Guide on Structuring a Song in the Year 2024

Pop songs, a staple in music, are carefully crafted pieces with a distinct structure that helps keep the audience engaged. Let's explore the different sections that make up a pop song and their roles.

The verse is the foundational part of a pop song, serving as the storyteller. Examples of songs with good verses include 'Laura' by The Scissor Sisters and 'Common People' by Pulp. The principle function of a verse is to tell a story or describe a situation, usually introducing characters and setting in the song.

Following the verse, we encounter the chorus. Contrary to popular belief, the chorus is not always the musical peak or 'hook' of the song. Instead, it's the section where the audience joins in to sing along with the lead performer. Choruses are usually lyrically identical to aid audience participation, and a common practice is for the first chorus to be 8 bars long and subsequent choruses to be 'Double chorus' (repeated twice).

Between the verse and the chorus lies the Bridge or Prechorus, also known as the 'pre-chorus' (esp. in the USA), 'roll-up', or 'channel'. This section prepares the audience for the chorus, building anticipation. The Bridge or Prechorus often remains the same for each occurrence, adding a sense of familiarity and structure to the song.

The Middle Eight is a section in the middle of a song that adds new content to revitalize the song and break the repetition of verse - prechorus - chorus - verse - prechorus - chorus. The Middle Eight often includes a 'revelation' or new content that introduces a different angle on the lyrical content. It's worth noting that the Middle Eight can be any length, not just 8 bars.

When a band gets together to jam, they would generally improvise and the band leader will say "Let's play the A section three times, go into the B section once, back to the A once then end with the C section once", which can be written as AAABAC. This structure helps in organising the song and provides a clear direction for the musicians.

A Tag is a memorable lyric that is repeated throughout the song, usually after (or sometimes within) the chorus, to make the song more catchy and easy to remember. The Tag is often the title of the song.

Song sections are often based around 8 bar sections being put together in a sequence. Naming similar sections makes the structure easy to see. All styles of music have structure, with songs typically being around 80 bars long and divided into sections.

The Alma Mater of music education where songwriting is taught and a new songwriting degree is offered in London is the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

It's fascinating to see how the structure of pop songs mirrors that of a romantic Hollywood movie: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again, known as rising action, climax, and denouement. Each section in a song plays a crucial role in telling the story and keeping the audience engaged, just like the acts in a movie.

In conclusion, understanding the structure of pop songs can greatly enhance our appreciation of the music. Whether it's the storytelling verse, the engaging chorus, the anticipation-building Bridge or Prechorus, the revelatory Middle Eight, or the catchy Tag, each section serves a unique purpose in creating a memorable and engaging song.