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by
John Braheny
VERSE/CHORUS FORMS
The varieties of this most popular form provide a maximum
of chorus repetition and two or more verses to tell your story.
| #1 |
#2 |
#3 |
#4 |
#5 |
| A
Verse |
A
Verse |
B
Chorus |
A
Verse |
A
Verse |
| B
Chorus |
B
Chorus |
A
Verse |
A
Verse |
B
Pre-chorus |
| A
Verse |
A
Verse |
B
Chorus |
B
Chorus |
C
Chorus |
| B
Chorus |
B
Chorus |
A
Verse |
A
Verse |
A
Verse |
| A
Verse |
C
Bridge |
B
Chorus |
B
Chorus |
B
Pre-chorus |
| B
Chorus |
B
Chorus |
|
B
Chorus |
C
Chorus |
Version #1 gives you a maximum verse and chorus repetition.
A potential problem is that, if you have a lot of melodic
repetition within each verse or chorus, such as an 8-bar section
made up of three 2-bar melodies with a slight variation in
the fourth 2-bar melody line, you may have too much repetition.
In that case, #2 with the substitution of a bridge for the
third verse helps to break it up. Version #3 with the chorus
first can give you more repetition of the chorus in a shorter
time. The choice of whether to start with a chorus depends
on the lyric development of the song. If it's important to
generate a dynamic opening to the song, try the chorus first
unless you want the verses to build interest and suspense
and "set up" the chorus as a "payoff." Many '60s Motown hits
used variations of this form. It's always a good idea to give
it a test by switching the verse and chorus positions to see
which works best.
Version #4 with two verses in front is also a much used form.
Its workability depends on a very strong lyric continuity
between the first and second verses to offset the delay in
getting to the chorus. This is a much greater problem in a
slow ballad than an up-tempo song because of the additional
time it takes to get to the chorus. Every word has to propel
the story forward. Repetition of information is deadly. If
each of the two verses cover the same information in a different
way and don't depend on each other, this may not be the best
form to use since you should have a very important reason
to delay the chorus. If you do need to use two verses, you
may want to look for some arrangement devices or write a variation
of the first verse melody to help sustain musical interest
in the second verse. You could also consider using your title
in the first line of the chorus to avoid even further delay
in reaching the hook line.
Variations of this form opening with three verses (AAABAB
or AAABAAB) are rare and the two examples that come to mind;
The Eagles' "Lyin' Eyes" (Don Henley/Glen Frey) and Kenny
Rogers' "The Gambler" (Don Schlitz) both have such exceptional
lyric continuity that a chorus any earlier would be an unwelcome
intrusion. Otherwise, you court boredom as much as you might
with an AAA structure.
You'll also occasionally hear an AABAABB variation, particularly
on up-tempo songs. Again, those choices will be different
for each song but the guiding principle is that you don't
delay the chorus unless you have another good way to sustain
the listener's interest. An interesting variation is the beautiful
message story song "Chain of Love" (Rory Lee/Johnny Barnett)
recorded by Clay Walker that has such strong lyric continuity
that it was a hit as an AABAABA with only two chorus repeats.
#5 offers the excitement of three different melodic segments.
The pre-chorus is the segment that makes the difference here.
This form works best in up-tempo songs where the three segments
go by quickly. Many variations are possible with this form
including repeated instrumental versions of any of the segments
and instrumental breaks between segments. Here are some examples:
AABC ABC BC BC or
ABC ABCD BC or
ABC ABCD ABCD, the "D" being a bridge with a new melody, with
or without lyrics.
Remember that these are basic formats and each song is its
own universe with different requirements based on the strengths
of your lyric, groove, production and melodies. This information
is meant to show that there are many ways to use song structures
to hold your listeners attention by balancing predictability
with surprise.
This excerpt from John Braheny's book,
The Craft and Business of Songwriting (2nd edition, 2002,
Writers Digest Books) has been edited for length. It's available
at bookstores everywhere. For info about John's critiquing
and consulting services, go to
www.johnbraheny.com.
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