Intoduction to pop song form

1. Form in Pop Music
Music Theory &
Keyboard
T U TO R C H R I S B AK E R

2. Form Definition
• In
music, form refers
to the structure and
organization of a
musical
composition.

3. What Is Song
Structure?
• Song structure refers to how a song
is organized, using a combination of
different sections. A typical song
structure includes a verse, chorus,
and bridge in the following
arrangement: intro, verse — chorus
— verse — chorus —bridge —
chorus — outro. This is known as an
ABABCB structure, where A is the
verse, B is the chorus and C is the
bridge

4. What Purpose do they serve?
INTRO VERSE (S)
PRE-
CHORUS
CHORUS
(S)
BRIDGE or
MIDDLE 8
SOLO BREAK
DROP
CHORUS?
OUTRO
OR CODA

5. Why follow a Song
Structure?
• Hit songs and pop
songs tend to follow a
structure
• Jam bands and
experimental musicians
might diverge from the
formula.
• If a song sounds familiar
to us when we hear it
for the first time, it’s
because our ears have
been trained to
recognize commonly
used song structures.

6. Common Song
Structures?
AABA (32-bar-form). This musical structure
was dominant in American popular songwriting
in the first half of the twentieth century,
The form consists of two eight-bar A sections,
an eight-bar B section (usually contrasting in
harmony to the first two A-sections), and a final
eight-bar A section which retains the core
melody of the previous A-sections.
The 32-bar form became popular in rock songs
in the 1950s and ’60s

7. Common Song
Structures
• Verse-chorus form. This is one of the
most popular song structure forms,
used in pop songs, rock music, and
the blues, the chorus plays a key role
in the verse-chorus structure since it
differs in rhythm and melody from the
rest of the song.
“Penny Lane” by The Beatles (1967)

8. Common Song
Structures
• ABABCB. Or: Verse / Chorus / Verse
/ Chorus / Bridge / Chorus.
• This is a variation on the verse-chorus
structure, with the addition of a bridge.
A is the verse, B is the chorus and C is
the bridge.
“Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry (2008)

9. Variations on Common
Song Structures?
• No chorus or AABA or Verse / Verse /
Bridge / Verse
• In this type of song structure, one of the main
elements of a song—the chorus—is missing.
• To make up for this, each verse typically
either begins or ends with a refrain: a line or
few lines that repeat throughout the song.
(This is usually the title of the song.)
The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out”, the
refrain is the song title.

10. Pop Music Form Pt.1.

11. Other Examples
• V C V C most used structure today, in
pop music OR its close cousin, Verse-
Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus
V E R S E – C H O R U S – V E R S E – C H O R U S – B R I D G E –
C H O R U S
The bridge helps add surprise or variance.
Example Happy by Pharrell
V E R S E – C H O R U S – V E R S E – C H O R U S

12. Other Examples
V E R S E – P R E - C H O R U S – C H O R U S – V E R S E – P R E -
C H O R U S – C H O R U S
• The pre-chorus — should hint at what’s
coming in the chorus.
• It builds the tension right before the
release.
S M E L L S L I K E T E E N S P I R I T ” B Y N I R V A N A

13. Why Study Musical Form
• Understanding the musical form of a piece is an
important part of being a musician. Whether
you’re a pianist or just curious about music,
understanding the musical form helps with
understanding the structure of a piece
• Here is a comprehensive list of the most
common musical forms in Popular Music.
• Strophic (AAA)
• Through-Composed (ABCDE..)
• Binary (AB)
• Ternary (ABA)
• Rondo (ABACA) or (ABACABA)
• Arch (ABCBA)
• Sonata (Exposition, Development,
Recapitulation)
• Theme And Variations