3 Be able to appreciate the role and importance of the structural elements of composition Forms and structures: formal block structures eg binary, ternary, rondo, arch; developmental forms eg theme and variations, ground bass, sonata form; song structures eg 12 bar blues, verse-chorus constructions, riff based songs; effective use of repetition and self-reference; circular/repetitive structures eg those found in some minimalism or dance music
Compositional forms and structures - popular forms ans structures
Have in a structure in you composition is so important. The structure is just as important as the ideas themselves. The reason I say this is that if you write a composition that never repeats any sections then that is impossible for the listener to remember certain sections and certain hooks. The ways that you get a composition stuck in someone's head is by repeating the hook in the song, more often that not this hook will be in the chorus in contemporary music. I outer types of music there might not get a chorus, maybe just a change in the chord sequence and then going back to the original melody. Structures are important because if you want someone to remember your song, you have too repeat the memorable parts of you song.
It is a proven fact in a recent study that in pop music the more time the chorus of the song is repeated then the higher chance the pop song has of getting high up in the charts.
There are lots of different types of structure is all sorts of different music. Unless it is some weird music that no one has ever heard of the structure of the song will have parts where it repeats itself. I have taken the time to put down some of the most commonly used and the most popular structure in contemporary music just below this paragraph.
Verse
Chorus
Verse
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus
The structure above is such a commonly used structure in contemporary music, it did not take me log to find a very successful song that uses this structure to use as an example. The song is called and i have put a link to the music below this paragraph.
It is a proven fact in a recent study that in pop music the more time the chorus of the song is repeated then the higher chance the pop song has of getting high up in the charts.
There are lots of different types of structure is all sorts of different music. Unless it is some weird music that no one has ever heard of the structure of the song will have parts where it repeats itself. I have taken the time to put down some of the most commonly used and the most popular structure in contemporary music just below this paragraph.
Verse
Chorus
Verse
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus
The structure above is such a commonly used structure in contemporary music, it did not take me log to find a very successful song that uses this structure to use as an example. The song is called and i have put a link to the music below this paragraph.
Because I can see that using this structure to right music is so effective I have decided to make some of my ideas follow this structure. I have posted the lyrics of my song that follows that structure below. The only thing that I changed about my songs structure is that i dod not do another chorus on the end instead I repeated the opening line of the song.
Heels (Like You Do)
Verse 1
Am F C
I like to think that I have a little self control,
But when you look like you do, I'm hardly gona say no to you.
Although it's not true I like to think that I know better, that I see through
G
But I get distracted by you.
Chorus
F
Your clearly going all out tonight,
Am G
I know it cuz you heels are far too high.
Do anything to feel alright,
You won't go home alone tonight.
Verse 2
I like to say that I never ever put a foot wrong,
But when you look like you do, I'm hardly gona say no to you.
There's no excuse, it's no use, I should know better but I never do.
I just get distracted by you
Chorus
Your clearly going all out tonight,
I know it cuz you heels are far too high.
Do anything to feel alright,
You won't go home alone tonight.
Bridge
G Am
It might take some getting used to,
F C
But given time you'll be alright.
G Am
Not happy wearing you're shoes?
F C
Then kick them off with me tonight...
It might take some getting used to,
But given time you'll be alright.
Not happy wearing you're shoes?
Then kick them off with me tonight...
I like to think that I have a little self control,
But when you look like you do, I'm hardly gona say no to you.
Verse 1
Am F C
I like to think that I have a little self control,
But when you look like you do, I'm hardly gona say no to you.
Although it's not true I like to think that I know better, that I see through
G
But I get distracted by you.
Chorus
F
Your clearly going all out tonight,
Am G
I know it cuz you heels are far too high.
Do anything to feel alright,
You won't go home alone tonight.
Verse 2
I like to say that I never ever put a foot wrong,
But when you look like you do, I'm hardly gona say no to you.
There's no excuse, it's no use, I should know better but I never do.
I just get distracted by you
Chorus
Your clearly going all out tonight,
I know it cuz you heels are far too high.
Do anything to feel alright,
You won't go home alone tonight.
Bridge
G Am
It might take some getting used to,
F C
But given time you'll be alright.
G Am
Not happy wearing you're shoes?
F C
Then kick them off with me tonight...
It might take some getting used to,
But given time you'll be alright.
Not happy wearing you're shoes?
Then kick them off with me tonight...
I like to think that I have a little self control,
But when you look like you do, I'm hardly gona say no to you.
His song began as idea number three in lo1. It started with just the verses. Then I wrote a chorus and repeated it after both of the verses and then the final thing that I had to do was write the bridge. Once all of those things where written I had all of the things needed for my composition all I had to do was put it in a structure I knew would be successful. so I chose that structure because I have seen songs that uses it rocket to number one in the contemporary / pop music chars
A video of me demonstrating ternary form
Me demonstrating ternary form
Me demonstrating - different octave - transposing
Less popular forms and structures
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Here is an example of one of the less popular structures. This is a circular/repetitive structure. The name of the song is Tubula bells by Mike Oldfield. The style of the music is called minimalism. if you listen to it, the most noticeably in the the first 6 minutes of the video you will see how there is no real structure to it, it just repeats itself and has layers come in and out in a big circle, hence the name - circular/repetitive structure. |
riff based songs
Hear is my favourite example of a riff based song. This song still follows a verse chorus bridge structure, or a A B C suture. There are only two members in this group you will see that it the video all of the song id bass riff and drums. Thais why this is a riff basses song. Same as all outer structure they realise the importance or repetition and they repeat the riffs a lot in the song and I think they do it very effectively.
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12 bar blues structures
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The twelve bar blues is so commonly used. It is used in almost all blues music and is a very effective way of giving the listener what they want to hear, because you kind of know what's coming. It is a great way to write blues music and I really listening to chick berry playing his songs using the 12 bar blues.
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formal block structures eg binary, ternary, rondo, arch; developmental forms eg theme and variations, ground bass, sonata form
demonstarting binary
Binary form is a very simple way to write a song. It is the most simple for/structure that is used in music. For tat reason it is very uncomment in music and in contemporary music is almost never ever used. The binary form is sometimes written out as AB form.
damonstrating ternary
Ternary form is another very simplistic form. Instead of juts using one section and then another section like binary form dose, it actually brings back the first section and repeats I after the second section. That is why this form is very commonly written as ABA.
rondo
Typically rondo form is very commonly used in classical music. I have put a picture that shows the different sections in rondo form above.
arch
Arch form is another commonly used structure in classical music. It is made up of different section much like all of the other structures that music uses.
developmental forms
In this form. There are central ideas that repeat themselves throughout the piece. Once again it is a very commonly used form in classical music.