SONGWRITING-1 WEEK 1

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Lesson Aims
1) To realise the importance of song structure
2) To study the basic components of popular song structure
3) To study the three most commonly-used basic song forms


1) STRUCTURE
The structure of a song is the skeleton that holds the component parts of the music
together. It gives the song shape and order, providing coherence and balance, and each
genre of music tends to follow a given structure or musical convention.
People have listened to music all their lives and have developed expectations when they
hear a song (whether they are aware of it or not). An unstructured song will be messy,
difficult to listen to and impossible to remember.

Songwriting is as much about communication as it is about expression. Some novice
songwriters rebel against the prospect of learning the discipline of song form because they
fear that it will inhibit their creativity; however, skilled use of song structure is as essential
to effective communication in songwriting as proper grammar is to speech.

Whether or not listeners are consciously aware that the songs they love have a
specific form, they have, nonetheless, been conditioned to subconsciously connect
with songs that use these major song forms. If our objective as songwriters is to
communicate our songs to the ears and hearts of millions of listeners, then we
MUST speak the language that listeners understand. Song form is the framework for
that language. (Mary Dawson, songwriter)

Once you are aware of the various song components and how they can be skillfully
combined, you will gain both a new appreciation of the songs you love and a toolbox of
crafting options for your own original songs.


2) BASIC SONG COMPONENTS
Before we look at song structure, we must define the terms that are used to describe the
basic elements of every popular or commercial song.
All songs that have music and lyrics within the various genres of popular music (like pop,
country, R&B, jazz etc) will contain at least some, if not all, of the following elements:

a) Verse
All song forms have verses and are each referred to as an A Section.
All the verses of the song will have the same melody but different lyrics, and the parallel
lines of each verse are usually identical in length and meter.
If the chorus is the summation or peak of the song, the verses are the storytellers that help
to make the chorus make sense.
In styles like folk and country, each verse is used to move the story of the song forward;
consequently, each new verse provides a fresh angle on the chorus.



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The chorus of a tune usually remains the same, so it is the verse or bridge (which usually
appear about three quarters the way through the song) that change and enhance what the
chorus means each time.
In modern popular music, verses tend to be descriptions of a situation or feeling; each
new verse describing a new aspect of a central message.

b) Chorus (Refrain)
Not all songs have choruses, but you can easily identify the ones that do.
A chorus has the same melody and the same words. They tend to be bigger and more
complex in texture than the verses, and traditionally form the hook of a song.

The Hook
The hook of a song is the line of words and/or music that catches the listener's ear; holds
his/her interest; sustains that interest, and pulls the listener along to the end of the song.
It is that one line, both musically and lyrically, that listeners will remember long after the
song is over. Furthermore, as the song's central idea, the hook must be repeated several
times throughout the song. If it isn't repeated, it isn't a hook.

Other characteristics of the chorus
Some choruses have a small section leading up to them (Pre-chorus) or a small section
tagged on the end (Post-chorus)
Traditionally, the chorus is repeated after each verse and would still sound complete in
itself, both musically and lyrically, if removed from the song.
Traditionally, the chorus of a song is where the audience joins in with the performers and
everyone sings together; chorus literally meaning 'sung in groups' from the Greek word
khoros.
If we take a folk song such as Streets of London by Ralph McTell, the audience would
listen intently to the performer telling the story in the verses; the words to each chorus are
the same and familiar, so they can join in with the singer at the end of each verse. The
contrast between listening and singing creates an enjoyable tension and release for the
audience; fundamental in popular music.
These days, choruses are often like an old-fashioned refrain; built from a phrase or
collection of phrases repeated several times through the song. They're not always written
to be sung in groups, but are still the musical highlights of the song.

To write a successful modern pop song, your chorus must be exciting and easily
remembered. Here are some shortcuts to guide you towards writing a successful chorus:

The lyric to the chorus must be simple, short and to the point.
Make just one lyrical point in the chorus (eg You Know I'm No Good, I Bet You
Look Good on the Dancefloor, I Wanna Hold Your Hand etc)
If you want to sell records, make sure the title of the song is mentioned in the
chorus at least once.
Usually there is a musical contrast between verse and chorus, and more often than
not, the pitch of the chorus melody lifts to some degree. Sometimes this lift is an
illusion created by the production: the introduction of backing vocals, strings and/or

other instruments being introduced; the drummer switches to the ride cymbal,
instead of the hi-hat etc. These things can all give a sense that the chorus is louder
and higher.

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c) Bridge/Middle 8
The purpose of the bridge is to break up the simple repetition of a
verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure by introducing new elements into the song. This can
be a new chord sequence and melody, maybe a big change in the arrangement of the
song, or even an instrumental solo. These new elements in the song help to keep the
listener interested in what's happening, much like a subtle twist in the plot of a novel or
movie.
The bridge is also known as a middle 8, because it is a section in a song that tends to
happen towards the middle of the song, and tends to be eight bars in length.
The middle-eight doesnt always have to be eight-bars. Many songs of today dont follow
the eight-bar pattern and often just have just 4 bars or, sometimes, odd numbers, such
as 5 or 7 (eg. Dont Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith)
A bridge may be referred to as a "B" section or as a "C" section, depending on the song
form used.

Listen to the middle 8 in Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley. The whole song slows down
and adopts a different time signature. Furthermore, its a lot longer than eight bars, but it
would still be known as a middle 8.

Oh let our love survive
Or dry the tears from your eyes
Let's don't let a good thing die
When honey, you know
I've never lied to you
Mmm yeah, yeah


This middle 8 slows the pace of the song and allows the audience time to reflect on the
strong emotion of the whole lyric before the pace picks up again for the finale of the song.

A great middle 8 will keep your audience interested in your song. Here are some ideas on
how to maintain that interest:

Some of the best middle 8s reveal something new in the lyric: a subtle twist or
revelation in the subject matter. This is a classic way of keeping a listener's interest;
just when they think they've heard everything you have to say in the song, you
rekindle their interest with something new.
How about repeating the melody and lyric from the chorus, but over a new and
different chord sequence? This can create some very interesting musical effects




Sometimes it can be exciting just to allow a singer to improvise (or 'freestyle') over
an instrumental section in your song, maybe singing without specific words.

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Try changing key. If your song is in a major key, try changing to the relative minor
key for your middle eight (the relative minor key is three semitones lower than your
major key, so A minor is the relative minor to C major).



After the middle 8 of Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield, the whole song lifts
even further by returning to the chorus that has been transposed up a fourth (from A to D)
for dramatic effect.

How well I remember
The look that was in his eyes,
Steeling kisses from me on the sly,
Taking time to make time,
Telling me that hes all mine,
Learning from each others knowing,
Looking to see how much weve grown,


Other examples of songs containing middle 8s:
Every Breath You Take (The Police): "Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace...".
Hero (Mariah Carey)
I Want Love (Elton John)

The verse, chorus and bridge are the major song components; however we will also
examine several minor ones as we continue our study, but it is a good exercise to identify
at least these three different elements in every song you hear. Start learning how to listen
to songs like a songwriter.


Next, we must use our knowledge of these components to identify the three major popular
music song forms and their variations.



3) POPULAR SONG FORM
The form of a song provides you with the geography of a piece (the overall structure
divided into sections), allowing you to distinguish the wood from the trees.
Generally, form is based upon repetition, contrast, and variation.

Describing Form
Musicians traditionally have two ways to describe the form of a piece of music. One way
involves labelling each large section with a letter. The other way is to simply give a name
to a form that is very common.


a) Labelling Form With Letters
Letters can be used to label the form of any piece of music, from the simplest to the most
complex. Each major section of the music is labelled with a letter; for example, the first

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section is the A section. If the second section (or third or fourth) is exactly the same as the
first, it is also labelled A. If it is very much like the A section, but with some important
differences, it can be labelled A2

b) Naming Sections
Most pop fans can distinguish easily between the verses and refrain of any pop song, but
will have trouble recognising what is going on in a lot of classical music. Classical music
traditions around the world tend to encourage longer, more complex forms that may be
difficult to recognize without the familiarity that comes from study or repeated hearings.
There are many conventions, depending on the musical genre; however, later on in this
module, we will focus exclusively on the terms used in popular music, as you will study the
various methods and terms used when analysing the form of a typical pop tune.

The three most commonly-used song forms in popular music
Over the last century, three song forms have dominated most genres of popular music,
and listeners have been conditioned to connect most readily with songs written in these
forms:

1) AAA
2) AB (Verse-Chorus)
3) AABA

Serious songwriters who hope to have their songs heard and loved by millions of listeners
must become well-acquainted with these three different song structures and learn how to
use them skillfully.


1) The AAA form (also known as folk or strophic form)
The AAA form, also known as the one-part song form, is simply a series of verses
containing identical music, but different lyrics in each. The AAA Song was used for some
of the earliest songs ever written, such narrative ballads, nursery rhymes and folk songs.
(eg. Mary Had a Little Lamb, Kum Bay Ya; Ninety-Nine Bottles; One Man Went To
Mow etc).
The technical name for this song form is the strophic song form. The Greek word, strophe,
simply meaning verse.

The AAA Song is the essence of simplicity and memorability. Because of this, it had a
phenomenal resurgence during the 1960's and 70's as folk singers like Bob Dylan, Paul
Simon, Pete Seeger, Joni Mitchell and others used it to create songs that made an
indelible imprint on American Music.

Examples:
The Times They Are A Changin' and Blowin in the Wind (Bob Dylan)


The AAA song is also an ideal song form for telling a story. Consider the 1970's Jim Webb
hit By the Time I Get to Phoenix (sung by Glen Cambell), which uses the AAA song form
to tell a split-screen story of a man leaving his girlfriend. He starts out from California and
as the song progresses, each verse finds him in a different city further west while the

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girlfriend goes about her daily routine and begins to realize, little by little, that this time the
guy really meant it and is definitely gone!

Maintaining Interest
Of course, the recurring music of the AAA Song can make it overly repetitious and even
downright boring if it is not developed well. Here are some techniques to consider in order
to maintain the listeners interest:

1) You might start the song with very simple instrumentation: perhaps just a guitar or piano
and vocal. Then at the second A, you could add some strings or percussion. Continue to
add instruments to the arrangement at each A section as the song builds to the end.

2) You might consider changing keys between a couple of the later verses. Modulating the
song up a half step between A sections gives the song a forward momentum and makes
the listener feel as if the song is going somewhere. This technique is especially effective
when the song tells a story.



2) ABAB form (also known as Verse-Chorus form)
As you can see, the ABAB form has two distinct sections:

'A' = verse 'B' = chorus.

Example: Fly Me to the Moon (Frank Sinatra)

A1: Fly me to the moon..,
B1: In other words, hold my hand,
A2: Fill my heart with song..
B2: In other words, please be true.

Note that the song is extended by repeating the second A and B section


Here are a few key principles to apply as you learn to use the Verse-Chorus Song
effectively:

1) The chorus must contrast.
The chorus, which contains the hook of the song, must stand out and contrast from the
rest of the song. Musically this is usually done by raising the pitch of the melody in relation
to the verse. Writers also often use a key change at the chorus to create an even

bigger contrast. Furthermore, lyrically, the rhyme pattern and even the cadence of the
syllables can change at the chorus to define and emphasize it.

2) The chorus must repeat
The purpose of the Verse-Chorus form is to call attention to the hook or the main idea.
To do this effectively, the chorus must repeat several times throughout the song. Most
commercial songs today contain at least two verses and two choruses with a possible third

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repetition of the chorus to conclude the song. It is extremely important that the verses are
constructed in such a way that the chorus sounds like the inevitable and logical conclusion
to each of the verses.

3) The chorus must arrive soon
In a Verse-Chorus song the listener has to get through the introduction and at least one
complete verse before arriving at the section that contains the most memorable moment
of the song (the hook). One of the most common weaknesses in aspiring Verse-Chorus
writers is creating an overly long-verse that delays the arrival of the chorus and thereby
loses the attention of the listener.

4) The chorus must deliver
The purpose of the verses is to take us up the mountain, and when we arrive, the chorus
provides the view. The chorus must deliver that Eureka Moment that brings satisfaction
and emotional fulfillment for the listener.


3) AABA Song Form
The AABA Song Form developed during the first part of the 20th Century -- especially
during the Golden Days of Tin Pan Alley songsmiths like Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer,
George and Ira Gershwin and Irving Berlin, who wrote primarily for musical theater and
later for films. Usually, these songs had 32 bars (eight bars in each section) and were
often preceded by an introduction that simply allowed the singer to move to the center of
the stage where he/she would present the song.

Like the AAA form, the AABA form begins with two verses that have identical music but
different lyrics. These A sections (which often contain the title) are then followed by a B or
Bridge section that is different both musically and lyrically and clearly contrasts with the A
sections. The B section is transitional and leads into a final A section which, again, has the
same melody but different lyrics than the first two A sections.
One of the most beautiful examples of the AABA Song is Somewhere Over the Rainbow,
written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for the 1930's film, The Wizard of Oz.

1st A: Somewhere over the rainbow way up high...

2nd A: Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue...

B Section: Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind
me... (different music/different lyrics from the A's)

3rd A: Someday over the rainbow bluebirds fly...

Again, like the AAA Song, the AABA has no separate chorus, so the hook/title usually
appears at the beginning of each A section (as in Somewhere Over the Rainbow) or at the
end of each A (as in What I Did for Love and Saving All My Love for You). Since the B
section is different and contrasting, the hook does not appear in this section. Instead, it
serves as a strategic place to make a lyrical point, and to bring the listener back one
more time to the hook/title in the last A section.


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Many jazz artists used the 32-bar AABA-form Tin Pan Alley songs as vehicles for
improvisation and consequently started adopting the same song-form for their own
compositions: Again, the B section is referred to as the bridge and, in jazz tunes, the
entire AABA form is repeated many times throughout a piece.

Example of A A B A form: Good Morning Heartache (Diana Ross)

Incidentally, in jazz, most song forms are arranged as follows:

1) Start with melody (also known as the head) played over the entire song form
(sometimes repeated).

2) Improvised solos over a repeats of the entire song form

3) Finish by returning to melody (head), again played over the entire song form.

The AABA form works well because it represents a good balance between repetition and
variety. The B section relieves the monotony of the previous two A sections, but, for a
sense of completeness, we still get to return to the opening theme (A) at the end.

If you have not attempted to write in this form, here are some suggestions for developing
the lyrical content:

Remember that, as in any song, the goal is to showcase the hook/title in the most
effective way possible. This means that the hook must appear in the same place in
each A Section, which will usually be either the first line or the last line. Every other
line of lyric should point to and clarify the all-important core Idea that is summarized
by the hook/title.
Just as in any other forms of writing, it is essential to have an outline that will
develop your idea clearly and concisely. Think ahead and plan exactly what you
want to say in each A section to develop your idea. If you have a major point to
make about the hook, save that for the B section which will contrast and be set
apart from the rest of the song.
Because of its flow and uninterrupted development, the AABA Song Form lends
itself beautifully to one of the following two formulae:


1) The Problem-Solution Formula
a) In the first A section identify the subject matter
b) In the second A section, elaborate on the nature of the problem (what caused it)?
c) In the B section, make a point: perhaps by discussing the solution to the problem
d) In the final A section, talk about where we go from here. This is an important place
to offer hope, so that no matter how desperate or serious the problem, we don't
make the song overly depressing

2) The Vignette Formula
This formula makes use of the very effective technique of word pictures that will suggest
visual images to the listener's imagination and help them stay interested in and focused

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upon the main idea (hook). You can develop these vignettes along a timeline, where the
first scene can be in the past; the second in the present; and the third in the future. Or you
may decide to start with a present tense snapshot and then flashback into the past. Or
you can simply make the vignettes unrelated to each other except in the way they arrive at
or develop the hook. Again, be sure to use the B Section to make your point and bring
home the core idea of the song.

Variations
The three main song forms mentioned above (AAA; ABAB and AABA) all deal with the
arrangement of large sections. It is important to note that there are many variations on
these structures. Here are a couple:


AB (Binary)
In Yesterday (Beatles), two distinct sections are arranged as shown below. Notice the odd
bar lengths of the A sections (the number of bars is shown in brackets)

A(7) + A(7) + B(8)
A(7) + B(8)
A(7) + (2)

Note that Yesterday can also be seen as a variation on AABA (in this case AABA +BA)


BABA (Ch, V, Ch, V)
The ABAB form can be reversed so that the song starts out with the chorus (BABA),
allowing it to get to the heart of what the song has to offer straight away.
Note that many pop songs (that do not follow an BABA form) also start with the chorus:

Example: Take a Chance on Me (ABBA)




Homework
Try writing an AAA song (or several of them). Remember to strategically
place your hook at the beginning or the end of each A section.




Reference:
Songwriters Market, edited by Ian Bessler, Writers Digest Books
www.greatsongwriting.com
Form in Music (Catherine Schmidt-Jones)
www.writerswrite.com
http://musiced.about.com