Verse or “A” Section: A song’s verse is generally a recurring section—
usually 16 or 32 bars in length
—that serves as the main body of the song. In music with lyrics, the verse often tells the “story.”
How many lines are in a verse of a song?
In many songs, each verse brings the story forward, and the chorus is often the same words repeated. Verses are
typically 8 or 16 bars long
(although not a rule). A relatively common practice is to have the first two verses longer than the last one. For example 16 bars for verse 1 and 2 and 8 bars for verse 3.
What is 1 verse of a song?
When two or more sections of the song have almost identical music but different lyrics,
each section
is considered one verse.
How long should a verse and chorus be?
The length of a chorus can be highly determined by the tempo of the song, however, as a rule of thumb, the length of the chorus should be the same as the verse, which is typically
16 bars
, and if we measure the length in time, choruses usually last about 20 – 24 seconds.
How many phrases are in a verse?
Between each verse is a
five-line phrase
that’s commentary on the experience, beginning with, ‘You can’t always get what you want . . .’ After each verse, in which the frustrations mount, we hear that chorus again. We all know the feeling, and we’ve all been there. So, take your favorite song and look at the verses.
What comes first chorus or verse?
As a general rule, the
first chorus in a song occurs after a verse
(although there are some songs that begin with a chorus). Bridge or “C” Section: The bridge serves as a contrast to both the verse and chorus and typically occurs only once in a song.
Can a song have one verse?
When two or more sections of the song have almost identical music but different lyrics,
each section is considered one verse
.
How many minutes should a verse be?
A good rule of thumb is to keep the song verses
under 1 minute
, or just a few lines.
Can a verse be 12 bars?
It’s possible, but not likely
. For example, if I’m making a rap beat that is around 60-65 BPM, then I’m probably not going to have 16 bar verses…at least not 3 of them. I would probably do 3 12-bar verses or 2 16-bar (or longer) verses.
How many seconds is a verse?
Usually, verses are 16 bars and
about 20 – 24 seconds
.
What is a 4 bar phrase?
And one of the most common phrase-lengths is four measures. This means that
for every four measures, or bars, we find a complete thought
. A written sentence usually has a beginning, middle and end, and closes in a punctuation mark. Phrases share similar traits.
How many lines is 16 bars?
So, if you said “I’m the illest rapper alive. Watch me do my thing.” That’s usually one bar. So,
16 lines down
the paper will equal to 16 bars.
How many phrases are usually in a song?
Simple song structure consists of
4 and 8 bar phrases
, 8 (4 sections) or 16 bar sections (2 sections), and usually 32 bars for completion of structure minus repeats.
Is it OK to start a song with the chorus?
The main reason you might consider starting with a chorus is
the shot of energy your song would get right from the start
. … Chorus melodies are usually placed in a higher range than verse melodies. Chorus chord progressions are harmonically stronger than verse progressions.
Should you start a song with the hook?
One big benefit is that you start the song, and hopefully grab the listener, with the strongest and most memorable part of your song. If they go for it, you’re in. It makes the song more of an ‘all-in’ situation – you either win them at the top or you don’t. You’re
not gradually
hooking them.
What are the 4 types of musical form?
Four basic types of musical forms are distinguished in ethnomusicology:
iterative, the same phrase repeated over and over
; reverting, with the restatement of a phrase after a contrasting one; strophic
