Week 5 - How Songs Work

Welcome to Week 5! This week we will be talking about how songs work. I have a lot of cool videos for you to check out and a couple more songs!

This week we will be trying to understand a song from the inside out (Bridge, Chorus, Verse structure), song endings, intros and how to put it all together, two more basic songs plus previous songs review. 

               Understanding how songs are written

                              Simple Song A B – Two part Structure (AB structure) Irish songs follow this structure

Example: In this example the band has taken two simple songs "The Kesh Jig" and "Morrison's Jig" and played them back to back in one piece. This gives the entire arrangement more of an A B C D structure. But you get the idea. Here's a link to a TAB for this song in the key of G, which you should know most of the chords for this song now, if you need help with C let me know. The easy way is just barring the 10th fret. http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/session-guitar-tab/kesh_jig.htm

                              Verse Chorus Song – This is a song meant to be sung, very similar to the A B structure, but often with a little more development, so sometimes you have an A section that is slightly more complex than a simple AB song, and sometimes the Chorus will be more complex than a simple AB song. Here is an example from Joe Cocker. It only uses 2 chords, C and F, or you could play it with D (0) and G (5). If you want to play along the frets are (10) and (3) I believe. Incidentally, I had the honor of working with Dave Mason, the guy who wrote this song. He does a really good live version you can check out on youtube also. A lot of hymns follow this structure too. Amazing Grace that we've been working on uses this pattern.

                              Verse Chorus Bridge Song – Often employs relative minor in the bridge. This is a song that is slightly more developed. It has the typical verse and chorus, but there is a developed part often called the bridge or the tag because it's tagged onto the song. A lot of pop ballads from the 80's and 90's use this structure. Often they will change to different chords in the bridge, sometimes using the relative minor or the Bm chord that you've been learning in this tuning. Here's a song from Coldplay that uses this structure: Tab found here.

A B with A B Development Song – Classical pieces like “Ah Vous Dirai-Je Maman” use this structure. This is an example of taking a simple melody and then developing it (in this case 12 times) multiple times until you have a complex piece of music. Each time Mozart plays through he is playing the same melody just with more complexity each time.

Complex Song – Bohemian Rhapsody, Carry On My Wayward Son, examples of songs with complex structure. Some songs seem to have more than one bridge, or part and a lot of development. Here's Carry on my Wayward son by Kansas as an example.

Here's an interesting article I discovered also:

So along with "the Kesh Jig" above, here's another New Song for you to try:

Heart of Worship

Matt Redman

Verse 1
D                        A                            Em
  When the music fades, all is stripped away
                    A
And I simply come
D                       A           
  Longing just to bring something that’s
     Em
of worth
                               A
That will bless Your heart

Pre-Chorus
Em                    D/F#            A
     I’ll bring You more than a song
                          Em                D/F#    
For a song in itself   is not what You
            A
have required
Em                          D/F#         A
     You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear
Em                      D/F#        A
     You’re looking into my heart

Chorus
D                                 A/C#
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
            Em                        G           A
And it’s all about You, it’s all about You
   D
Jesus
D                                  A/C#
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
               Em                      G             A
When it’s all about You, it’s all about You
    D
Jesus

Verse 2
D                        A          
  King of endless worth no one
            Em
could express
                            A
How much You deserve
D                                 A                
  Though I’m weak and poor all I have
     Em
is Yours
                    A
Ev’ry single breath

(Repeat Pre-Chorus & Chorus)