We’ll dive into the mechanics of verses and choruses later on.įor now, just understand that in a VCVC song structure the chorus sections are the same, while the verse one and verse two will be different from each other lyrically. VCVC is a very simple songwriting structure that features two chorus sections and two verse section. Whenever verse and chorus are used in song structure notation the song will contain lyrics. It might be nice to extend the B section by an extra eight bars to surprise the listener, for example.ĪABA is a great format to consider if you are writing non-lyrical music, especially jazz.įor an example check out Take the A Train by Duke Ellington, Of course, you don’t have to rigidly follow the eight bar pattern.
Often the B section will use a 2-5-1 chord progression to go back to the final A section. The B section will then follow a distinctly different chord progression, up a major or minor third for example. In AABA, each section lasts exactly eight bars.Įach A section follows a similar chord progression. Many legendary composers like Duke Ellington would have used this early song structure in their songwriting. If you’ve ever listened to a classic jazz standard you’ve likely heard this format.
Or you’ll see the letters V, C, and B used to signify verse, chorus and bridge.įor our purposes we’ll look at the 5 main song structures you’ll find throughout all music: With a few exceptions, you’ll find that most song structures are defined by the letters A and B denoting different sections. Songs can be structured in a variety of ways. In this guide, we’ll look at every popular song structure and how each part of a song fits within a form.īy the end, you’ll know every kind of song structure and how the intro, verses, chorus, pre-chorus, bridge, and outro fit within a song’s structure. There’s so many ways to assemble chord progressions, melodies and rhythms into parts that form a cohesive structure.Īnd while there isn’t any specific set of rules for structuring a song, it sometimes helps to use a formula when writing a song.
Have you ever wondered how to structure a song?