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Songs Are One o

The document discusses song structure and common song structures. It explains that song structure refers to how a song is organized using different sections like verses, choruses, and bridges. A typical structure includes an intro, verses, choruses, another verse, more choruses, a bridge, and outro. This is called an ABABCB structure. Hit songs and pop songs often follow this standard structure while some genres experiment more. Familiar structures make songs sound recognizable to our "music brain."

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CHARLENE JOY BERMEO
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96 views5 pages

Songs Are One o

The document discusses song structure and common song structures. It explains that song structure refers to how a song is organized using different sections like verses, choruses, and bridges. A typical structure includes an intro, verses, choruses, another verse, more choruses, a bridge, and outro. This is called an ABABCB structure. Hit songs and pop songs often follow this standard structure while some genres experiment more. Familiar structures make songs sound recognizable to our "music brain."

Uploaded by

CHARLENE JOY BERMEO
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Songs are one of humanity’s oldest forms of self-expression.

Scientists recently located a “music center”


in our brain, which makes us react to music in much the same way we react to other pleasure-inducing
stimuli. Songs make us feel through rhythm and melody, but they stay with us thanks to the familiar
patterns that comprise song structure.

What Is Song Structure?

Song structure refers to how a song is organized, using a combination of different sections. A typical
song structure includes a verse, chorus, and bridge in the following arrangement: intro, verse — chorus
— verse — chorus —bridge — chorus — outro. This is known as an ABABCB structure, where A is the
verse, B is the chorus and C is the bridge.

Hit songs and pop songs tend to follow the standard structure while jam bands and experimental
musicians might diverge from the formula. If a song sounds familiar to us when we hear it for the first
time, it’s because our ears have been trained to recognize the most commonly used song structures. But
that’s not to say there isn’t value in variation as well.

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Songwriting 101: Learn Common Song Structures

Written by the MasterClass staff

Last updated: Aug 10, 2021 • 6 min read

Teaches the Art and Soul of Guitar

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Songs are one of humanity’s oldest forms of self-expression. Scientists recently located a “music center”
in our brain, which makes us react to music in much the same way we react to other pleasure-inducing
stimuli. Songs make us feel through rhythm and melody, but they stay with us thanks to the familiar
patterns that comprise song structure.

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What Is Song Structure?

What Makes A Song?

What Are the Most Common Song Structures?

What Are Variations on Common Song Structures?

Learn More About Carlos Santana's MasterClass

What Is Song Structure?

Song structure refers to how a song is organized, using a combination of different sections. A typical
song structure includes a verse, chorus, and bridge in the following arrangement: intro, verse — chorus
— verse — chorus —bridge — chorus — outro. This is known as an ABABCB structure, where A is the
verse, B is the chorus and C is the bridge.
Hit songs and pop songs tend to follow the standard structure while jam bands and experimental
musicians might diverge from the formula. If a song sounds familiar to us when we hear it for the first
time, it’s because our ears have been trained to recognize the most commonly used song structures. But
that’s not to say there isn’t value in variation as well.

What Makes A Song?

There are six primary parts to a song:

Intro. Like the beginning of a film or novel, a song introduction should catch the listener’s attention.
However, it should do this without overwhelming them. For this reason, song intros are typically slower
and more low-key. The goal is to establish the rhythm, tempo, and melody of the song, and introduce
the singer or singers’ voices.

Verse. The verse of a song is a chance to tell a story. Lyrically speaking, this is where the story actually
develops and advances. In most songs, the chorus and pre-chorus generally use the same lyrics each
time, so the verse is your chance to get your message across. It might be helpful to split the story you
want to tell in two and think about how the second verse can build on the first. Some songwriters use
the second verse as an opportunity to change or subvert the meaning of the chorus, or even the entire
song with different lyrics. It’s a chance to be creative and explore the different emotions you’re trying to
bring out in your listener.

Pre-chorus. Although optional, a pre-chorus helps to heighten the impact of the chorus. A pre-chorus
usually contains a chord progression from either the verse or the chorus, building upon that familiarity.
It’s another chance to experiment—a pre-chorus can utilize different harmonies, for example, or break
the pattern of the song.

Chorus. The chorus is the culmination of all the big ideas in your song. This is often why the title of the
song also appears in the chorus. It’s a summary of what the entire song is about. The chorus typically
also contains the hook—the catchiest part of the song. Choruses should serve as the climax to the song.
The verses and pre-chorus both serve to build up to this one moment; therefore the chorus should
reflect that release of tension.

Bridge. The bridge typically happens only once towards the end of a song, usually between the second
and third chorus. It’s a change of pace in the song—it stands out both lyrically and musically. The point is
to jolt the listener out of her reverie and remind her that there’s more to this song than just repetition.
This can be achieved through something like switching to a relative key in the same key signature (for
example, from A-Minor to C-Major) or through something like a guitar solo.

Outro. This is the end of the song. An outro should signal clearly to the listener that the song is coming
to an end. This can be done in a number of ways, but typically is achieved by doing the reverse of the
intro—in other words, slowing down. More often than not, the outro is usually a repeat of the chorus
with a slow fade-out.

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