Song Form and

Production Mapping
Week 5

SONG FORM - Section Types

What types of sections make up contemporary song forms?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Verse
Chorus
Bridge
Pre-Chorus
Intro/Outro
2nd Bridge
Instrumental sections

SONG FORM - Section Types

DEFINITIONS
VERSE A lyrical section of a song that introduces characters, themes, imagery,
scenarios, or plot points. Its purpose is to provide the context and content of
the songs world, and to build tension leading up to the chorus/hook/refrain.
Verse sections tend to have lyrics that change to develop the ideas in the
song, and approach the chorus/hook/refrain from different angles of
approach.

REFRAIN LINE A Refrain Line is a line of lyric that repeats exactly (or almost exactly) in two or
more Verse sections.
It is part of the Verse structure, and not a separate section.
It will usually appear as the first or last line of the section.
We call a verse section with a refrain line a verse-refrain.
Frequently, songs with verse-refrains do not have chorus sections, as the
refrain line replaces the function of the chorus, providing a central, unifying
idea or image for the whole song.

CHORUS A lyrical section of a song that contains the central idea or message of the song. It is an independent
section of the song that stands alone both musically and lyrically. A listener should be able to grasp
the central message from the chorus alone. The chorus typically functions as a point of release
rather than tension in a song. It should (generally) not contain new narrative or developmental
material.
The ideas contained in the chorus should be broad or flexible enough that they can be approached
from different angles (in the verses/pre-ch) and be cast in a new light.
The lyrics and melody should be simple/repetitive enough (and sufficiently contrasting to other
sections) that a listener could repeat them after one hearing.

BRIDGE A bridges functionboth lyrically and musicallyis to provide a different

perspective.
This means that it should be both lyrically and musically contrasting to any
other section. Its purpose is to create enough variation that it builds tension
that is released (or not released) by a final chorus.

PRE-CHORUS The role of a pre-chorus is to build extra tension or energy going into a chorus
section.
It should be musically contrasting to the verse section.
Generally, a more unstable structure will be effective in building tension and
surprise leading up to the chorus.
The lyrics to the pre-chorus may repeat or vary.

SONG FORM - Contemporary Songwriting

READING: Excerpt: Murphys Laws of Songwriting.
Questions:

Which song form is the most primal?

Which song form allows for the most lyrical complexity?

SONG EXAMPLES
LISTENING:
Label the sections of each song.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

I Hear Them All, Dave Rawlings Machine

Love is a Losing Game, Amy Winehouse
Still Crazy After All These Years, Paul Simon
Stop This Train, John Mayer
Every Breath You Take, Sting and The Police
Willies Lady, Anais Mitchell

PRODUCTION MAPPING
A lot of producers use production mapping as song modelling technique to
lay out the song form and structure, as well as instrumentation inside a DAW
before producing their own track.

PRODUCTION MAPPING
OVERVIEW
Step 1. Take mp3 of Parent Song into DAW.
Step 2. Find tempo
Step 3. Set and name Markers of song sections.
Step 4. Create Audio and Midi Instrument tracks, finding sounds to match the production of the
Parent Song.
Step 5. Use Marker Notes to list Instrumentation and Arranging.
Step 6. Remove mp3 of Parent Song.

Step 1. Take mp3 of Parent Song into DAW.

Step 2. Find tempo

Step 3. Set and name Markers of song sections.

Step 4. Create Audio and Midi Instrument tracks, finding sounds to match the
production of the Parent Song.

Step 5. Use Marker Notes to list Instrumentation and Arranging.

Step 6. Remove mp3 of Parent Song.

HOMEWORK
Create a Production Map in a DAW of your choice, following the steps
provided.
Upload a screenshot of the final version to Weebly.