Before you start writing your song, I recommend that you decide about the type of song structure you'd like to use. You can always change it later. But if you plan ahead, it's less likely that you'll get confused and tell the listeners everything you have to say in the first verse, then sit there thinking about what you should write in the second one. So do yourself a favor and make a sketch of your song.
What parts do songs consist of?
Verse
• The melody doesn't change (or sometimes it does but only a little).
• The words are different in each Verse.
• The role of the Verse is to tell you the story. In each Verse, you should add a bit more information about the characters and the story.
• At the end of the song, you might also include some kind of a punchline.
• It's very important that the Verse should flow logically. Your listeners don't know the background therefore all the information they get is what you write about. For example, don't include more than 2 or 3 characters because otherwise it's impossible to follow who is who in the story. So make sure that your Verses are clear. You could have a friend read it and check if he or she understands what your song is about.
• Verses are usually 8 to 16 bars long. All of them are the same length in most cases.
• Example: from "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag" to "'Cause there is a spark in you" in Firework by Katy Perry.
Pre-Chorus
• The Pre-Chorus is a transition between the Verse and the Chorus. More and more hit songs contain this section.
• They build emotional intensity and gradually increase the tension before the listeners get the "satisfaction" i.e. the Chorus.
• The melody in the Pre-Chorus has the same role. It builds anticipation.
• Pre-Choruses usually contain a rising melody line.
• 32% of today's top ten songs contain a Pre-Chorus.
• They are usually 1 to 4 lines long.
• Example: from "You just gotta ignite…" to "… like the 4th of July" in Firework by Katy Perry.
• They build emotional intensity and gradually increase the tension before the listeners get the "satisfaction" i.e. the Chorus.
• The melody in the Pre-Chorus has the same role. It builds anticipation.
• Pre-Choruses usually contain a rising melody line.
• 32% of today's top ten songs contain a Pre-Chorus.
• They are usually 1 to 4 lines long.
• Example: from "You just gotta ignite…" to "… like the 4th of July" in Firework by Katy Perry.
Chorus
• The Chorus is repeated 3 or 4 times throughout a song.
• In most cases, it contains the title.
• Usually, the Chorus melody is what makes people remember your song. Therefore it should be as catchy as you can make it.
• The melody doesn't change when you repeat the Chorus (maybe a little sometimes).
• The Chorus lyrics give the emotional summary of the song. If you read the Chorus in itself, it should be clear what the whole song is about.
• In the current top 10 songs, the first Chorus comes in at around 0:36.
• Choruses are usually 8 to 14 bars long.
• All of them are the same length in most cases.
• Example: from "'Cause baby you're a firework" to "You're gonna leave them falling down" in Firework by Katy Perry.
• In most cases, it contains the title.
• Usually, the Chorus melody is what makes people remember your song. Therefore it should be as catchy as you can make it.
• The melody doesn't change when you repeat the Chorus (maybe a little sometimes).
• The Chorus lyrics give the emotional summary of the song. If you read the Chorus in itself, it should be clear what the whole song is about.
• In the current top 10 songs, the first Chorus comes in at around 0:36.
• Choruses are usually 8 to 14 bars long.
• All of them are the same length in most cases.
• Example: from "'Cause baby you're a firework" to "You're gonna leave them falling down" in Firework by Katy Perry.
Bridge
• When you've repeated the Verse, the Pre-chorus and the Chorus two times, it would get boring to hear these sections all over again. That's why Bridges are created.
• Around two-thirds into the song, this is the section that has a different melody and different words from all the other sections.
• The Bridge is the emotional peak of the song that expresses the strongest feelings about the subject of your song.
• Example: from "Boom, boom, boom" to "And now it's time to let it through" in Firework by Katy Perry.
Hook
• A Hook can be one or two memorable lines in your songs.
• Most often, the title is the Hook or it's in the Hook.
• Your Hook should be as memorable as possible, it's a vital part of your hit song structure.
• Example: "Baby you're a firework" in Firework by Katy Perry.
• For more information on Hooks go to Songwriting Hooks.
Other possible parts of a song
Intro• Some intros are instrumental. Others contain speech or singing.
• An intro is not a mandatory part of the song structure. Include one if you feel it's important for setting the tone of the song.• About 73% of top 10 songs contain an intro.
• Don't forget that you shouldn't make the intro too long. Most intros are not longer than 15 seconds.
• Example: from 0:00 to 0:15 in Firework by Katy Perry.
Outro
• The outro can also be either instrumental or contain speech or singing.
• About 36% of top 10 songs include an outro in their song structure.
• Like the intros, they are not too long, about 18 seconds on the average.
• Example: from 5:07 to 5:25 in This I Love by Guns N' Roses.
Instrumental sections
• These days there are less and less purely instrumental sections in hit songs. People want "motion", they want to hear the singer and the story. Therefore few artists can afford to include a longer instrumental section.
• They are more common for some genres but not so much in popular music anymore.
• Only 5% of the current top 10 hit songs contain a solo.
• Example: from 1.28 to 1:47 in This I Love by Guns N' Roses.
Reprise
• I love when songwriters include a reprise in the song structure! :)
• Almost always, the melody is taken from the Chorus or the Verse and tweaked a little bit.
• In most cases, the lyrics are completely new and represent some kind changing of your mind, making a decision about the problem, etc.
• Reprises are not used that often but when you do them well, they can become the audience' favorite part in your song.
• Example: from 4:35 to 5:07 in This I Love by Guns N' Roses.
Current Hit Song Structures
✓ Verse / Chorus / Verse / Chorus / Bridge / Chorus: There can be some variations of this song structure, for example, some songs contain another Verse after the Bridge, two Choruses at the end or (rarely) a longer Outro. Example: Please Don't Leave Me by Pink.
✓ Verse / Pre-Chorus / Chorus / Verse / Pre-Chorus / Chorus / Bridge / Chorus: This song structure is probably the most common nowadays. By adding a Pre-Chorus, you make the "ride" even more exciting for the listeners. This way, your can create more tension and therefore more satisfaction when the Chorus finally arrives. Example: Your Love Is My Drug by Kesha.
Transitions Between Sections
From Verse to Chorus
▪ You could write a line that transfers the listeners from the Verse into the Chorus so that the Chorus lyrics logically follow the contents of the Verse.
▪ The space between these sections should be as short as possible. Today's listeners don't like to wait around for the interesting parts. They expect instant gratification all the way through the song.
▪ You could also blur the transition from Verse to Chorus by starting the Chorus lyrics with a word or two when you're still in the Verse.
From the end of the Chorus to the Verse or the Bridge
▪ After the Chorus the listeners might expect a little pause. It can be instrumental only.
▪ This pause, however, shouldn't be long. It's almost never longer than 4 bars, most often it's 2 bars.
▪ However, in the current hit songs, sometimes there isn't any break at all. It's especially true for up-tempo songs.
Transition from the Bridge to Chorus (or rarely a third Verse)
▪ It's very important that you clearly set the Bridge apart from the section that follows it.
▪ If your Bridge was very intense and emotional, try starting the next part softly, so there is a lot of contrast between the sections.
▪ If your Bridge wasn't that emotionally intensive, make the Chorus as bold and loud as possible.
How Do You End A Song?
How you end your song is an important part of your song structure plan. You should decide about it well ahead. There are three main ways to end a song.• Fading out: It's when the song doesn't really "end" but rather the volume decreases more and more until you can barely hear it. This is a common and easy way of ending the song. Example: I Want To Know What Love Is by Mariah Carey• Button ending: I prefer button ending over fading out. Why? Because it's much more satisfying to me. It's clear when the song is over. Example: Perfect by Pink.
• False ending: This is a very smart kind of ending. You end the song and don't end it at the same time. This kind of ending doesn't give the listener a feeling of complete satisfaction at the end of the song. It basically finishes the song it the middle of a section. This makes the listener want to start listening to the song all over again. Example: Wannabe by Spice Girls.
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