Song structure

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Song structure or the musical forms of songs in traditional music and music are typically sectional, repeating
forms used in songs, such as strophic form and is a part of the songwriting process. Other common forms
include thirty-two-bar form, verse-chorus form, and the twelve-bar blues. Popular music songs traditionally use
the same music for each verse of stanza of lyrics (as opposed to songs that are "through-composed", an
approach used in classical music art songs). Pop and traditional forms can be used even with songs that have
structural differences in melodies. The most common format is introduction (intro), verse, pre-chorus, chorus
(or refrain), verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge ("middle eight"), verse, chorus and outro. In rock music styles,
notably heavy metal music, there is usually a guitar solo in the song. In pop music, there may be a guitar solo,
or the solo may be performed by a synthesizer player or sax player.

The formal sections found in songs are the verse, chorus, bridge, hook, and refrain: "All songs are put together
with some or all of these parts in a particular pattern."[1] The foundation of popular music is the "verse" and
"chorus" structure. "Pop and rock songs nearly always have both a verse and a chorus. The primary difference
between the two is that when the music of the verse returns, it is almost always given a new set of lyrics,
whereas the chorus usually retains the same set of lyrics every time its music appears."[2] Both are essential
elements, with the verse usually played first. Exceptions abound, with "She Loves You" by The Beatles being
an early example in the rock music genre. Each verse usually employs the same melody (possibly with some
slight modifications), while the lyrics usually change for each verse. The chorus (or "refrain") usually consists
of a melodic and lyrical phrase which is repeated. Pop songs may have an introduction and coda ("tag"), but
these elements are not essential to the identity of most songs. Pop songs often connect the verse and chorus via
a bridge, which as its name suggests, is a section which connects the verse and chorus at one or more points in
the song.

The verse and chorus are usually repeated throughout a song though the bridge, intro, and coda (also called an
"outro") are usually only used once. Some pop songs may have a solo section, particularly in rock or blues
influenced pop. During the solo section one or more instruments play a melodic line which may be the melody
used by the singer, or, in blues or jazz an improvised line.

Contents
1 Elements
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Verse
1.3 Pre-chorus
1.4 Chorus or refrain
1.5 Bridge
1.6 Conclusion or outro
1.7 Elision
1.8 Instrumental solo
1.9 Ad lib
2 AABA form
3 Variation on the basic structure
4 See also
5 Sources
6 Further reading

Elements
Introduction

The introduction is a unique section that comes at the

beginning of the piece. Generally speaking, an introduction
will contain just music and no words. It usually builds up
suspense for the listener so when the downbeat drops in, it
creates a pleasing sense of release. The intro also creates
"Jingle Bells"'s introduction Play intro or full
the atmosphere of the song. As such, the rhythm section
song Structure: Intro, Verse I, Chorus, Verse II,
typically plays in the "feel" of the song which is to follow.
Chorus, Verse III, Chorus, Verse IV, Chorus, Outro.
For example, for a blues shuffle, a band will start playing a
shuffle rhythm. In some songs, the intro is one or more bars
of the tonic chord (the "home" key of the song). With songs, another role of the intro is to give the singer the
key of the song. For this reason, even if an intro includes chords other than the tonic, it generally ends with a
cadence, either on the tonic or dominant chord.

The introduction may also be based around the chords used in the verse, chorus, or bridge, or a stock
"turnaround" progression may be played, such as the I–vi–ii–V progression (particularly in jazz influenced pop
songs). More rarely, the introduction may begin by suggesting or implying another key. For example, a song in
C Major might begin with an introduction in G Major, which will make the listener think that the song will
eventually be in G Major. A cliche used to indicate to the listener that this G Major section is in fact the
dominant chord of another key area is to add the dominant seventh, which in this case would shift the harmony
to a G7 chord. In some cases, an introduction contains only drums or percussion parts which set the rhythm and
"groove" for the song. Alternately the introduction may consist of a solo section sung by the lead singer (or a
group of backup singers), or a riff played by an instrumentalist.

The most straightforward, and least risky way to write an introduction is to use a section from the song. This
will contain melodic themes from the song, chords from one of the song's sections, and the beat and style of the
song. However, not all songs have an intro of this type. Some songs have an intro which does not use any of the
material from the song that is to follow. With this type of intro, the goal is to create interest in the listener and
make them unsure of what will happen. This type of intro could consist of a series of loud, accented chords,
punctuated by cymbal crashes, with a bassline beginning near the end, to act as a pitch reference point for the
singer.

Verse

In popular music, a verse roughly corresponds to a poetic stanza because it consists of rhyming lyrics most
often with an AABB or ABAB rhyme scheme. When two or more sections of the song have almost identical
music and different lyrics, each section is considered one verse. It is not to be confused with a pre-verse, which
is an interlude between the introduction of a song and its opening verse. Although less common now, the pre-
verse technique was popular with the surf music of the 1960s.

Musically, "the verse is to be understood as a unit that prolongs the tonic....The musical structure of the verse
nearly always recurs at least once with a different set of lyrics".[3] The tonic or "home key" chord of a song can
be prolonged in a number of ways. Often, pop and rock songs use chords closely related to the tonic, such as iii
or vi, to prolong the tonic. In the key of C Major, the iii chord would be e minor and the vi chord would be a
minor. These chords are considered to be closely related to the tonic because they share chord tones. For
example, the chord e minor includes the notes "E" and "G", both of which are part of the C Major triad.
Similarly, the chord a minor includes the notes "C" and "E", both of which are part of the C Major triad.

Lyrically, "the verse contains the details of the song: the story, the events, images and emotions that the writer
wishes to express....Each verse will have different lyrics from the others."[1] "A verse exists primarily to
support the chorus or refrain...both musically and lyrically."[4] A verse of a song, is a repeated sung melody
where the words change from use to use (though not necessarily a great deal).
Pre-chorus

An optional section that may occur after the verse is the

"pre-chorus". Also referred to as a "build", "channel", or
"transitional bridge", the pre-chorus functions to connect
the verse to the chorus with intermediary material, typically
using subdominant (usually built on the IV chord or ii
chord, which in the key of C Major would be an F Major or
d minor chord) or similar transitional harmonies. "Often, a
two-phrase verse containing basic chords is followed by a
passage, often harmonically probing, that leads to the full
chorus."[5] Often when the verse and chorus involve the
same harmonic structure, the pre-chorus will introduce a
new harmonic pattern or a harmony that prepares the verse
chords, in order to make the verse harmonies in the chorus
seem fresh.

For example, if a song is in C Major, and the songwriter

aims to get to a chorus that focuses on the dominant chord
(G Major) being tonicized (treated like a "home key" for a "Jingle Bells"'s verse Play verse or full song
short period), he could use a chord progression for the pre-
chorus that gets the listener ready to hear the chorus' chord
(G Major) as an arrival key. One widely used way to accomplish this is to precede the G Major chord with its
own ii-V7 chords. In the key given, ii of G Major would be an A minor chord. V7 of G Major would be D7. As
such, with the example song, this could be done by having a pre-chorus that consists of one bar of a minor and
one bar of D7. This would lead the listener to expect a resolution from ii-V to I, which in this case is the
temporary tonic of G Major. The chord a minor would not be unusual to the listener, as it is a shared chord that
exists in both G Major and C Major. A minor is the ii chord in G Major, and it is the vi chord in C Major. The
chord that would alert the listener that a change was taking place is the D7 chord. There is no D7 chord in C
Major. A listener experienced with popular and traditional music would hear that this is a secondary dominant.
Harmonic theorists and arrangers would call it V7/V or "five of five", as the D7 chord is the dominant (or fifth)
chord of G Major.

Chorus or refrain

"The difference between refrain and chorus is not always cut-and-dried; both refer to passages of unchanging
music and text providing a periodic sense of return."[6] "At times, the term 'refrain' has been used
interchangeably with 'chorus.' Technically, the refrain may be considered anything that's not the verse....a song
part that contains the hook or title and appears more than once in a song is usually called 'a chorus.'"[7] "The
chorus contains the main idea, or big picture, of what is being expressed lyrically and musically. It is repeated
throughout the song, and the melody and lyric rarely vary."[1] A refrain is, "a repeated line or musical phrase
that ties a song together...A refrain is only a phrase, or a word, while a chorus contains many more words."[8] A
refrain may be defined as a repetitive phrase or phrases that serve the function of a chorus lyrically but are not
placed in a separate section and/or long enough so as to be considered a chorus.[4] For example, refrains are
found in The Beatles' "She Loves You" ("yeah, yeah, yeah") AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long", Paul
Simon's "The Sound of Silence", and "Deck the Halls" ("fa la la la la").[8]

The chorus or refrain is the element of the song that repeats at least once both musically and lyrically. It is
almost always of greater musical and emotional intensity than the verse. "The chorus, which gets its name from
a usual thickening of texture from the addition of backing vocals, is always a discrete section that nearly always
prolongs the tonic and carries an unvaried poetic text."[9] In terms of narrative, the chorus conveys the main
message or theme of the song. Normally the most memorable element of the song for listeners, the chorus
usually contains the hook.
Bridge

A bridge may be "a transition", but more often in popular

music is "a section that contrasts with the verse...[,] usually
ends on the dominant...[, and] often culminates in a strong
re-transitional".[9] "The bridge is a device that is used to
break up the repetitive pattern of the song and keep the
listener's attention....In a bridge, the pattern of the words
and music change."[8] For example, John Denver's
"Country Roads" is a song with a bridge while Stevie
Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is a song
without one.[8]

In music theory, "middle eight" (a common type of bridge)

refers to the section of a song which has a significantly
different melody and lyrics, which helps the song develop
itself in a natural way by creating a contrast to the
previously played, usually placed after the second chorus in
a song. (Typically, a song consists of first verse, pre-chorus,
chorus, second verse, pre-chorus, chorus, middle eight,
"Jingle Bells"'s chorus Play chorus or full
chorus). Such sections often consist of new chords, but also
song
frequently just alternate between two chords. It is called a
middle eight because it happens in the middle of the song
and the length is generally eight bars. Jazz players also call this "the release".

A song employing a middle eight might look like:

.... .... .... .... ........ .... ....

Intro-{Verse-Chorus}{Verse-Chorus}-Middle 8-{Chorus}-{Chorus}-(Outro)

Middle eights are often quieter than the remainder of the song, in contrast with the solo, which is generally
more energetic. In slower songs, however, a middle eight can be used to generate energy. By adding a powerful
upbeat middle eight, musicians can then end the song with a hook in the end chorus and finale.

Conclusion or outr o

The conclusion or outro of a song is a way of ending or

completing the song. It signals to the listeners (or dancers)
that the song is nearing its close. The reason for having an
outro is that if a song just ended at the last bar of a section,
such as on the last verse or the last chorus, this might feel "Jingle Bells"'s outro Play outro or full song
too abrupt for listeners and dancers. By using an outro, the
songwriter signals that the song is nearing its end. This gives a good sense of closure for the listener. For DJs,
the outro is a signal that they need to be ready to mix in their next song.

In general, songwriters and arrangers do not introduce any new melodies or riffs in the outro. However, a
melody or riff that was used throughout the song may be re-used as part of an outro. In general, the outro is a
section where the energy of the song, broadly defined, dissipates. For example, many songs are ended with a
fade-out, in which the song gets quieter and quieter. In many songs, the band does a ritardando during the outro,
a process of gradually slowing down the tempo. Both the fade-out and the ritardando are ways of decreasing the
intensity of a song and signalling that it is nearing its conclusion.
For an outro that will be faded out, the arranger or songwriter typically repeats a short section of the music over
and over. This can be the chorus, for example. An audio engineer then uses the fader on the mixing board to
gradually decrease the volume of the recording. When a tribute band is playing a cover song which has a
recording studio-engineered fade-out, the live band can imitate this by playing progressively more quietly.

Another way that many pop and rock songs end is with a tag. There are two types of tags: the instrumental tag
and the instrumental/vocal tag. With an instrumental tag, the vocalist no longer sings, and the band's rhythm
section takes over the music to finish off the song. A tag is often a vamp of a few chords which is repeated. In a
jazz song, this could be a standard turnaround, such as I-vi-ii-V7 or a stock progression, such as ii-V7. If the
tag includes the tonic chord, such as a vamp on I-IV, the bandleader will typically cue the last time that the
penultimate chord (a IV chord in this case) will be played, leading to an ending on the I chord.

If the tag does not include the tonic chord, such as with a ii-V7 tag, the bandleader will give a cue to the band
signalling when the band should do a cadence that resolves onto the tonic (I) chord. With an instrumental/vocal
tag, the band and the vocalist typically repeat a section of the song, such as the chorus, to give emphasis to its
message. In some cases, the vocalist may use only a few words from the chorus or even one word. Some bands
have the guitar player do a guitar solo during the outro, but it is not the focus of the section; instead, it is more
to add interesting improvisation. A guitar solo during an outro will typically be mixed lower than a mid-song
guitar solo.

Elision

An elision is a section of music where different sections overlap one another, usually for a short period. It is
mostly used in fast-paced music, and it is designed to create tension and drama. Songwriters use elision to keep
the song from losing its energy during cadences, the points at which the music comes to rest on, typically on a
tonic or dominant chord. If a song has a section which ends with a cadence on the tonic, if the songwriter gives
this cadence a full bar, with the chord held as a whole note, this will make the listener feel like the music is
stopping. However, if songwriters use an elided cadence, they can bring the section to a cadence on the tonic,
and then, immediately after this cadence, begin a new section of music which overlaps with the cadence.
Another form of elision would, in a chorus later in the song, to interject musical elements from the bridge.

Instrumental solo

A solo is a section designed to showcase an instrumentalist (e.g. a guitarist or a harmonica player) or less
commonly, more than one instrumentalist (e.g., a trumpeter and a sax player). Guitar solos are common in rock
music, particularly heavy metal and in the blues. The solo section may take place over the chords from the
verse, chorus, or bridge, or over a standard solo backing progression, such as the 12-bar blues progression. In
some pop songs, the solo performer plays the same melodies that were performed by the lead singer, often with
flourishes and embellishments, such as riffs, scale runs, and arpeggios. In blues- or jazz-influenced pop songs,
the solo performers may improvise a solo.

Ad lib

In Latin, ad libitum means "at will"; this is often shortened to ad lib. An ad lib section of a song (usually in the
coda or outro) occurs when the main lead vocal or a second lead vocal breaks away from the already
established lyric and/or melody to add melodic interest and intensity to the end of the song. Often, the ad lib
repeats the previously sung line using variations on phrasing, melodic shape, and/or lyric, but the vocalist may
also use entirely new lyrics or a lyric from an earlier section of the song. During an ad lib section, the rhythm
may become freer (with the rhythm section following the vocalist), or the rhythm section may stop entirely,
giving the vocalist the freedom to use whichever tempo he or she wishes. During live performances, singers
sometimes include ad libs not originally in the song, such as making a reference to the town of the audience or
customizing the lyrics to the current events of the era.

There is a distinction between ad lib as a song section and ad lib as a general term. Ad lib as a general term can
be applied to any free interpretation of the musical material.
AABA form
Thirty-two-bar form uses four sections, most often eight measures long each (4×8=32), two verses or A
sections, a contrasting B section (the bridge or "middle-eight") and a return of the verse in one last A section
(AABA). The B section is often designed to be a contrast to the A sections which precede and follow it. The B
section may be made to contrast by putting it in a new harmony. For example, with the jazz standard "I've Got
Rhythm", the A sections are all tonic prolongations based around the I-vi-ii-V chord progression (Bb in the
standard key); however, the B section changes key and moves to V/vi, or D7 in the standard key, which then
does a circle of fifths movement to G7, C7 and finally F7, setting the listener up for a return to the tonic Bb in
the final A section.

The "I've Got Rhythm" example also provides contrast because the harmonic rhythm changes in the B section.
Whereas the A sections contain a vibrant, exciting feel of two chord changes per bar (e.g., the first two bars are
often Bb g minor/c minor F7), the B section consists of two bars of D7, two bars of G7, two bars of C7 and two
bars of F7. In some songs, the "feel" also changes in the B section. For example, the A sections may be in
swing feel, and the B section may be in Latin or Afro-Cuban feel.

While the form is often described as AABA, this does not mean that the A sections are all exactly the same.
Because the first A section ends by going back to the next A section, and the second A section ends and
transitions into the B section. As such, at the minimum, the composer or arranger often modifies the harmony
of the end of the different A sections, so that the listener will be guided through the key changes. As well, the
composer or arranger may re-harmonize the melody on one or more of the A sections, to provide variety. Note
that with a reharmonization, the melody does not usually change; only the chords played by the accompaniment
musicians change.

Examples include "Deck the Halls":

A: Deck the hall with boughs of holly,

A: 'Tis the season to be jolly.
B: Don we now our gay apparel,
A: Troll the ancient Yuletide carol.

Variation on the basic structure

Verse-chorus form or ABA form may be combined with AABA form, in compound AABA forms. Variations
such as a1 and a2 can also be used.

AAA format may be found in Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'", and songs like "The House of
the Rising Sun", and "Clementine".[10] Also "Old MacDonald", "Amazing Grace", "The Thrill Is Gone", and
Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".[11]

AABA may be found in Crystal Gayle's "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue", Billy Joel's "Just the Way You
Are", and The Beatles' "Yesterday".[12]

ABA (verse/chorus or chorus/verse) format may be found in Pete Seeger's "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (chorus first)
and The Rolling Stones's "Honky Tonk Woman" (verse first).[10] ABAB may be found in AC/DC's "Back in
Black", Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville", The Archies's "Sugar, Sugar", and The Eagles's "Hotel
California".[13]

ABABCB format may be found in Smokey Robinson's "My Guy" and The Beatles's "Ticket to Ride".[10] Also
John Cougar Mellencamp's "Hurts So Good", Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It?", and ZZ Top's
"Sharp Dressed Man".[13] Variations include The Pretenders's "Back on the Chain Gang" (ABABCAB),
Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (ABABCBAB), and Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"
(ABABCABCAB).[13]

See also
Earworm Theme
Lick Vamp
Ostinato
Theme
Sources

1. Davidson, Miriam; Heartwood, Kiya (1996).Songwriting for Beginners, p.6. Alfred Music Publishing.ISBN
0739020005.
2. Everett, Walter (2008). The Foundations of Rock : From "Blue Suede Shoes" to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes": From "Blue
Suede Shoes" to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", p.145. ISBN 9780199718702.
3. Everett, Walter (1999). The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology, p.15. Oxford University Press.
ISBN 9780195129410.
4. Cope (2009), p.68.
5. Everett (2008), p.146.
6. Whitesell, Lloyd (2008).The Music of Joni Mitchell, p.151. ISBN 9780199719099.
7. Watson, C. J. (2003). The Everything Songwriting Book: All You Need to Create and Market Hit Songs, p.86. Adams
Media. ISBN 9781440522666.
8. Davidson & Heartwood (1996), p.7.
9. Everett (1999), p.16.
10. Davidson & Heartwood (1996), p.8.
11. Watson (2003), p.87-8.
12. Watson (2003), p.89.
13. Watson (2003), p.90.

Further reading
Appen, Ralf von / Frei-Hauenschild, Markus"AABA, Refrain, Chorus, Bridge, Prechorus — Song Forms and their
Historical Development". In: Samples. Online Publikationen der Gesellschaft für Popularmusikforschung/German
Society for Popular Music Studies e.V. Ed. by Ralf von Appen, André Doehring and Thomas Phleps. ol. V 13 (2015).
Covach, John. "Form in Rock Music: A Primer", in Stein, Deborah (2005). Engaging Music: Essays in Music Analysis.
New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-517010-5.
Covach, John and Boone, Graham, eds.Understanding Rock: Essays in Musical Analysis . Cited in Covach (2005).
Everett, Walter, ed. Rock Music: Critical Essays on Composition, Performance, Analysis, and Reception. Cited in
Covach (2005).
Forte, Allan The American Popular Ballad of the Golden Era, 1924-1950: A Study in Musical Design , Princeton
University Press, 1995.ISBN 978-0-691-04399-9.
Kaiser, Ulrich "Babylonian confusion. Zur Terminologie der Formanalyse von Pop- und Rockmusik" . In: Zeitschrift der
Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie8/1 (2011) – ISSN 1862-6742.
Richard Middleton. "Form", in Horner, Bruce and Swiss, Thomas, eds. (1999)Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture.
Malden, Massachusetts.ISBN 0-631-21263-9.

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Categories: Popular music Song forms

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