Song Structure 101

Song Structure 101

Introduction

• The main job of the intro is to grab the listener's attention. It should pull listeners in and make them want to hear the rest of the song.

• The intro is the first thing that happens in a song

Verse

• The purpose of the verse is to tell the story of the song. Musically, the melody of the verse is about the same each time, and the drums are the same or just slightly different in each verse. Lyrically, it differs, with each verse developing the story further. Dynamically, verses are usually a little quieter than the chorus. Most songs have 2-3 verses, but this varies across genres.

Pre Chorus

• The pre-chorus happens between the verse and the chorus. It is used to add an additional level of dynamics. Not all songs use a pre-chorus, but ones that do use it to make the chorus stand out by building tension with the pre-chorus and then providing relief once the chorus arrives. A pre-chorus is usually kept fairly short, between 2-8 bars.

Chorus

• This is, without a doubt, the most important part of a song. The chorus conveys the main message of the song. It should be the same each time, both musically and lyrically. A great chorus is catchy and memorable, and is often the only part of a song listeners recognize. This is also the part that tends to get stuck in people's heads.

Bridge

• The bridge comes after the second chorus, and its main purpose is to add contrast and variation. This could come in the form of a new chord progression that breaks up the repetitive verse/chorus structure, an instrumental solo, new lyrical message, key change, new drum pattern, and more. The bridge typically does not last longer than 8-16 bars, but this varies by genre.

Outro

• The end of a song can sometimes be referred to as an outro. This is when the song fades out gradually or perhaps has a big finale. Often, the instruments begin to slowly drop out, one by one, signaling the end of the song.