Song writing entails breaking a song into multiple sections that build and release energy, featuring phrases with lengths matching those of beats or musical elements such as melodies or vocals.
An accurate plan to the end point can mean the difference between completing your 16 bar loop or having it gather dust on your hard drive.
Intro
An intro of a dance music song serves to set the mood and get listeners ready for what will eventually make them move – typically through drum loops, percussive elements, melodic elements or different instrumentation than what will appear later in the track. This short section should excite listeners for what will soon follow – an explosive drop that makes people dance!
Most changes to dance tracks tend to happen every four bars, as DJs typically mix songs in increments of four bars. When making more substantial modifications like adding lead synth or bassline elements, more drastic modifications typically happen 16 beats later or after 24 bars have passed.
Most songs feature a chorus that repeats the melody and emotion from their intro, making for an infectious catchy hook that sticks in people’s memories. Other parts may not be as impactful in creating a full musical experience for listeners.
Most songs include a transitional section called a bridge that provides similar melodic content as both verse and chorus but has its own melodic elements and lyrics. Sometimes this section may also be more emotive or emotive than usual, creating an impactful and emotive moment within the track. Depending on its style of music production, this section may last longer or shorter than others in its length.
Break or Bridge
Bridges to dance music songs often introduce new musical elements or vocal passages to create contrast in the track, such as piano or guitar solos, instrumental riffs or even new melodic lines. Addition of new musical ideas in the bridge can break up any repetition or monotony of verse-chorus pattern and is one of the best ways to ensure your dance music song stands out from its peers. Altering the beat pattern during a bridge can add a different feel to a song. For instance, if a snare drum that typically hits on beats 2 and 4 of your song can instead hit on beats 3 or 1 during its bridge presence to create an unusual rhythm which might surprise listeners and capture their attention.
Break or Bridge sections are an integral component of song structure, often serving to reduce energy before an upbeat section reaches its climax and become very effective if produced well. Producers may reduce bass volume or reduce percussion elements in this section for maximum effect; additionally, harmonic mixing techniques may give this segment its own identity that distinguishes it from its companion pieces.
When writing dance music songs, it is crucial to think in terms of bars. Most elements should fit within an increment divisible by the main beat and this makes it easy to plan and produce larger changes within the music – typically every 16 or 32 bars so as not to cause abrupt transitions between sections of a track.
Verse
The verse of your song tells its tale through lyrics that provide its core narrative, usually repeating multiple times before moving onto the chorus and being used both vocally and instrumentally.
Vocal music verses typically feature straightforward lyrics and simple rhyming phrases, while instrumental music versions may feature many melodic variations and layers of sound. Furthermore, unlike choruses, verses do not usually feature catchy hooks or musical phrases that draw listeners in; instead they serve to establish connections between listener and song structure.
Verse is also an ideal opportunity to add contrast and drama to a song, whether that means using different tempos or chord progressions that stray further away from its home key; perhaps by switching up between dominant chord and major chord for verse and chorus sections of your song and creating tension before changing back when chorus comes along – giving its arrival more impact!
Sometimes a verse is intentionally created to compete with its accompanying chorus; for instance, Nirvana’s “Lithium” uses muffled lyrics that contrast with Kurt Cobain’s powerful belting in its chorus. This technique can be highly effective and help make a song memorable.
Chorus
Choruses are often the high-energy and catchiest parts of any song, often acting as its central theme and providing listeners with a major climax and emotional payoff. Choruses may come either at the beginning, middle or end; choruses provide the ideal opportunity to create catchy earworms since they typically differ each time the chorus repeats while verses may become repetitive over time.
The chorus often features lyrics that contrast lyrically and musically from those in the verses and can be preceded by a pre-chorus that creates tension to build to it. Lyrically and musically speaking, choruses must provide relief from tension created in intro, verse and pre-chorus sections – providing relief without overburdening listeners with additional material to consume!
A memorable chorus should feature an easy melody and lyrics that can easily be repeated, with hooks often featuring song titles either first or last in their lyrics. Dance music choruses may use internal rhyme to add bounce and fun.
Sometimes songs include a post-chorus that differs from its chorus in that it does not adhere strictly to chord tones or melodies. Instead, this section may feature more leaping notes that help increase energy and outline harmony harmonies. A strong post-chorus can often make all the difference when creating more of an authentic singing sound within a track; it may be difficult to distinguish from its chorus counterpart but may not always be necessary in its place.
Outro
Dependent upon the style of song, an outro can vary from being simple instrumental repeat and fade to full out musical conclusion. Either way, this space gives performers one last opportunity to build up energy before the song ends and keep people dancing throughout their set. An outro can add layers of sound in order to achieve that special energy that makes dance music so captivating – and ensure the crowd remains engaged for as long as possible!
One effective method for understanding how your song will be structured is listening to other releases within its genre. By finding an existing track that matches in style and tempo with what you intend on creating, it can act as an inspirational basis for how your loops will fit together into an overall composition structure.
Remembering that most electronic dance music is structured around four bars can help when listening to an electronic dance tune, counting out beats while listening can provide a better idea of what each section entails. Most often big changes in the music take place around either the fourth or eighth bar while longer sections such as breaks and choruses typically last 16 bars.
Understanding how dance music songs are structured can assist producers who are struggling to turn a small loop into an entire song, as well as DJs who want to seamlessly transition between records without creating jarring transitions. Becoming more familiar with common song structures will make understanding how a track is assembled much simpler, leading to greater insight into its performance at a club or festival.