Bored? Try These 8 Song Structure Tweaks

Previously I laid out 4 Inspiring, Time-Tested Song Structures. These are some great structures to study and listen for in recordings. The next challenge is identifying which structure will be best for your current song-in-progress.

Sometimes you’ll try on a structure and find that it needs tailoring. Every song is different, and structures are not one-size-fits-all. Listed below are examples of some creative liberties you might take with your song:

1. Add an intro. An intro section can help acclimate the listener to the song’s chord progression, introduce an irresistible melodic hook, or otherwise set the mood for what’s to come.
2. Repeat a section (or several). If your ABAB form song needs a bit more room to tell the story in your lyric, try adding another verse. Many songs start out with two verses before the first chorus. There’s also no law against repeating chorus sections, or even repeating a bridge section when the song seems to call for it.
3. Add a prechorus. If the transition between verse and chorus is sounding a bit rough in your ABAB form song, add a prechorus.
4. Shorten a section. Sometimes a full repetition of the chorus is too much—or the lyric doesn’t call for a full verse 3 (for example). To avoid wearing out a section’s welcome, play an abbreviated version.
5. Variations. Seemingly small differences between separate verse or chorus sections can really enliven some songs that are otherwise too predictable. You might try minor lyric variations in the chorus section, and if you know music theory you’ve got lots of fun tools to work with: you could reharmonize a verse, switch the key from major to minor, drop the vocal melody down an octave—experiment and see what happens.
6. Asymmetry. Make verse sections longer than the chorus or vice versa.
7. Solos. Add these in the short spaces between sections, or aside an entire verse or chorus section to let a musician solo. Works best when done by a true musician who can solo thoughtfully, using your song’s melody as a base.
8. Breakdown. A section in which some instruments drop out. The remaining instruments can solo or vamp on a simple chord progression. The sudden absence can really refocus a live crowd’s attention; when pulled off well, expect a cheer as the missing instruments jump back in.

The right song structure for you is the one that presents the lyric and your melodies in the most satisfying way. Try to strike the right balance between shapely repetition and surprise—and listen for these structural tweaks out there in the musical wild. Write down the structures of a few dozen songs that you love, and you’ll get a good taste of the possibilities.

Back to Song Structures 101