically the focal point can be placed in that second bar if it is not first established in the first bar. Can there be more than one focal point? When it comes to focal points, yes, there can be more than one.

When you switch the rhyme pattern in a verse, that is when you have a new focal point. There can be more than one in a four to 16 bar verse, or you can have only one focal point in the four or 16 bar verse. The main purpose of the focal point is to establish the rhyme pattern you are beginning to create. By creating new rhyme patterns, you are effectively creating new focal points. Why is focal point important?

Focal point is important because it is the crux of what rhyming is actually based on. If you don't establish your focal point, how can you effectively know where the rhyme begins? Now, some may say, well, I know what to rhyme. That is actually true. But properly identifying what you are doing to those who may not want to or even ever rhyme is important. And that is the basis of knowing where and how to define and locate your focal point in a verse.