Form in Popular Music
This lesson is part of the Rhythm, Meter & Form category. |
Objectives[edit]
- Students will be familiar with components of popular song form including verse, chorus, prechorus, bridge, intro and outro.
- Students will be familiar with common popular song forms and their variants.
- Students will be able to analyze the form of a popular song,
Resources[edit]
Readings[edit]
- Peres, Top 40 Theory:
- “Don't Bore Us, but Don't Rush to the Chorus”
- “The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey — ‘Closer’: Crafting the Chorus”
- “Everything You Need to Know About the Postchorus”
- “About that Chorus in Bed Rexha’s ‘I’m a Mess’”
- “A Sonic Twist in the Plot: The Bridge in Modern Pop”
- “The PostChorus-Bridge Switcheroo”
- “Recycling the Chorus in Zedd & Elley Duhé’s ‘Happy Now’”
- “The Internal Sonic Progression in Bebe Rexha’s “I’m a Mess’”
- “Sonic Meta-Progressions in Pop Songs”
- Music Theory Online:
- SMT-V:
Class Activities[edit]
- Discussion and definition of popular form components (verse, chorus, bridge, etc.)
- Discussion and definition of different popular song forms
- Analysis of various popular songs
Assignments[edit]
Files[edit]
- Formal Analysis: "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind (Word | Pages | PDF)
- Formal Analysis: "Unfinished" by Barenaked Ladies (Word | Pages | PDF)