Parts of a Song

Verse Verses are the parts of a song that tell the story or explain the meaning. They usually sound alike but have different words. Songwriters keep the verses alike to build structure in the song. Typical songs have two or three verses, but some have more. Chorus Sometimes called the refrain, the chorus is a songs focal point. It is the part of a song that repeats itself. It often contains a hook that gets people to remember the song. A songs chorus usually appears two or three times, often several times. Pre-Chorus A pre-chorus is the versatile part of a song that comes right before the chorus. Often used to build up the chorus, the pre-chorus sounds different from the verse or chorus. The pre-chorus verses can be different or the same whenever the part appears in the song. Post-Chorus The post-chorus directly follows the chorus. It sounds different from the chorus, but it may retain the same power level. Singers often use the post-chorus to repeat the line at the end of their chorus. Some musicians use an instrumental piece as the post-chorus. Bridge A bridge is the change-up part of a song. Almost like a second style of verse, the bridge is different from other song parts. Songs usually have just one bridge, although creative songwriters may add more than one. Usually, each bridge sounds different. Musical Solo A musical solo is the part of a song that features an instrumental solo. Sometimes the musical solo replaces a verse or chorus part. The most interesting musical solos have a life of their own, while still fitting the song. Intro The intro gets peoples attention. It can be the verse or chorus played in an unusual way or something compl etely different, like a part that doesnt appear anywhere else in the song. Extro Sometimes called the outtro, the extro is similar to the intro. Of course, it appears at the end of the song. It usually contains a few lines of the chorus that slows down at the end. Breakdown A breakdown leaves something out. Usually, it is a verse or chorus with less instrumentation. Sometimes a breakdown and a bridge are the same part. Songwriters use breakdowns to lower a songs energy before building it back up .