Song structure, what is it and why should you use it?

Many people dislikes to write within a defined song structure. If you write for your own enjoyment thats totally fine, I really respect that kind of integrity. If you on the other hand wants to get your music signed, I highly recommend to use one of todays most used formes. An unstructured song will often apply messy and difficult to listen to.

So, what´s a song structure? It is the framework or the skeleton of the song. It´s how the different parts of the song are put together, for example how the verses and choruses are organized.

Of all the songwriting skills, this subject is maybe the one the beginner to songwriting has to pay most attention to. Once you have nailed it you will master this songwriting skill easy:)

If you don´t use a known song structure, the odds are heavily against it becoming a hit

Nr. 1
This is the most common form of todays hitmusic. It´s built as A B A B form, (A=vers and B=chorus). This structure is also called the verse/chorus form. The song shifts between verses and choruses. Sometimes the chorus is repeated at the end of the song.

A variation of this form is to use a bridge (C=bridge). The structure would then look like this: A B A B C B (B) or A B A B C A B (B)

Nr. 2
The second structure is the A A C A form, which was often used in earlier popular music and standard jazz. This form doesn´t contain a chorus. (Many music teachers calls this form A A B A. They still mean B=bridge).

Lets dig into the different parts of the song and see what´s typical for them

Verse
This is where you tell your story. This is the place you let the listener learn about the places, the people and the plot. The verse is in many ways the body of the song. The lyric is different for each verse, and every verse contains new information to the song. The melody is essential the same for each verse.

Chorus
The chorus is the part of the song your listener should remember. It´s the climax of the song and often the most energetic part. The listener should feel the song´s being lifted to another level. It´s most common for the title to appear at least once in the chorus. While the verses delivers the details in the song, the chorus delivers a broader statement which often are repeated many times. It´s most common for the lyrics and the melody to remain the same for each chorus.

Bridge
The bridge, also called "middle eight", "break" or "release", have two different functions in the song. One is to prevent boredom for the listener. That´s why it usually appear 2/3 in the song, (this is normally where the listener begins to tire of the verse/chorus repetitions). The second is to let the listener see the song from a new perspective, reveal lyrical information from another point of view or add additional information to the song. Most times the melody and chords also add a contrast within the context of the song. The bridge can be instrumental,

Pre-Chorus
Sometimes it occur a short section between the verses and the choruses. This section is called a pre-chorus. Other names for this section are; set up, climb, pre-hook, B-section or lift. It´s a building block between the verses and choruses.

The function of the pre-chorus is to build tension and prepare the listener for the chorus. If you choose to use a pre-chorus in your song, it´s most common to use it between every verse and chorus.

Exercise
You know have the tools to identify the structure of a song. The best way to get a feeling with song structures is to analyze the structures of your favorite songs and then express yourself within the same frames.

Have fun experimenting using different song structures. Find the one that best expresses the the message in your song.

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