# Song form

*Module 15 · Lesson 1: Songs and charts · BazzLow*

> Recognise the sections of a song and what the bass usually does in each.

Before this lesson: [8.5 Common progressions](https://bazzlow.com/en/harmony-in-a-key/common-progressions/)

A song is not a stream of chords. It is a set of sections that come back, and a bass player who knows which section is coming knows what the song needs.

## Sections

Most songs are made of **sections** that repeat. The names below are common; usage varies between musicians.

*Common song sections.*

| Section | What it is |
| --- | --- |
| Intro | instrumental opening, sometimes a variation of another section |
| Verse | same music, different lyrics each time; tells the story |
| Pre-chorus | short build-up leading into the chorus |
| Chorus | same music and lyrics each time; the main hook |
| Bridge (middle eight) | a contrasting section, usually once, often starting on a different chord (IV, vi, iii) |
| Solo | instrumental section, often over verse or chorus chords |
| Outro / coda | ending section; may fade out or end on a final chord |

## Forms

- **verse–chorus**: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. The most common in pop and rock;
- **12-bar blues**: one 12-bar pattern repeated (Module 12);
- **AABA**, the “32-bar song form”: four 8-bar sections, B being the bridge. Common in older popular songs and jazz standards.

> **Diagram:** An original verse–chorus form of 56 bars: intro (4 bars), verse (8), chorus (8), verse (8), chorus (8), bridge (8), chorus (8), outro (4). Under each section its chord numerals: intro I V; verse I vi IV V; chorus IV V I vi; bridge vi V IV V; outro I.

A **hook** is the catchy phrase, musical or lyrical, that listeners remember. A **refrain** is a line that returns at the end of each verse.

## What the bass does in each section

The bass shapes the **energy** of each section. Common tendencies, not rules: simpler or sparser in verses, fuller or busier in choruses; a different register or rhythm in the bridge; **fills** at the ends of sections to signal what comes next.

Tension and release work at song level too: a pre-chorus builds tension, the chorus releases it. Chord function (lesson 8.4) and dynamics act together.

## Try it

Choose a song you know well and write down its form (for example Intro – Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus – Bridge – Chorus – Outro), counting the bars of each section while listening.

## New terms

- song form
- section
- verse
- chorus
- pre-chorus
- bridge
- middle eight
- intro
- outro
- coda
- hook
- refrain
- fill
- AABA form

Page: https://bazzlow.com/en/songs-and-charts/song-form/