Basic Song Structure

There is never a set structure when putting a song together. There is a general and more commonly used structure that seems to work. The order of these operations may vary, but there are a few components that are necessary. These will help you in keeping the writing process organized.

The chorus has the main theme of the song in it. This part of the song may or may not have the song title in it. This is the part that grabs the listener’s attention and makes them want to listen to it over and over. The chorus is typically repetitive and has the hook.

The verses are the meat of the song. They tell the rest of the story, usually explaining the chorus and exploring it more in depth. Each verse is usually different coming between the choruses.

The chorus and the verses are the main part of the song. Other components of the song include the introduction and the outro. The intro sets up the song and is the first part of the first verse. The outro concludes the song giving the listener a sense of closure. There is also the interlude that gives the listener a short turn around before starting a new verse or section. The breakdown brings the intensity down in order to start new and bring it back up again.

There are some effective frills that can be put into the song to spice it up a lot. A solo features a member of the band improvising on an instrument or vocally. This is a good way to involve the audience and profile talent with in the band. A solo can also break the repetition of the verse- chorus- verse- chorus format. A solo can work as either instrumental or vocal. Both vocal and instrumental solos are very effective in grabbing attention of the audience. An instrumental is similar to a solo but is not improvised. It is purely instrumental with no vocals.

These are the typical elements that are worked into a song. They are not always in this order. The more you play around with the structure the more unique your song will be. Structure is important in song writing so the listener doesn’t get lost in a messy song. Coming up with a basic structure will assist you in getting started writing, working as a road map to get to the finished compilation.