I found the perfect accompanying article for my recent 6-Part Series On Song Formatting that I wanted to share with you all.
It was written by Benjamin Samama (a former teacher from the Berklee College of Music) for the very popular SonicBids blog and the article is called “Songwriting 101: What’s The Purpose Of All The Different Song Sections?”
I found this article most useful for two main reasons:
1. It defined the different song sections clearly and concisely
Reading these definitions made me understand a little bit more the precise interplay between a verse and a chorus, or a chorus and a bridge.
2. It gives at least two video examples for every song section
Having the video examples on hand to listen to really drove home to me the reasons why different song sections exist. It also sharpens your ear when you listen other songs as part of your song formatting research.
Benjamin’s goal of his article is to give us a well rounded understanding of the different types of sections that can appear in a song form. He writes…
“… I’ll give you an overview of the different sections of a song, and the purpose each one of them serves. I’ll be using mostly pop music examples, since it’s straightforward and easiest for illustrating these kinds of concepts.”
You might not like the songs used in the examples but they do help you understand the different song sections better.
Have a read of the article “Songwriting 101: What’s The Purpose Of All The Different Song Sections?” And as always, let me know what you think.
I’d be interested to see your take on how you use the different song sections in your songwriting.