WRITING THE SONG - Part 9

This song is in the key of "C." The verse ends in "G" which forms part of the dominant seventh chord. If the composer is unfamiliar with harmony, a good working rule is to end the verse, if possible, on the fifth note of the scale. If the melody does not permit this, and the only logical ending is on the key-note, the lead-in can always be achieved by harmonic progression when the accompaniment is filled in by a competent arranger.

Most professional composers write the verse after the chorus has been completed. This permits a proper buildup to the main theme and permits the composer to concentrate, initially, on the chorus, which, of course, is the most important part of the song. This method, also, helps to prevent the accidental use of the chorus melody when writing the verse.

Song Form

The chorus of the average popular song consists of four eight-measure phrases—producing a total of 32 measures. Of these four phrases, two, at least, contain the principle theme; the other phrase or phrases acting as relief. Although the four divisions may be put together in a number of different patterns, the one that is most commonly used is known as the Song Form. This pattern, one of the easiest to construct, and one of the most forceful when backed by a good tune, dates back as far as the early English folk songs and appears in some of our own earliest popular songs, including such favorites as Swanee River, and Old Kentucky Home,

The whole purpose of the Song Form is to state a melodic theme, repeat it for emphasis, follow this with a contrasting tune which serves as a relief, and then conclude with a final statement of the melodic theme. If we call the first statement "A," and the contrast-melody, "B," the pattern might be summarized as AABA. Using this pattern, the chorus is constructed according to the following formula.

A: Measures one through eight, containing the main theme.

B: Measures 9 through 16, repeating the main theme.

B. Measures 17 through 24, containing the contrasting theme (known as the "release" or "bridge.")

A. Measures 25 through 32, repeating the main theme.

The AABA pattern appears not only in the majority of popular songs but also in instrumental music. It is a perfectly logical form. The composer has a short theme which he wants to "get over" to his audience. He therefore states it at the beginning of the chorus. Upon completion of the phrase, it is repeated for emphasis. Since further repetition at this point would tend to make the tune sound monotonous, the composer interposes a new phrase containing an alternate melody. This melody leads into the next phrase which repeats the main theme.