- Intro: A good intro catches a person’s attention. It is often instrumental with a slower tempo than the rest of the song.
- Verse: The verses build up the tension of the song and fill in details of the song’s message or story. One or more verses usually precede the chorus. Typical rock songs have two or three verses, which sound alike, but have different words.
- Refrain: The refrain is a line that is repeated at the end of each verse.
- Pre-chorus: The pre-chorus is optional. It ramps the song up for the chorus. A pre-chorus may contain a chord progression from either the verse or the chorus.
- Chorus: The chorus contains the hook, or most memorable part of the song. It is usually the most simple part of the song and contains the song’s central message or theme and offers a solution or relieves tension that builds in the verses. Generally speaking, the chorus is repeated at least once.
- Bridge: An optional transition, the bridge happens once, replacing one of the verses in the verse-chorus form. It may introduce a new musical theme and often happens near the end, between the second and third chorus. It can be an instrumental break with no lyrics.
- Solo: A single performer’s part comes to the forefront and the rest of the band will drop out or play softer. Sometimes it is included as part of the bridge.
- Breakdown: A breakdown adds dynamic range to a song. It can be the same as the verse or chorus, but with less instrumentation. Sometimes the breakdown is used to turn down the energy level of a song, just before it is boosted way up.
- Extro (or Coda): This final part of the song is often an instrumental version of the hook. Sometimes it is slowed down or the final chord is held.
Recent Posts
All you need to know about string gaugeDecember 1, 2023
Different types of nylon string guitarsNovember 17, 2023
Modal interchange: Andalusian cadence anNovember 17, 2023