Song Structure

[AnthonyCeseri]

I've been thinking about song structure lately and the different roles of the sections within a song. I came up with this and wanted to get your thoughts...

Verse

Lyrically, the verses of your song will move your story forward. The chorus or refrain is likely to have the same words each time, so the verse is your chance to keep your ideas moving along.

Chorus

Think of your chorus as the big idea for what your song’s all about. That’s partly why your title is most likely to show up in your chorus. Your title also sums up what the song’s about. Melodically, the chorus will be the catchiest part of your song. This is what people will have stuck in their head long after your song is over. That’s another reason it’s good to have your title in the chorus. When people get your chorus stuck in their head, they’ll easily know what your song is called and can find it later when they want to hear it again.

Pre-Chorus

The pre-chorus is an add-on before the chorus. It usually repeats the same lyrics each time, the same way a chorus does. Musically, a lot of times it creates a nice build up to what’s coming in the chorus.

Bridge

The bridge is a departure from what we’ve heard in a song, previously. This goes for both the lyrics and the music. Lyrically it’s an opportunity for a new perspective. Musically, it’s a chance to offer the listener something they haven’t heard before to keep the song interesting.

Refrain

In the AABA, or AAA structures, the refrain is the line that draws all the attention in your verses. It’s usually at the beginning or end of each verse and is often the title of the song.

Hook

The hook doesn’t necessarily refer to a specific section of a song, except to say it’s the catchiest part of a song. Most of the time, it will be your chorus, if your song has one. If your song doesn’t have a chorus your hook will most likely be your refrain. As hit songwriter, Clay Drayton, says “A fish knows the hook… Once it’s in you, it’s hard to get it out.â€

[snabbu]

Hi Anthony

I would add this.

Because there is a lot going on lyrically in the verses melodically it needs to be reasonably linear.

If the verse asks questions the chorus should answer them even if the answer is blowing in the wind.

Verse melodies need to be more melodic than linear verse melodies therefore the lyrics in the chorus must be simple or repetitive.

Have something going on all the time but not everything going on at once.

Hooks can not sit as an island unto themselves they need to be set up and emphasised. A song should contain as many hooks as you can think of. Melodic, lyric, instrumental and production. If you want a master class in hook management you really can't go past ABBA.

The bridge is an important part of a song it is your opportunity to write a second chorus, not just some fill in piece. Sometimes lyrically it is the reveal. That is you set up a story in the verses and choruses preceeding the bridge which appears to be one thing but the bridge reveals that it is something else altogether. Example "my girl bill"

Musically the pre chorus or lift should create tension which is released by the commencement of the chorus. The absolute master of the lift is Neal Diamond. Reference "I am I said" the lift in this just goes on for ever. Also cheap trick " if you want my love you've got it"

These two songs are an essential study in lift writing.

Cheers

Gary

[AnthonyCeseri]

Awesome - Great points here Gary. Especially about the pre-chorus. Thanks for sharing them!

[devotedzak2]

I think the great thing about music is that there are no rules attached to such things. I am in no way saying that you are incorrect about your analysis in regards to the parts of a song... I just feel that experimenting with parts and norms can go a long way and make your song even more memorable within the age of "instant gratification". Please don't be offended by my comment...It's just that I feel it is our duty as musicians and songwriters to provide a piece of original art to the listener rather than a sonic formula.

[Todd S]

Great point

[thepopeofpop]

I'm very into structure - but of course it varies from song to song.

That being said, when one talks about the "hook" - you certainly don't have to limit yourself to just one! Many successful pop songs really have a number of good hooks scattered throughout. Take something like the Beatles' "She Loves You" - the obvious hook is the "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah", but it's hardly the only one. Certainly the various "Ooohs" and "With a love like that" also qualify - as well as how the last syllable of every line of the verse is stretched out over three notes. This song is also a very interesting example of structure - the song starts with the chorus, and yet every time the chorus is repeated it is subtly different. The chorus even is transformed into a striking full ending.

Edited October 25, 2012 by thepopeofpop

[Olaf Stando]

I agree with some of the points, but I think that structure depends on the genre.

Again, don't take my comment offensively, I'm utterly inexperienced compared to you guys, but if we take the example of Bon Iver, many of his songs don't appear to have too much of a structure.

In some songs, especially from his early work, his songs are raw, but that's the whole beauty of them, because listeners can hear and feel his true expressions.

That also depends on the purpose of your songwriting - if the main purpose is to become widely known, hooks are important to get people "hooked" on your music, but if it's only to express your feelings through songwriting, I tend to keep it as natural as possible and not try to have hooks if they don't fit in with the song.

[Chufeng]

Structure is extremely important wether you're writing pop songs or "feelings" songs. In fact, structure is extremely important wether you use it or not.

I say this for two reasons. For one, it's all well and good to say "I'm just expressing my feelings so I don't really need a hook", but how can you expect anyone to listen to those feelings if the're not expressed in some sort of orderly way? I think of the saying "why burn the books if nobody reads them", why express your feelings in a song if nobody's listening? I personally think that songs that have something important to say deserve a hook. Also, if you're like me and you write many of your songs just for yourself to sort out your feelings, having some sort of structure gives you something to look back on and reflect.

second, it's very much ok to have a loose structure, or perhaps no perceivable structure at all in a song but, in order for this to work you must really really understand the basic building blocks of song structure. You have to know the rules before you can break them. I'm sure Bon Iver has spent a lot of time with common song structures and therefore he can write songs that seem to be almost structureless and yet work, feel complete, and are catchy.

[scotsman89]

i have posted some lyrics but do not really understad any of this , structure,hooks , as i am only new to it , but when you that is everyone does it sound right in your head, as i don't play any instruments, when i write i la la la or dede dum. is this stupid , i thought the words were ok but now i don,t know .

scotsman89

[john]

Every single one of us started at the beginning. We have a number of articles that should help covering hooks, choosing a title, how to build a song, the building blocks of a song etc. plus a series to be posted over the next few days all about song structure. All will help. Plus of course the good people of our community.

Try not to get too down on yourself. We all feel overwhelmed when we realised just how much we don't know. The basics are not hard to learn but they do take some effort. The point is, read the articles and ask people to explain their comments on your lyrics and the understanding will seep in. Don't be afraid to ask questions. As I said we have all been there.. and believe me, when it comes to music we will always be learning.

You will also find definitions in our glossary.

I am in a hurry jusr now but I will try to remember to post some links a little later.

[john]

scotsman89,

There are a few articles there. The topic needs updated with new links, I'll get it updated.

You'll find a full list of articles here:

http://www.songstuff.com/article/

and here's the glossary link:

http://www.songstuff.com/glossary/

[scotsman89]

thanks john, question if like me you can't write ,read or play the music do you think this is a handicap to writing?

[john]

There are plenty of lyricists who can't play, read or write music apart from the ability to hum a tune, and the ability to feel rhythm. A common approach is to collaborate with someone who can, in order to provide complete songs.

Don't get me wrong, as pointed out in those articles, there are no songwriting rules, only guidelines. They outline the wisdom of the ages regarding songwriting distilled down. By learning the concepts, you can then choose to use them or not, and gain an understanding of the consequences of sticking to a guideline or not. All in all it helps you to produce a finished song quicker, going down less blind alleys, and finishing more of the lyrics that you start. You learn common issues to avoid, and how to more effectively connect with an audience, to lead their emotional journey, deliver your message to them etc. All good stuff. Perhaps some of our non-musician writers will share their perspective....

[scotsman89]

thanks john , will keep reading and learning hopefully, merry xmas and happy hogmany, one jock to another ,

Edited December 24, 2012 by scotsman89

[john]

Back at ya Have a good one. Hopefully the rain will let up!

[Jim622]

This topic strand is great. There is alot to think about for many people on this site. I know I have some food for thought. Most of my songs do not have a bridge, or I will give it a musical bridge. Writing a bridge just seems to escape my writing process, but this strand has given me some food for thought. Thanks.

Everyone have a nice holiday season.

Jim

Edited December 24, 2012 by Jim622