Meaning of the word chorus. The meaning of the word chorus Examples of compositions with different construction schemes
Musical form: Rondo
We come across the concept of uniform in everyday life: uniforms - work, sports, school; geometric shapes - circle, square, rectangle, etc.
We all know: form is
Outline of an object.
From it we immediately recognize:
Pilot, miner,
The doctor and the floor polisher
Cook, railway worker,
Firefighter and janitor.
If you have pads and a helmet,
The hockey player is visible to everyone.
Peak cap, bell-bottom trousers,
Collar, shirt,
And underneath it is a vest.
Everything is from afar then
They recognize the sailor.
Form teaches us order
We do exercises in it.
Music needs a form
With her she is always slim,
They behave with dignity
Content and form.
A composer can be compared to an architect. Before constructing a building, the architect creates its plan - shape - design. The composer also builds a plan for the future musical work. To do this, each composer uses his own methods of constructing musical works.
Since ancient times, people have loved to sing songs and dance in circles. Often, during the performance of round dance songs, the lead singer (soloist) sang the verses, and the choir picked up the chorus. The verses differed in music from each other. The chorus was repeated without change. The movement of the music seemed to go in a circle.
The French word for "circle" is "rondo". France is considered the birthplace of the rondo. Folk dancing and singing was popular here in the old days. The dance was called rondo, which means a circle, a round dance.
The rondo form is a musical form that is built on repetition. This form is based on multiple (at least three times) repetition of the main theme, alternating with episodes of different content.
In a rondo there is the most important theme, which is called REFRAIN - it is repeated several times, alternating with new themes - EPISODES.
The rondo form, due to its expressiveness, has a wide range of applications in the art of music. Very often its use is associated with images of a playful, humorous nature. Such famous musical works as Rondo in the Turkish style by W. A. Mozart, “ Fury over a lost penny"L. Beethoven, Rondo Farlaf from M. Glinka's opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" and many others.
Ludwig van Beethoven. "Rage over a Lost Penny"
Rondo "Capriccio" in G major, op. 129 is better known by its subtitle, “Rage over a Lost Penny.”
When Beethoven turned 25, he wrote the rondo Capriccio, but never played it for his contemporaries. The short five-minute piece became known only after Beethoven's death: it was found in a pile of papers that were intended to be sold at auction. This funny work had an unusual subtitle - “Rage over a lost penny.” The idea for the subtitle did not belong to the composer, but to his friend Anton Schindler.
The title quite eloquently explains the music. This comic scene is full of Beethoven’s inherent energy, strong-willed aspiration, and dynamics. This is precisely the nature of the theme of the refrain, which leaves no doubt that the hero’s rage is playful.
“This is a great Beethoven joke,” notes musicologist Mikhail Kazinik, “an immortal joke of a genius and thunderer, written for only the piano. And every time the pianists compete with each other to see who will play it wittier, funnier, more perky: who will display that very Beethoven sense of humor, seasoned with a generous portion of rage?..”
Modern musicologists compare this rondo with an expanded comic story-sketch, where the music conveys various contrasting episodes and situations: initial serenity, then the discovery of the loss, alternating hope and excitement. What follows is a confused search with wandering through keys and violations in the composition, creating chaos. Finally, furious rage from a fruitless search. An additional comic effect is created by the contrast between the concepts of “rage” and “penny”. This is anger over the most insignificant reason.
Listening to the Rondo Capriccio, we observe how his hero, in a fit of anger, under the influence of uncontrollable emotions, loses the appearance of a reasonable, balanced person. From the sounds of the initial cheerful and carefree polka theme, the music moves to stormy passages, trills and arpeggios in a low register, reminiscent of indignant growls. And although this is just a musical joke, it leads to the conclusion about the need to maintain a human appearance in any situation. "Learn to control yourself."
Today, the rondo is often heard in concerts and performed by both eminent musicians and beginners.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "Rondo in Turkish style"
The melody you are about to hear is loved by many people. She is very famous and popular all over the world.
“Turkish Rondo” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart attracts with the beauty of its melodies, grace, and brilliance. In this work, W. A. Mozart depicted the beats of a large Turkish drum, unknown in Europe at that time. “Turkish Rondo” (“Rondo Alla turca”) is often performed as an independent piece, although it was written as the third movement of the A major sonata for piano.
The sounds of the “Turkish Rondo” immediately reminded the Austrians of the well-known sound of Turkish military marches.
Turkey (then called the Ottoman Empire) and Austria (Osterreich, Eastern Empire - this is how the name of the country is translated from German) were long-standing and bitter enemies, and fought intermittently from the beginning of the 16th century to the end of the 18th century. However, despite such constant hostility, the Austrians had a strong interest in Turkish culture in general and Turkish music in particular.
The Austrians first became acquainted with the playing of Turkish musicians in 1699, when a Turkish delegation arrived in Vienna to celebrate the conclusion of the Treaty of Karlowitz, which ended another Austro-Turkish war that lasted 16 years. The Ottoman delegation was guarded by Janissaries - Turkish infantry, and along with other Janissaries, the delegation was accompanied by a Janissary military orchestra, which gave several public concerts for the residents of Vienna.
The Austrians were so delighted with Janissary music that many Austrian musicians began to try to imitate Turkish music on European musical instruments, and even fake Turkish orchestras appeared when native Austrians put on Janissary clothes and played instruments brought from Turkey.
And no subsequent Austro-Turkish wars could destroy the Austrians’ love for Turkish music. It even got to the point that in 1741 the Austrian government turned to the Turkish government with a request to send Turkish musical instruments for the imperial court orchestra. The tools have been sent.
This is very lively, cheerful, cheerful music, you can do anything to it, but it’s not suitable for walking in formation and marching along the parade ground. And indeed, the Turkish Janissaries never marched in formation to music. Music was played before a fight, during a fight, and after a fight to celebrate a victory, as well as during ceremonial events.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, when writing “The Turkish Rondo,” rearranged traditional orchestral Turkish military music for performance on the piano, as a result of which it became possible to listen to music in the Turkish style without assembling a huge Janissary orchestra, in any house where there was a grand piano or an upright piano. Although there are also arrangements of the “Turkish March” for orchestral performance.
"Turkish Rondo" has a three-part form with a chorus. The repeated refrain – the refrain – gives the form the characteristics of a rondo. The festive, cheerful, danceable melody of the chorus sounds with a characteristic arpeggiated accompaniment, reminiscent of a small drum roll.
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. Rondo Farlafa from the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila”
In the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila,” Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka uses the rondo form to characterize one of the characters, Farlaf. In Farlaf's aria, the characteristic features of his image are most fully revealed - cowardice and bragging.
... An arrogant screamer,
Undefeated by anyone in feasts,
But a humble warrior among swords...
This is how Pushkin characterizes Farlaf.
Farlaf goes with Ruslan in search of Lyudmila. However, the “brave savior,” seeing danger, prefers to flee.
Farlaf...
Crouching in fear, he died
And, expecting certain death,
He drove the horse even faster.
It's like the hare is in a hurry,
Covering your ears fearfully,
Over hummocks, across fields, through forests
Jumps away from the dog.
Farlaf's big aria is written in the form of a rondo (hence its name): the main theme is heard several times, alternating with two episodes.
What expressive means did Glinka use to paint the musical portrait of Farlaf?
Usually the braggart talks a lot and quickly - and the composer chooses a very fast tempo for the aria. He saturates the vocal part with virtuoso techniques, for example, frequent repetition of the same sounds. This gives the impression of a choking patter. And the listener involuntarily laughs at such a “hero”. After all, the expression of humor is quite accessible to music.
Questions:
- What musical sections make up the rondo form?
- What does the word "rondo" mean?
- What is the name of the main, recurring theme of the rondo?
- What is the nature of the piece we listened to?
- How does Farlaf appear in the music of M. Glinka? Words for reference: confident, proud, funny, stupid, smug.
- Why do you think the composer used the rondo form to characterize Farlaf?
Presentation
Included:
1. Presentation - slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Beethoven. Rondo "Rage for a Lost Penny", mp3;
Mozart. Alla turca (“Turkish March”) from Sonata No. 11, mp3;
Glinka. Rondo Farlafa from the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx.
Chorus or refrain
Chorus or refrain
CHORUS, or REFRAIN (French: refrain) - a part of a song, often isolated in meaning and rhythm, performed by a choir or alone, interspersing the song (especially with its strophic structure) or repeating at the end of it. In P.'s work songs, initially there is only a monosyllabic, abrupt exclamation that regulates the working rhythm of one or another production work. This is the exclamation “eh” that comes out when chopping wood, throwing off heavy objects, pulling a rope, and other hard work. Alternating with the words of the labor song, these exclamations are made by P. An example of primitive P. is the song of Austrian workers when moving and pulling logs:
"Hii ruck
Hioo ruck,
Hiio schieben” (at the last word the log is thrown off).
P. is more complex, in which the rhythm regulating movements is carried out by the selection of individual words that are not yet related in meaning to the text of the song. This is the P. of the Russian song sung during helpings (carrying and throwing down logs):
“Let's go girls for water, one more time!
Every single one of them drowned, one more time!
They began to scold the miller, one more time!
Curse the mill one more time!”
Finally, the most perfect type of P. is the one that not only ends a stanza or song, but also forms a single whole with it. This is P. “Dubinushki”.
In dance songs and games, P. is initially nothing more than an exclamation, emitted at a moment of strong passion caused by extreme muscle tension, and giving an outlet to accumulated energy. These are the cries of “assa” (Caucasus), emitted during the dance, accompanied by rhythmic clapping. Subsequently, these monosyllabic exclamations are replaced, as in labor songs, by words and complex phrases, related or not related to the text of the song.
The singing of military (combat and marching) songs goes through the same stages of development, originating from the military cry and from the working song that regulates the step.
From ancient ritual dances, P. penetrates into ritual song. Wed:
“Don’t rejoice, oaks, ligatures,
Lilo, lilo!
We're not coming to you,
I’m not singing songs for you,
Lilo, Lilo! (Trinity song, former Cheboksary district, former Kazan province, now Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic).
An example of a more meaningful P. is P. in the famous ritual song “And we sowed millet, sowed...” P. is an integral part of all types of ritual songs both in the West and among the Slavs. Bulgarian and Serbian Lazarus songs, Belarusian volochobnye, German spring, Russian songs of “enduring death”, “rain spells”, etc. - all these songs were invariably accompanied by P.
P. continues to live in later oral poetry, for example. in a ditty, dance, thieves, love (the so-called “suffering”), preserving the originality of the text characteristic of it. P. here is found in two ways: either it does not correspond to the text, being a separate part of it that is not connected in meaning, or it retains a meaning identical to the text. This is for example P. in a thieves' ditty.
From folklore songs, P. very early penetrates into various genres of individual poetry, acquiring here especially refined and complicated forms both in rhythmic structure, forming part of a strophic whole (refrain in the structure of a ballad, rondel, etc.) and in meaning acting as a logical interconnected phrases that have a close connection with the text (Beranger, Heine, Kurochkin, etc.). Often P. also serves as a completely independent couplet, repeated after each stanza. Bibliography:
Stark F., Der Kehrreim in der deutschen Literatur, Diss., Gottingen, 1886; Meyer R. M., Ueber den Refrain, “Zeitschrift f. vergleich. Literaturgeschichte", 1886, I, S. 34-47; His, Die Formen des Refrains, “Euphorion”, 1898, V, S. 1-24; Thurau G., Der Refrain in d. franzos. Chanson, Berlin, 1901; Schreiter O., Der Kehrreim als dichterisches Ausdrucksmittel, “Zeitschrift fur den deutschen Unterricht”, 1916, 30 Bde, S. 672-674; Habermann P., Kehrreim, in the book. "Reallexikon der deutschen Literaturgeschichte", B. II, Berlin, 1926-1928 (literature given); Bücher Karl, Work and Rhythm, trans. S. S. Zayaitsky, M., 1923; Veselovsky A., Poetics, vol. I, St. Petersburg, 1913; Shishmarev V., Lyrics and lyricists of the Middle Ages, Paris, 1911; Anichkov E., Spring ritual song in the West and among the Slavs, ch. 1 and 2, St. Petersburg, 1903-1905.
Literary encyclopedia. - At 11 t.; M.: Publishing House of the Communist Academy, Soviet Encyclopedia, Fiction. Edited by V. M. Fritsche, A. V. Lunacharsky. 1929-1939 .
See what “Chorus or refrain” is in other dictionaries:
Chorus. A complete dictionary of foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language. Popov M., 1907. REFRAIN chorus; repetition of the same words after each stanza or couplet. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Pavlenkov... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
See Chorus. Literary encyclopedia. At 11 vol.; M.: Publishing House of the Communist Academy, Soviet Encyclopedia, Fiction. Edited by V. M. Fritsche, A. V. Lunacharsky. 1929 1939. refrain... Literary encyclopedia
refrain- a, m. refrain m. Art. fr. refraindre to crush, break lat. refrenare to restrain. 1. A verse and or several verses repeated at the end of each verse of a poem or song; chorus. BAS 1. The dream is created, like one of the French La... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
Refrain- REFRAIN (refrain) repetition (sometimes chorus) of one or more words or lines. Indicates folk origin. In solid forms, the refrain is found in Rondo, in Rondeli, and in the French ballad. I.R... Dictionary of literary terms
REFRAIN, refrain, husband. (French refrain) (lit.). Chorus, verses repeated at the end of each verse or stanza. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
You are reading the most recent version of the article; a verified version is also available. Refrain (from the old French refrain (from refraindre) “to repeat”) in music, a certain musical material that returns repeatedly throughout the work. In poetry... ... Wikipedia
- (French refrain refrain) a term introduced to designate repetitions of the end of a stanza (one or more lines, sometimes one word) in song forms of the 12th - 16th centuries. Such R. are typical for ballads, French. rondo, virele, ital. villanelles and... Music Encyclopedia
A; m. [French] refrain] Special A verse or group of verses repeated in a poem or song; chorus. Repeat p. three times. Monotonous river (also: about frequent repetition of the same thing). ◁ Refrain, oh, oh. The second lines of the song. * * * refrain (French ... encyclopedic Dictionary
- (French refrain) 1) in poetry, a repeated verse or group of verses at the end of a song Verse, when the R. grows to a whole stanza, it is usually called the Chorus. R. and the chorus developed in folk lyrics, where the chorus was usually performed ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
M. 1. One or more repeated verses that close a stanza or group of stanzas in a poem. 2. Part of a vocal work in verse form, repeated unchanged; chorus I 1.. 3. The main theme of the rondo, repeated many times in... ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova
Turning musical ideas into a finished piece is one of the biggest challenges musicians face. Understanding when a set of ideas and notes becomes a finished composition can be difficult not only for beginners, but also for seasoned professionals.
The composer's ideas put together are nothing more than the framework of the composition. The main work is still ahead, because the song needs an arrangement that will guide the listener through all the author’s ideas and make the composition a single canvas. The more comfortable and interesting the journey through ideas, the more willing the listener will be to hit the repeat button.
The arrangement is the map of the song. Typically, this map consists of several typical solutions and routes that composers and arrangers use very often. There is not even a grain of contempt in this: the structure of the song and the formulas by which the compositions are created have been tested on many hits, and no one is going to change them.
Editorial website understands what song structure looks like in popular and electronic music. We will deliberately not talk about the composition of instruments, stylization and other arrangement aspects for now, focusing on how a typical song is constructed.
Anatomy of an Arrangement: Typical Song Structure in Popular and Electronic Music. Content:
Typical song structure in popular music
To understand the typical structure of a composition, you need to understand what parts a song usually consists of. In most cases, there are eight such parts:
- Introduction/intro;
- Verse;
- Prechorus/bridge;
- Chorus;
- Post Chorus/Tag;
- Losing
- Break;
- Ending/morning.
Some parts of the song may not be included in the arrangement, others may be repeated several times, although it all depends on the meaning they carry and the desires of the composer.
Typically, each part of a song in an arrangement consists of 8-16 bars, although it is not uncommon for a segment to be 4, 12 or 32 bars long. The number of bars directly depends on the musical idea that you implement in a particular song.
Introduction/Intro (Intro)
A short introduction to the song. This part is the first one that reaches the ears of the listeners. The purpose of the introduction is to prepare the listener for the remaining parts of the composition, as well as to logically lead the arrangement to the first verse.
Often, the overall perception of the song depends on how well and interestingly the intro is made: if the intro hooks a person from the first chords, then the likelihood that he will listen to the rest of the song increases many times over.
Unless you're playing progressive rock or math metal, don't bore the listener with long intros.
In terms of content, the introduction itself can be anything, it all depends on the author’s imagination. It can be made from one or two elements of the main track (melody and drums, bass and keyboards) or in a form similar to the chorus (the intro completely repeats all the components of the chorus). The length of the introduction also depends on the wishes of the composer, but usually the intro fits into 2, 4 or 8 bars.
Verse (Verse)
The main semantic part of any song. This is where all the text and the general information message of the composition are located. In addition to conveying the main idea, the purpose of the verse is to prepare the listener for subsequent parts of the song.
Unlike the chorus and bridge, the lyrics to this part of the song are usually unique for each verse. It is not necessary to strictly follow this rule: there are dozens and hundreds of excellent songs in the world with very simple verses.
Example of song structure and arrangement. The composition consists of an introduction, two verses, four choruses, a solo or instrumental bridge and an ending. The song is 3 minutes 30 seconds long.
Pre-Chorus/Bridge
Bridge ( from English Bridge - bridge), or, as it is called in the USA, prechorus ( from English Pre-Chorus - pre-chorus) - the connecting link between the verse and the chorus. Since the chorus is the strongest part of the song, a bridge is added to the arrangement, which reduces the contrast between the verse and chorus.
If the harmony of the verse and chorus is based on the same chords, the bridge can add variety to the overall outline of the composition by changing the chord progression. From the listener's point of view, prechorus makes the composition more interesting.
Chorus (Chorus/Refrain)
The most repeated part of any song that contains the main lyrical and musical ideas. Here is the main information message of the composition, as well as a musical hook that catches the listener.
The chorus is one of the culminating parts of the composition. However, this part should be easy to remember, but not boring - the composition will be enough for 2-4 choruses, differing in their length.
Typically, the first occurrence of a chorus is 8 bars long (single chorus), and the second occurrence is 16 bars long (double chorus repeat with minor subtle changes). The last chorus of a song, appearing at the end of the song, can consist of 16-32 bars. From our own experience, we will say that the fewer choruses at the end of the song, the better: there is no need to overuse the chorus, we are not writing another Russian pop hit, are we?
Post-Chorus/Tag
It is not uncommon for the last line of a chorus to go beyond the bars allotted to it by the composer. This state of affairs can become a problem if the lyrics of the next part of the song (for example, a verse) begin with an upbeat.
To prevent words from overlapping each other, composers and arrangers insert 2-4 bars, which allow the vocalist to rest a little before continuing the song, and also make the musical narrative smoother.
Post-chorus is similar to pre-chorus and can be anything: in the form of a chorus or intro with a simple chanting of backing vocalists, in the form of an instrumental bridge or playing the main melody of the song in a slightly modified form. Here everything depends on the imagination of the arranger and composer, as well as the musical component of the song.
What is popular music?
When we talk about popular music, many musicians think that we are talking only about pop music, but this judgment is wrong. The definitions “Popular music” and “Pop music” are not synonymous, and refer to completely different stylistic directions. The term "Pop music" is used to define a specific genre - "pop".
As for the term “Popular music”, this includes a huge variety of musical styles that have nothing to do with pop music: rock, fusion, rhythm and blues, industrial, disco, rock and roll, reggae, nu metal, alternative, etc. Thus, popular music is music of diverse styles, aimed at a wide audience.
Losing (Middle 8)
In the West, the bridge towards the end of the song is called Middle 8, which can literally be translated as “middle eight”. However, some musicians call Middle 8 a bridge. Usually this part is reserved for the instrumental component: in Middle 8, most often there is a solo or some kind of bridge with changed parts and melodies.
The meaning of this part is to reach the climax of the composition before the appearance of the last chorus or break. Throughout the song, the dynamics and energy of the composition constantly increases, reaching its apogee precisely in the breakdown.
As is clear from the English name, the length of the passage is usually 8 bars, although sometimes longer versions are found.
Break
From time to time, after a loss, another small insert appears, called a break (from the English Break - break, collapse, pause). The point of a break is to give the listener a short break. Let's face it, listening to a song where something is constantly happening can be tiring.
The break is minimalistic and usually builds on the same chords and melody as the chorus. Sometimes the break is a small and quiet prechorus before the last chorus. The average length of a break is from 4 to 16 bars.
The need for breaking and losing depends on the context. If the song has a solo, then perhaps a quiet break makes sense. At the same time, no one forbids making another instrumental or vocal passage after a solo, or even going into a verse.
Ending/Outro
The final part of the song. It can be the same as the intro or be its complete opposite, be several repetitions of the chorus with a gradual decrease in volume (fade out), or be completely unique and not similar to other parts of the song.
Don't get carried away with the ending: constantly waiting for completion does not lead to anything good!
How the song ends depends on the rest of its components. In particularly active compositions, it makes sense to go into silence through the repetition of choruses; in ballads, you can take several other chords - it’s up to the composer himself to decide.
Final song structure in popular music
The song can be represented as a graph. The movement of music, the increase in tension and dynamics goes along a parabola - now up, now down. If you imagine any composition as a graph, then the most accurate representation will be a parabola. Throughout the song, the music picks up speed, reaches a climax, and then fades out to the end.
| Part of the song | Possible length |
|---|---|
| Introduction | 2-8 bars |
| Verse | 8-32 measures |
| Prechorus/bridge | 2-16 bars |
| Chorus | 8-16 bars |
| Post Chorus/Tag | 2-4 bars |
| Losing | 8 bars (sometimes 16) |
| Break | 4-16 bars |
| Ending | 2-4 bars |
Don't make all parts of a future hit 32 bars long - each element of the composition has its own length, which should be adhered to. Each composition requires an individual approach, so do not overload the arrangement and do not try to cram all the parts that you can into it.
Typical song structure in electronic music
Unlike popular music, typical electronic tracks consist of slightly different parts. The fact is that the arrangement of electronic music is not least influenced by the radio: songs must fit into the format of specialized radio stations, in which there is no place for mixes of endless length.
At the same time, the arrangement of dance and electronic tracks should be such that it is comfortable to dance to. Long sections need to be replaced by short sections to give the dancers a break. Typically a dance composition consists of seven typical parts:
- Intro bit;
- Breakdown;
- Build-up;
- Drop;
- Average break;
- Second drop;
- Final bit.
A good example of typical electronic, dance or club music is the composition "United We Dance" team Vicetone.
Beat Intro
Sixteen or more bars of drums or percussion. The distinctive features of the introduction in electronic music are the minimum of instruments used, the predominance of the beat and the gradual, leisurely appearance of the main melody.
The main task of the introductory beat is so that the DJ can correctly and accurately mix the new track with the previous one.
Breakdown
In the breakdown, the composition turns to its main elements. Often at this point the drums are absent altogether, giving more space to the rest of the musical components of the arrangement.
In a typical breakdown, the main melodic line of an electronic composition is usually played. The melody gradually acquires additional instruments, which creates a dense sound. The number of cycles can be any - 16, 32 or more.
Build-Up
The build-up prepares listeners for the chorus and is analogous to the prechorus in popular music. In this section, tension gradually increases due to accelerated drum inserts and rises - synthesizer sounds that smoothly gain volume and height, and look brighter than all other elements of the arrangement.
Drop
The equivalent of a chorus in popular music. The drops are designed to make the maximum impression on the listener with powerful grooves, pumping bass, a juicy beat and a synth hook (the main musical theme of the entire track).
Middle Break
Middle part of the composition. It contains unique musical elements and findings, but does not go beyond the general melody of the composition. They like to use this part to smoothly lead the listener to another build-up, whose length is half the length of the first.
The middle break usually sounds like a variation on the first breakdown or drop, although it's not uncommon for the middle break to sound completely different from the rest of the song.
Planning the arrangement and structure of the composition. The track will start with a chorus, will contain two different verses, a solo or bridge and several tags (bridges after the chorus). Second Drop
The second drop is often similar in structure, energy and content to the first, but contains a number of changes that add variety to the composition. Differences are usually contained in a slightly changed hook, bassline or beat.
Outro Beat
Like the opening beat, the outro helps the DJ mix the ending track with the next song in the set. For this reason, the final beat is a very long part of any dance hit.
Final song structure in electronic music
To fit into the radio format, the original 5-10 minute versions of club tracks are edited to keep them under 3-4 minutes in length. Because of this, all parts of the composition are cut to create a track that is similar in structure to a regular pop song.
Forms ABA, AABA, AAA and ABABCB
When planning a song, composers and arrangers often reduce the structure of the composition to one of four common forms - ABA, AABA, AAA and ABABCB.
ABA Form- the most popular form of arrangement construction. When we say that a song is structured according to the standard verse-chorus-verse pattern, we are talking specifically about the ABA form. A mandatory feature of this form is the presence of two identical parts (section A) and one contrasting part (section B). The contrast of section B is introduced in different ways: through changes in harmony and tonality, changes in the rhythm or mood of the music. Sections A and B can be different parts of one song - verses, choruses, bridges, solos.
If you imagine the structure of a song in ABA form, it might look like one of the following:
A striking example of the use of the ABA form is jazz classics "I Got Rhythm" by George Gershwin. The A sections are played in B-flat, have two chords per measure, and the sections themselves sound energetic. Section B changes key, one chord per two measures, and the music becomes less dynamic.
Form AABA is a development of the ABA scheme. In this case, section A is repeated twice, then moves to a contrasting section B, followed by a return to section A. According to this scheme, the composition might look like this:
Even though the AABA form uses two identical A sections at the beginning, this does not mean that they must match. Composers and arrangers make small changes to the harmony or instrument composition as a section progresses to make the sound more interesting. In some cases, the melody or its individual parts are subject to changes. It is also not uncommon for the ABA and AABA forms to be combined.
Form AAA involves the use of three identical parts (verses or choruses) with slight harmonic or melodic differences. As for ABABCB forms, here the composer decides to first use the standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus pattern, which then breaks into a bridge, solo, or break (section C), and then returns to the chorus.
Examples of compositions with different construction schemes
ABA Form: The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Woman, Pete Seeger - Turn! Turn! Turn!, AC/DC - Back in Black, The Eagles - Hotel California.
Form AABA: Billy Joel - Just the Way You Are, The Beatles - Yesterday, Crystal Gayle - Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.
Form AAA: Bob Dylan - The Times They Are Changin', The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun, Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
ABABCB Form: ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man, The Beatles - Ticket to Ride, Tina Turner - What's Love Got to Do with It?
Song structure of The Beatles - Back in the U.S.S.R.
The famous Beatles "Back in the U.S.S.R." was written as a tribute to the hit Chuck Berry "Back in the USA". Written in 1968, the song still sounds modern today.
Cover of The Beatles single “Back in the U.S.S.R.” The song was written during the reign of the Prime Minister Harold Wilson who announced a new political campaign throughout the United Kingdom "I'm backing Britain". Propaganda posters with this slogan covered all the streets of Great Britain. Paul McCartney thought that the line "I'm backing (back in) the U.S.S.R."- a good response to the political ideas prevailing in English society at that time. Residents of Great Britain appreciated McCartney's humor, but for US citizens the joke was incomprehensible.
One of the distinctive features of the composition is the arrangement of the song, typical of pop and rock music. Key - C minor, tempo - 120 beats per minute, musical size - 4/4.
Since there are problems with The Beatles songs on YouTube, we have inserted a video of Paul McCartney performing the song live in Moscow in 2002. However, the text will talk about the studio recording of the composition.
0:00. Introduction
The song begins with the sound of a plane landing and a 4-bar intro on an E7 chord. After 4 bars, the A chord sounds on the downbeat, which brings us to the verse of the composition.
0:15. Verse 1
As Paul McCartney tells the story of a sleepless night and a flight from Miami, the composition gains momentum. The verse consists of 8 bars: two 4-bar squares on the chords A, D, C, D.
0:28. Chorus 1
The song's chorus is six bars long, which is quite unusual. The first three bars are built on the chords of the verse (A, C, D) and this is where the vocal hook with the phrase “Back in the USSR!” is located.
The last three bars smoothly lead the listener into the second verse, which is identical in structure and harmony to the first.
0:52. Chorus 2
After the second verse, the song comes into a second chorus, also repeating the structure and harmony of the first chorus. Here we hear the same vocal hook and main guitar riff.
Despite this, the second chorus differs in length. Upon careful listening, it becomes noticeable that its length is 7.5 measures: 7 measures in 4/4 and 1 measure in 2/4.
1:04. Post-chorus and break
At the 01:04 mark, the song transitions into a post-chorus (tag), which is a completely new section of the song. This part is built on backing vocals in the spirit of The Beach Boys and the chord progression D, A, D, Bm7, E7, D7, A, A.
The entire movement consists of ten measures: eight measures of the post-chorus itself and two measures of the break on the A and E chords, which precedes the appearance of the guitar solo.
1:21. Guitar solo
The lead guitar line echoes the vocal melody and is supported by chords from the song's verses. The section is identical to the choruses and verses: the 8 bars of the verse flow smoothly into a six-bar chorus and another 10-bar post-chorus.
2:01. Verse 3
The last verse is identical to the previous two. Among the differences: the introduction of a lead guitar part that beats the A chord. The third verse smoothly transitions into another six-bar chorus.
2:25. Ending
The ending of "Back in the U.S.S.R" builds on a blues riff on the A chord and a backing vocal line with the constant repetition of the "Woo-ooo-oo" chant. The last part consists of 6 bars and is repeated until another sound of a landing plane appears at the 2:40 time mark.
The final structure of the song The Beatles - Back in the U.S.S.R.
| Part of the song | Length |
|---|---|
| Introduction | 4 measures |
| Verse 1 | 8 measures |
| Chorus 1 | 6 measures |
| Verse 2 | 8 measures |
| Chorus 2 | 7.5 bars |
| Post-Chorus | 8 measures |
| Break | 2 measures |
| Guitar solo | 24 bars |
| Verse 3 | 8 measures |
| Chorus 3 | 6 measures |
| Ending | 6 measures |
Song structure 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre - California Love
Dr. Dre- one of the most talented music producers of our time. It was his talent and approach to arrangement and music in general that at one time made him from an ordinary hip-hop quintet N.W.A. idols of millions. Example N.W.A. proved that black music could be commercially successful among all segments of the population.
Musicians who worked with the famous producer note that Dre is a perfectionist who will not release a song until he is 100% sure of its quality. Work on a composition can drag on for many months or even years, but the end result is worth it - listeners and the performer get a sure hit.
Despite everything, the famous track "California Love" was written by Dre in 1995 in just a few weeks. The song was originally prepared for Dre's solo album "The Chronic II: A New World Odor (Poppa's Got A Brand New Funk)" but for a number of reasons it was never recorded.
Cover of 2Pac's debut album "All Eyez On Me" Simultaneously with work on a solo album, in 1995 he was released after prison. Tupac Shakur is a close friend of Dre, whose debut album was produced in part by Dr. Dre. Wanting to please his friend and celebrate his release, Dre brushed off the dust from the stale minus and, together with Roger Troutman began work on the track that would soon become the legendary “California Love”.
The song was released in October 1995 on the first album 2Pac "All Eyez on Me" and the single stayed at the top of all American charts for about two weeks. The track was subsequently nominated for several awards and became one of the best G-Funk records.
The basis of the composition was a reworked keyboard sample from a little-known song Joe Cocker's "Woman To Woman". The song is written in the key of B-flat major (the only chord in the composition), time signature - 4/4, tempo - 92 beats per minute.
0:00. Introduction
The song begins with Roger Troutman singing "California Love" through talkbox. At the 0:03 mark, a beat appears, and for the next four bars we hear the drums, bass, keyboards and horn section playing the main theme of the song.
Starting with these four bars, the keyboard theme remains the same throughout the song, and various musical instruments appear and disappear in the arrangement.
0:13. Chorus 1
The horn section leaves after four bars of the intro, giving way to processed vocals. The vocals sing the words of the chorus over the next 12 bars.
One of the most memorable musical touches in the chorus is the shimmering synths that sound at the beginning of each measure. Synthesizers play the main chord of the track (B-flat major) and thereby emphasize the overall tonality of the song. The chorus moves smoothly into the verse, whose beginning is indicated by the ascending movement of the horns.
0:45. Verse 1
The duration of the first verse is 16 bars. All this time, Dr. Dre reads his text.
Whistling is added to the arrangement, but the first eight bars are no different from the introduction. The second eight bars are complemented by new synthesizer parts, as well as vocal melody.
1:27. Chorus 2
The second chorus is identical to the first, although it contains a number of differences. Thus, additional response vocal phrases and female backing vocals appear here. The transition to the next part of the composition, like last time, is indicated by wind instruments.
1:58. Loss/bridge
Instead of the expected verse, after the chorus the bridge begins (after the words "Shake, shake it, baby"). There is also a keyboard riff and beat, which is complemented by the sound of thunder in each bar. The entire breakdown takes eight bars.
2:19. Verse 2
The second verse completely repeats the first: the same composition of instruments, the same duration. The only difference is that the second verse is sung by 2Pac.
3:01. Chorus 3
The third chorus coincides with the previous two. The chorus smoothly transitions into another bridge, which is identical to the one that sounded after the second chorus.
3:54. Ending
Starting at the 3:54 time mark, the song moves toward its conclusion. Gradually, the sound of the instruments becomes quieter and the arrangement less rich.
The ending is a 20-bar loop consisting of verse and chorus elements, as well as a constant repetition of the main line of the song.
The final structure of the song 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre - California Love
| Part of the song | Length |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Upbeat + 4 measures |
| Chorus 1 | 12 bars |
| Verse 1 | 16 bars |
| Chorus 2 | 12 bars |
| Loss 1 | 8 measures |
| Verse 2 | 16 bars |
| Chorus 3 | 12 measures |
| Loss 2 | 8 measures |
| Ending | 20 measures |
The arrangement of the song is made in such a way that it is difficult to separate its parts from each other: the sound of the song is monolithic and a little monotonous. The listener gets the feeling of a complete lack of differentiation in structure.
"California Love" also features a shuffled song structure. Instead of the usual “Intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus” scheme, the “Intro-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge” scheme is used here.
Martin Garrix - Animals Song Structure
https://youtu.be/gCYcHz2k5×0
Composition Martin Garrix "Animals" was released in 2014, becoming a real hit - the song settled on the first lines of the world charts for a long time. Despite this, the composition itself is distinguished by a typical arrangement: the main emphasis here is on a rough 4/4 beat and a catchy percussion riff that sets any dance floor in motion.
The song is written in the key of F minor, tempo - 128 beats per minute.
0:00. Intro bit
The first 16 bars of “Animals” are minimalist - we hear only the kick and ride, reminiscent of a metronome. An arpeggiated synthesizer also plays along with the rhythm, its sound heavily reverbed. The strength and power of the synthesizer gradually increases, gradually leading the listener to the next part of the composition.
0:30. Bass intro
The low-sounding bass is supported by rhythmic kicks, and the arpeggiated synthesizer fades into the background. Another synthesizer appears in the mix, whose sound gradually increases. Toward the end of the bass intro, an inverted cymbal hit is heard.
1:00. Mini break
The four-bar break acts as a transition point - the mix takes a short break, practically nothing happens in the arrangement. We hear the ticking of a clock, the fading bass and a cymbal crash from the end of the bass intro. The arrangement prepares listeners for the appearance of the main melodic line.
1:08. Breakdown 1
The breakdown is done in such a way that it gradually thickens the sound of “Animals”. The ticking clock acts as a metronome, bringing the main melody of the track to the foreground. Additionally, other sounds appear in the mix, increasing the tension.
Notice how the ticking of the clock gradually turns into a percussion line.
After eight bars of the soft sound of the melody, an aggressive synthesizer comes into play, repeating the main theme of the composition with powerful chords. The synths are backed by accenting snare hits and claps on every beat.
1:37. Build-up
The eight-bar build-up brings the tension of the composition to its maximum values. Increasing snare hits, a synth riff and bursts of laser sounds logically lead us to the final bar with a vocal sample.
1:53. Drop 1
The first drop offers an interesting solution: instead of using the main melodic line, Garrix introduces a new riff, supported by a powerful beat and references to the main melody.
2:30. Breakdown 2
After another four-bar mini-break, the synth returns to the mix to play the song's main theme. Just like last time, the breakdown comes to another build-up.
3:15. Drop 2
The second drop is a complete copy of the first, but its duration is 16 bars longer. After the first eight bars, the vocal sample and interspersed synth chords reappear in the mix.
3:58. Ending
After a one-bar insert with a ticking clock, the arrangement returns to elements from the "Animals" intro. As it approaches its completion, the sound of the composition becomes softer and more subtle. In the final moments of the track, the arpeggiated synth suddenly comes to the fore, creating the necessary contrast between the intro and the outro.
The final structure of the song Martin Garrix - Animals
| Part of the song | Length |
|---|---|
| Intro bit | Upbeat + 4 measures |
| Bass intro | 12 bars |
| Mini break 1 | 4 measures |
| Breakdown 1 | 12 bars |
| Build-up 1 | 8 measures |
| Drop 1 | 16 bars |
| Mini break 2 | 4 measures |
| Breakdown 2 | 8 measures |
| Build-up 2 | 8 measures |
| Drop 2 | 32 measures |
| Ending | 32 measures |
Song structure of The Chemical Brothers - Go
"Go"- first single of the eighth studio album The Chemical Brothers "Born In The Echoes" Excellent arrangement, combining elements of popular and electronic music, rich vocals Q-Tip(real name - Kamal ibn John Farid) and bright melodies turned the song into one of the strongest hits of 2015. The song's video clip, shot by a Frenchman, gave the song additional popularity. Michel Gondry.
The song is written in the key of D minor, tempo - 120 beats per minute, size - 4/4.
0:00. Introduction
The song begins with a powerful beat, complemented by percussion and analog synth sweeps. Eight bars later, a monotonous bass line is added to the arrangement, which plays the D note in sixteenth note durations for another eight bars. Every fourth measure of the bass contains the move B-flat, G, A-flat.
At the very end of the song's intro, Q-Tip's voice appears, saying the phrase “Can't think. Can't sleep. Can't breathe".
0:32. Verse 1
The rhythm of the intro is maintained throughout the entire verse. The vocal line echoes the bass line and is then complemented by a synth that accentuates the endings of each bass and vocal phrase.
Over the course of the 16 bars of the verse, the arrangement gradually builds tension, leading the listener to the chorus.
1:04. Chorus 1 and post-chorus
The chorus begins with a downbeat chant that is punctuated by a bright synth hook. The duration of the chorus itself is 8 bars.
At the end of the chorus, The Chemical Brothers used a technique similar to what we saw in the Beatles' "Back in the U.S.S.R." - use of a short post-chorus with repetition of the last line of the chorus ( "We're only here to make you...").
Shout "Go!" kicks off the next section of the song, a three-bar post-chorus that leads us smoothly into the next verse. Thus, the chorus is 11 bars in total.
1:26. Verse 2
The next 27 bars are completely identical to the first half of the composition. The second verse follows the structure of the first, then smoothly transitions into the second chorus and ends with a short post-chorus.
2:20. Losing
Another cry "Go!" after the second post-chorus, it leads us to a new part of the composition - the bridge. The duration of the loss is eight bars.
The first four measures repeat the introduction. In the second half of the passage, the bass line returns to the arrangement, but now its sound is an octave higher.
2:44. Build-up
In the middle of the song, structural elements from electronic music appear. The eight-bar build-up is built on a monotonous bass, repetition of the words of the first verse and increasing synthesizers.
3:00. Drop
In the drop, the tension of the music subsides. From a musical point of view, the listeners are presented with another instrumental verse lasting 8 bars. The only difference is the lack of vocals.
3:16. Ending
The song ends with another chorus and a three-bar post-chorus: the same instruments, the same melodic lines and licks.
The final structure of the song The Chemical Brothers - Go
| Part of the song | Length |
|---|---|
| Introduction 1 | 8 measures |
| Introduction 2 | 8 measures |
| Verse 1 | 16 bars |
| Chorus 1 | 8 measures |
| Post Chorus 1 | 3 measures |
| Verse 2 | 16 bars |
| Chorus 2 | 8 measures |
| Post-Horus 2 | 3 bars |
| Losing | 8 measures |
| Build-up | 8 measures |
| Drop (instrumental verse) | 8 measures |
| Ending (chorus + post-chorus) | 11 measures |
Conclusion
Popular and electronic songs are built according to certain rules that make the sound of the compositions familiar to the listener. These rules have been applied for decades, and breaking something that already works is a thankless and even stupid task.
A typical arrangement is not always detrimental to a song, because sometimes simplicity and predictability are only beneficial. However, don't be afraid to break the rules and go beyond the accepted norms - you never know what result it will lead to.
There are a huge number of excellent songs with standard and non-standard arrangements, but the opposite is also true. Always think about how to make the song itself more interesting and better, and what structure and arrangement it will have is not so important.
