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Form In Music
Form in music refers to the type of piece the music is (blues, rock, classical) and the internal structure of the piece (sonata, fugue, binary). For the purposes here, we'll discuss popular song forms and standardized structure.
Pop music forms are all similar, but may be modified by a composer without disrupting the type of music being written. The typical pieces of today's musical form are: verse (V), chorus (C) and bridge (B).
The verses are the parts of the song that have typically the same melody (musical theme) but different words to tell a story or convey an idea. The chorus is the part of the song that is the same whenever your hear it and gives the piece continuity and stability. Choruses normally contain a "hook" that helps the listener identify the song easily and connect with the song. The bridge is a totally different part of the music, usually short, that acts as a center part between a chorus and a repetition of that same chorus.
Typical popular music song form is:
V - C - V - C - C
This form may be modified by adding a bridge:
V - C - V - C - B - C
Verses, choruses and bridges may be any length. The recording standard for popular music is 3:30 on average for a song's total length.
Tag: a tag may be added to the end of a song and is usally the last line of the song repeated again, or a significant line of lyrics from the song repeated again.
Turnaround: a turnaround is a section of the music that helps the song get back into another verse or chorus.
Intro: of course, introduction is the beginning of the song. In popular music the introduction is typically not long due to time constraints.
Outro: a little-used term for the instrumental ending of a song.
Solos: solo sections are usually placed somewhere near the end of the song after the second chorus and can be any length - once again - based on time constraints.
Pre-Chorus: the first part of a chorus that may sound like the ending of a verse, but is the same every time you hear it. The pre-chorus introduces and anticipates the chorus.
The total form a popular song may be modified completely at the writer's discretion. Some other forms have been:
C - V - C - V - C - C
C - V - C - V - C - B - C
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