Music Form and Analysis
Musical form relates to the structure of a given piece, its themes and the relationship between each theme. There are many varieties of form used in music, both popular and classical.
Popular Song Form
editMost popular music follows the basic structure of Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus.[1][2][3] Artists often vary and elaborate on this basic structure.
Verses and Choruses
editMost popular music is shaped around verses and choruses. Each verse has different words [and sometimes different melody and harmonies as well] while the chorus [generally] remains constant. Forms include VVCVCVC… [V-verse C-chorus], CVCV… CC, and variations thereof.
Bridges
editThe bridge, at its most basic, is used in songs to provide contrast. Artists often introduce new musical or thematic elements in the bridge before returning to the familiar chorus.[4][5]
Binary
editIn binary music, there are just two different themes which appear only once[6], one after the other like this:
AB
Ternary
editTernary music has two themes, one of which appears twice, like this:
ABA
Rondo
editA rondo [rondeau] works as bit like the Verse Chorus form of popular music today. It is also called Ritornello.[7]
ABACADA
Canon
editA canon has a repeated melody line which starts at the same pitch, where each entry is delayed by a few notes. A canon must work so that the harmonies match.
See Also
edit- ↑ Hutchinson, Robert. Verse-Chorus Form (in en-US). https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/VerseChorusForm.html.
- ↑ "Music Crash Courses". www.musiccrashcourses.com. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
- ↑ Gateway, Music (2019-08-22). "What Is A Pop Song Structure?". Music Gateway. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
- ↑ "What Is a Bridge in a Song and How to Use It". www.iconcollective.edu. 2020-03-11. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
- ↑ Staff, Billboard (2021-05-13). "The 100 Greatest Song Bridges of the 21st Century: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
- ↑ Needs revising; does not consider simple, rounded, continuous, or sectional binary designs.
- ↑ Rewrite; Ritornello is episode-based and typically used for fugue design.