VERSENormally a recurring section, several phrases long, with the same music, but (usually) different lyrics, each time. (There can be instrumental verses too.) Verses often occur in succession, or in alternation with the chorus. Lyrically, the verse often tells a story/advances a narrative.
CHORUSNormally a recurring section, several phrases long, with the same music and lyrics each time. Lyrically, the chorus states the main point of the song rather than moving the story forward.
REFRAINSynonomous with Chorus. OR: A recurring musical and lyrical element, shorter than a full chorus, sometimes built into the end (e.g. last two lines) of a verse. OR: exact lyrical repetition at the close of a chorus whose other lyrics are altered on each repetition (e.g. to reflect shifting POVs or for narrative purposes).
MIDDLE EIGHTNominally two 4-bar phrases long, introduced for contrast once the verse and chorus material have already been established. Often a contrast of tonality or harmonic emphasis in addition to different lyrics and tune. Often stated just once during the course of a song.
BRIDGEA passage, typically brief, leading from the end of the verse into the chorus.
TURNAROUNDA passage, typically brief, leading from the chorus back to the verse material (or linking successive verses, or linking repetitions of the chorus).
RIFFShort musical idea, typically instrumental, that makes prominent appearances throughout a song, or repeats to accompany a particular section.
HOOKA memorable riff or other musical element (instrumental or vocal) recognizable enough to stand for the whole song -- the bit that pops into your head first when a familiar song is mentioned.
BREAK
INTROOUTROThese are obvious I guess.
I’m just taking a shot at some rough definitions based on my sense of these words. They are deliberately simplistic; I’m trying to grasp what’s typical, apart from the confusion of all the more complicated things that happen in some songs.
Please improve my definitions, or do the ones I’ve left blank, or add other important terms to the list.
Or: name especially clear/noteworthy examples of terms that need illustration.
Or: discuss special features of pop song forms in particular styles/genres/historical periods. (e.g. the closing line or two of the chorus [is there a term for this part?] is often presented instrumentally as an intro in classic popular songs like Gerswin/Berlin/Porter).
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Saturday, 22 March 2003 05:00 (twenty-two years ago)
Just found this.
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Saturday, 22 March 2003 06:23 (twenty-two years ago)
Glees are polyphonic pieces written, usually, for a minimum of three voices. Originally intended for male voice with the highest parts being sung by male altos, glees were set and scored for mixed voices by the end of the nineteenth century. From the early glee clubs have arisen today's present glee clubs as well as high school and college choirs and choruses. The music both composed and sung as a glee can be of a lighthearted or serious nature and vary in length from a simple stanza to a three movement composition.
― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 22 March 2003 06:25 (twenty-two years ago)
JBR, that's an exact quote of the AMG def (why?)
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Saturday, 22 March 2003 06:28 (twenty-two years ago)
― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 22 March 2003 06:34 (twenty-two years ago)
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Saturday, 22 March 2003 06:39 (twenty-two years ago)
― frownland (frownland), Saturday, 22 March 2003 09:41 (twenty-two years ago)
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 22 March 2003 09:50 (twenty-two years ago)
0:10 - 0:26 - this section "seems like all the world is fighting..' is the exhilarating thing about the song. Is this the verse? Also at 0:56 - 1:11 and 1:48 - 2:03.
0:27 - 0:34 - 'we'll go dri-i-i-iving' obv. the chorus. Also 1:12 - 1:28 , 2:04 - 2:20 and 2:48 - end.
0:35 - 0:55 - 'drop all your work..' musically the most boring part - is this the middle eight? Also 1:28 - 1:48 and 2:33 - 2:47 (this one ends by slowing down as a drum fill kicks in - is there a special name for that?)
2:21 - 2:28 - an instrumental break
2:29 - 2:32 - 'drive with me, drive with me' short bit - is this a 'turnaround'?
I especially want to know which is the middle eight and which is the verse.
― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 5 April 2003 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)
Kinks, "Drivin’"From Arthur (1969)
0:00 A1 - wordless (A is based on chromatic descending progression ending V-I in A-flat)5 bars
0:12 B1 (B is emphasizes minor chords at first, shifting to flat-III and then to V of A-flat)8 bars
0:26 Chorus (based on I-V harmony in A-flat, with stepwise moving bass) "Drivin’"4 bars
0:35 A25 bars0:44 A35 bars
0:55 B28 bars
1:11 Chorus (with repetition, twice original length)8 bars
1:28 A45 bars1:36 A55 bars
1:47 B38 bars
2:04 Chorus (with rep.) "Drivin’"8 bars
2:19 A6 (instr., vocals on 5th & 6th bars)6 bars (usual 5 bars plus repetition of 5th)2:32 A76 bars (extended as before, tempo slows at end)1 bar drum break (back in tempo)
2:46 Chorus (with rep.) "Drivin’"88 rep/fade
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)
Note the odd length of the A material (5 bars in most appearances); since these usually occur in pairs, you could condense my map a bit by packaging these pairs together as a single (normally 10-bar) section each time.
I guess I'd vote forA-> verseB-> middle-8
Among the arguments in favor of this view:- The verse appears before the middle-8 (albeit in wordless form, with the effect of an Intro)- The middle-8 serves a "bridge" function by ending on V in the home key of A-flat, which sets up the arrival of the chorus in that key; what I'm calling the "verse" never runs directly into the chorus except at the end (section A7) and even there you get a drum break providing connective tissue
- If you feel the "drive with me" bit at the end of each A section (each so-called "verse") serves more to usher in what follows rather than wrap up what's ending, then it would be appropriate to call it a "turnaround"; I'm not sure whether it's a useful term here or not.
I wonder if any of this makes sense. (Of course you can't force a verse/chorus/middle-8 model onto every song, but lots of songs work by either following, or messing with, these conventions.)
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 00:18 (twenty-two years ago)
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)
― Burr (Burr), Sunday, 6 April 2003 00:31 (twenty-two years ago)
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)
― o. nate (onate), Sunday, 6 April 2003 01:01 (twenty-two years ago)
You could map out a simple Mozart minuet and it would have about the same degree of complexity if you're just looking at thematic/tonal structure.
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 01:25 (twenty-two years ago)
― o. nate (onate), Sunday, 6 April 2003 01:33 (twenty-two years ago)
This is idiotic. The bridge usually repeats, while the middle eight is usually a single occurence.
― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Sunday, 6 April 2003 04:44 (twenty-two years ago)
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 19:17 (twenty-two years ago)
― Burr (Burr), Sunday, 6 April 2003 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 7 April 2003 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)
In an AABA song (most early Beatles songs and Tin Pan Alley songs are like this), the bridge usually is the only contrasting part of the song while the rest is all repetition of the same theme. In a verse/chorus based song (which doesn't necessarily have to have a bridge at all), it is usually the last part of the verse, preparing the listener for the chorus. Iow. there are more contrasting parts than just the bridge and the chorus.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 7 April 2003 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)
I think the parts in "Viginia Plain" might be more of a break then solos. Also think of MC hammer's "Break it down" in "U can't touch this" In that way It gets more dancey and the singer probably drops down to do some break-dancing or does some extra exciting dance, but this I think is called a "breakdown" instead of a "break."
― A Nairn (moretap), Monday, 7 April 2003 13:44 (twenty-two years ago)
― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Monday, 7 April 2003 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)