From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: The Fundamentals

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Verse, chorus, and bridge forms

Verse, chorus, and bridge forms

From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: The Fundamentals

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Verse, chorus, and bridge forms

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- Forms based around the structure of verses, choruses and bridges are perhaps the most prevalent in popular music today. There are many permutations of this type of form, but the most common shape is a verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus. You'll instantly recognize this shape in a wide range of pop songs across eras. Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69," Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams Come True," Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia," Sara Bareilles' "Love Song," Jessie J's "Domino" and Beyonce's "Single Ladies" are all excellent examples. Some of the songs I've mentioned have the occasional pre-chorus, but the pre-chorus isn't considered a defining component of this form. You really don't see pre-choruses outside verse/chorus/bridge forms, and they are typically short in length, often a melodic extension of the verse. The bridge in the verse/chorus/bridge form will typically occur after no less than two…

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