Part of this project requires me answering questions that demonstrate my understanding. One of the questions is: What is the general structure of a pop song?
Embark with me on this post as I research the ins and outs of pop song structure, trying to figure out its impact in today's world and in my song writing journey.
The simplest pop song structure incorporates the use of verses and a chorus that is repeated at least 2 times. Other sections that are often in a pop song include: intro, pre-chorus, bridge, outro and perhaps an instrumental somewhere in between the length of the song.
Intro: the start of the song that grabs the listeners' attentions, between 4 and 8 bars
Verse: tells the story of the song, the melody of the verses are the same but the lyrics are different, are dynamically quieter than the chorus
Pre-chorus: adds an additional level of dynamics that builds tension up and makes the chorus stand out, between 2 and 8 bars
Chorus: contrasts with the verse, where the main theme is expressed, this is often the part of the song that determines the effectiveness of capturing the audience's attention... the high point of the music where every musical element (the different instruments, layered vocals) is introduced and the emotional intensity increases
Bridge: connects us from the start of of our journey to its end, gives the audience time to reflector gives the conclusion of the story... often called "middle 8" because occurs in the middle of common pop songs and generally takes up 8 bars (8 counts of 4 beats), the bridge's melody is often built from the core melody so that it can return smoothly
Outro: the end of the song... mirror the intro, repeat the chorus while fading into silence, create a solo (for an instrument or solo) or just end the song abruptly!
I decided to dig a little deeper into pop song structure, specifically, the formula behind pop songs. First, this video is in need of watching. He speaks quite fast, but the content is informative.
Embark with me on this post as I research the ins and outs of pop song structure, trying to figure out its impact in today's world and in my song writing journey.
The simplest pop song structure incorporates the use of verses and a chorus that is repeated at least 2 times. Other sections that are often in a pop song include: intro, pre-chorus, bridge, outro and perhaps an instrumental somewhere in between the length of the song.
Intro: the start of the song that grabs the listeners' attentions, between 4 and 8 bars
Verse: tells the story of the song, the melody of the verses are the same but the lyrics are different, are dynamically quieter than the chorus
Pre-chorus: adds an additional level of dynamics that builds tension up and makes the chorus stand out, between 2 and 8 bars
Chorus: contrasts with the verse, where the main theme is expressed, this is often the part of the song that determines the effectiveness of capturing the audience's attention... the high point of the music where every musical element (the different instruments, layered vocals) is introduced and the emotional intensity increases
Bridge: connects us from the start of of our journey to its end, gives the audience time to reflector gives the conclusion of the story... often called "middle 8" because occurs in the middle of common pop songs and generally takes up 8 bars (8 counts of 4 beats), the bridge's melody is often built from the core melody so that it can return smoothly
Outro: the end of the song... mirror the intro, repeat the chorus while fading into silence, create a solo (for an instrument or solo) or just end the song abruptly!
I decided to dig a little deeper into pop song structure, specifically, the formula behind pop songs. First, this video is in need of watching. He speaks quite fast, but the content is informative.
What was explained in the video are the plots of songs; called cantograms by Paul Lamere in his article on Visualizing the Structure of Pop Songs.
These cantograms, a pattern-visualization method of seeing trends, show all the beats in pop songs. The arcs are the connections between the most similar beats. Because choruses often have the same lyrics, harmony and instrumentation, you can see there are links at certain parts of the song
Here is are a few examples of 'typical' pop songs and their cantograms.
Rolling in the Deep by Adele made the Canada Singles Top 100, Dutch Top 40, Finland Singles Top 20, US Singles Top 100 and the World Singles Top 40. Can you believe it? Making the top charts all around the world! Let's have a look at the song's structure:
These cantograms, a pattern-visualization method of seeing trends, show all the beats in pop songs. The arcs are the connections between the most similar beats. Because choruses often have the same lyrics, harmony and instrumentation, you can see there are links at certain parts of the song
Here is are a few examples of 'typical' pop songs and their cantograms.
Rolling in the Deep by Adele made the Canada Singles Top 100, Dutch Top 40, Finland Singles Top 20, US Singles Top 100 and the World Singles Top 40. Can you believe it? Making the top charts all around the world! Let's have a look at the song's structure:
This doesn't seem too informative in terms of visualizing the pop songs. Let's look at another...
Justin Bieber's Baby is the highest-certified song in US history. The highest-certified song because it has gone platinum* 12 times since its release in 2010. The song also happens to have a similar structure to Adele's Rolling In The Deep.
*going platinum: the album has sold 1 million copies, considered a huge accomplishment in the music industry.
Justin Bieber's Baby is the highest-certified song in US history. The highest-certified song because it has gone platinum* 12 times since its release in 2010. The song also happens to have a similar structure to Adele's Rolling In The Deep.
*going platinum: the album has sold 1 million copies, considered a huge accomplishment in the music industry.
You can see that the two cantograms from Adele's and Justin Bieber's songs are very similar. The chorus are at similar points in the song and with similar beats.
Fearless by Taylor Swift had a peak position of number 10 in 2010 in the Country Songs charts. The song also made the US Singles Top 100 and 9th in the World Singles Top 40. Aside from the fact there were two verses before the first chorus, you can see the structure is nearly the same.
Fearless by Taylor Swift had a peak position of number 10 in 2010 in the Country Songs charts. The song also made the US Singles Top 100 and 9th in the World Singles Top 40. Aside from the fact there were two verses before the first chorus, you can see the structure is nearly the same.
Then there are the songs that don't fit the mold (typical structure of pop songs). Here are examples of 'atypical' songs and their cantograms.
I haven't looked into whether they have gained in popularity like the other pop songs have. However I can tell you that these songs are not your typical pop songs in terms of style.
Led Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven has no evident chorus that repeats. The only repetition we see is the guitar solo in the last quarter of the song. This is shown with the thicker ark in the cantogram. You can see that the links between beats creates a pattern unlike the songs looked at earlier.
I haven't looked into whether they have gained in popularity like the other pop songs have. However I can tell you that these songs are not your typical pop songs in terms of style.
Led Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven has no evident chorus that repeats. The only repetition we see is the guitar solo in the last quarter of the song. This is shown with the thicker ark in the cantogram. You can see that the links between beats creates a pattern unlike the songs looked at earlier.
Here's another example. Green Grass and High Tides by The Outlaws. I have never heard of the song before, yet I can tell by looking at the cantogram that the song has a very different pattern. The song also has an guitar solo that just goes on forever.
Now, I'm not sure the purpose of this investigation because I won't be able to do such an intricate analysis of my composition. However listening to the songs, I've come to realize what goes beyond typical contemporary culture. I can definitely incorporate aspects of pop music (the repetitive chorus and simple chords), but I am also definitely going to have to be creative in creating a song that defies any cultural and social norms.