SONG FORMS

 

INTRODUCTION and SONG FORMS

Conventions—Everything I have to share can be considered to be “conventional wisdom” rather than hard and fast “rules.” These ideas have been used, and continue to be used, over and over by songwriters worldwide. Every rule can be broken, but I believe that knowing the templates, tendencies, forms and structures gives the songwriter a deeper understanding when going against the rules seems to be a good choice.

When I offer a “rule”, I am telling you that it is a technique that works 95% of the time, but could occasionally be done differently. Writing a song is part craft and part art. Most of what can be taught or shown falls under the category of craft.

Writing Hit Songs is what we will focus on. We are going to explore how to craft a song that is memorable, easily understood, enjoyable to listen to and that garners the approval and agreement of the listening public (or at least the intended demographic).

The essence of writing commercially viable songs is to make every word count and make every element of the song memorable. We need to “prove” the idea we are writing and show, by example, what we are communicating. We have all listened to music and we know, at least empirically, what all the basics are—even if we have never analyzed the nuts and bolts. Songs can hit people mentally, physically and emotionally. Hitting all three areas is desirable—head, heart and body. Regardless, you better hit at least one. Make someone think, feel or want to tap their feet!

We need to create “hooks” that burrow into the minds of our listeners. If we can make our songs easy to remember, we are halfway home.  

Disclaimer: Though I do occasionally attempt to connect to today’s songs, my affinity for the styles I cut my teeth on will show. The key here lies in understanding that the forms I put up for scrutiny are still valid. Styles and sounds change regularly, but the underlying structures tend to remain the same. A seasoned songwriter should be aware of all of them. 

Definition of a song=melody+lyric (+chord changes+rhythm)

There are several different song forms. Each has its own template and each can be very useful. 

 

The AAA Song Form

• every section is the same musically—melody and meter mirror from section to section

• the title can appear at the beginning of every section, at the end of each section, or on occasion, elsewhere. In “Wreck Of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, the title is placed randomly. In “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” the title is used once—in the first verse.

AAA song examples:

Tangled Up In Blue—Bob Dylan

Smoking Gun—Robert Cray

Black Magic Woman—Santana, Fleetwood Mac

The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald—Gordon Lightfoot

The Times They Are a Changin’—Bob Dylan

I Love A Good Woman—Johnny Bassett

By The Time I Get To Phoenix—Jimmy Webb

Notes on the AAA form

The strength of AAA is telling a story, section to section. It is also the staple of the 12 bar blues. Few hit songs are AAA these days. Too bad—it is a viable musical form.

The AABA Song Form

• uses two identical musical “A” sections and then goes to a “B” section, then back to   another “A”

• may repeat the pattern

• may use an instrumental “A” section within the song

• almost always places the song title in the first and last “A” section

• the title is usually placed at the beginning or at the end of the “A” section

• generally, the title is NOT used in the “B” section—(reserved for “A” section only)

• sometimes the title is used in EVERY “A” section, but just as often it is not.

• early versions of the AABA form also had an intro section, called a “verse”. It was a completely different musical and lyrical form that set up the full AABA form that followed it.

AABA Song examples:

Georgia On My Mind—Ray Charles

Yesterday—The Beatles

Something—The Beatles

Don’t Know Why—Norah Jones

Somewhere Over the Rainbow—Judy Garland and many others

The Way You Look Tonight—Frank Sinatra

Timber, I’m Falling In Love—Patty Loveless

Notes on the AABA Form

This form is still alive in pop, blues, country and jazz vocal music. Its strength lies in its association to the thousands of classic songs written in this form. It also provides a distinct departure from the dominant verse-chorus—bridge form that our ears have become so used to hearing. It can sound fresh in contrast to the common forms that are used today.

The A sections “mirror” in meter and melody. The B section acts like a bridge—taking the song away from the predictability of the previous A sections. It uses a different melody and almost (almost! lol!) never uses the title. Remember, rules DO get broken from time to time.

The ABAB Form

This is commonly known as the “verse-chorus” form.

• the verse provides the detail and forward progress of the song’s story

• the chorus generally repeats in “rubber stamp” fashion—no variation in lyric

• the chorus is the condensed summation of the songs central idea

• The title falls in the chorus only. Sometimes in the first line, sometimes in the first and the last line. The chorus can also consist of nothing but the title.

• this form often uses a “vamp” section at the end—a slight variation or repetition of another part of the song.

• this song form does not use a bridge

Notes On The ABAB Form

This is still a strong and viable song form. It is best when dealing with long verses and a long chorus—8 line sections. With long verses and choruses, using a bridge often makes the song too long for radio. Long verses and choruses are perfect for this form, and many classic songs have used this form.

Sometimes, an instrumental section—usually an A (verse) section will be used in this form.

ABAB Song Examples

Take It Easy—The Eagles

I Can’t Make You Love Me—Bonnie Raitt

Werewolves of London—Warren Zevon

God Blessed The Broken Road—Rascal Flatts

You Shook Me All Night Long—AC-DC

Sir Duke—Stevie Wonder

The ABABCB Song Form (also ABABCAB)

•the structure consists of a verse (A), chorus (B) repeat of A and B, then a Bridge section (C)

• the verse and chorus provide the same functions as the ABAB song form.

• in addition we add a bridge (C section).

• the Bridge acts as a departure musically. It is a third section—different from the A and B section. It provides musical contrast when compared with the rest of the song.   

• lyrically, the bridge provides contrast, variation, a philosophical view—possibly from a different POV from the rest of the song. It can provide a boiling down—an “in other words” or a comment on the whole theme from a different perspective. It may also be a final conclusion or a wrapping up or summing up of the songs idea.

Notes On The ABABCB Form

This is the front and center dominant form in popular music today. Probably 75% of the hits we hear are written in this format. It is defined by short verses and short choruses, lots of repetition and “hooks” in terms of melodies. Each section is different—verse, chorus and bridge. The main idea is to have contrast between sections. Avoid making sections sound the same. What we want is musical and lyrical variation.

Like the ABAB form, the common practice is to have the verse melody lower than the chorus melody. The bridge melody generally is higher than the verse melody—sometimes even higher than the chorus melody, but sometimes somewhere in between the verse and chorus. It is a song to song decision.

ABABCB Song Examples:

She Will Be Loved—Maroon Five

Three Wooden Crosses—Randy Travis

Here Without You—3 Doors Down

Girl—The Beatles

Umbrella—Rihanna

Hey Soul Sister—Train

When Men Grow Old--Babyface

The ABCABCDC Song Form

This song form uses what is called a build, lift, climb or ‘pre-chorus”. It is like the ABABCB form, except there is an added section to the verse, which moves the verse toward the chorus. The build functions as an extension of the verse as it builds the idea of the verse statement and makes it flow naturally into the chorus.

• this form is not as prevalent as the ABABCB form, but it can be magic with an idea that demands depth in the verses as well as the chorus and bridge.

• use when you have a lot to say—a lot of ground to cover.

• the verses and choruses follow the same basic rules as the verse-chorus song. The verse provides detail and story and the chorus provides a summing up—a capsule statement of the song idea.

ABCABCDC Song Examples

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling—Righteous Brothers

The Heart Of The Matter—Don Henley

Exceptions to the Rule

Not every song falls within these common popular forms.

• Every Breath You Take by the Police (Sting) is basically an AABA song, but Sting adds a third section—a separate “C” section to take the song to another level.

• Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen has many sections that do not repeat. This song does not fall within the above conventional song structures.

• Prisoner In Disguise by Linda Ronstandt (J.D. Souther) is written basically in what is called “through composed” format. In this style, each section is a new musical idea. It is very rare in popular music. Great for artistic expressions but not really suitable for mainstream hit song writing.

Pick a lyric to examine for each song form (AAA, AABA, ABAB, ABABCB, ABCABC)