Songs & structure

While mastering improv and composition is often the end goal of musicians development, it is not really the final product. That would instead be the song. What is presented to the layman as consumable art. This is the big picture finish. 

What makes a song a song? Is the way it’s structured important? Does its length impact its effectiveness? Let’s talk. 

First off, let’s get the more objective things out of the way: components of a song, as typically described in western music. There’s the verse, chorus, and bridge, plus lesser known, transitional pieces, such as intros, interludes, solos, refrains, etc. 

Verse: Often the introductory component, but not always. The more defining characteristic is having a repeated melody, but typically different lyrics (when there are lyrics). It is also often where the most dynamic building happens, carrying the song forward. 

Chorus: Where the main “hook” of a song is usually found. It is repeated, lyrically and melodically, throughout the song, sometimes verbatim, sometimes altered. The level of deviation is often defined by genre and style.

Bridge: While not found in modern songwriting as broadly as the Verse and Chorus, the bridge is definitely a modern staple and more recent generations expect one in any pop hit. It is a transitional mark of the approaching end of a song, and even often contain the dynamic climax. However, as with all musical “rules”, this one is often broken, turning the bridge into more of a second chorus.

All the other mentioned components are nearly always short, transitional elements that serve to connect two of the three main components of song structure. Some of these are lyrical (refrains), some aren’t (instrumentals). Some contain strong melodic content (solos), others don’t. 

Perhaps more than any of the other ideas listed in these discussions, song structure is based on “rules” and norms that are, frankly, arbitrary. Our taste as a culture has developed in tandem with this norms, and, in my opinion, has been directly influenced by them. This is not a thing, but it is important to note because it means these norms needn’t be followed. Build a song you believe to be compelling to you, and hopefully, others will agree.