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MP-102

MP-102. Lecture 3: Elements of Song Form and Arranging. Why use form?. Organization Power tools Make larger works from smaller pieces Instantly familiar. Types of Song Form. Strophic Form repeats No “chorus” Blues; 32-bar song forms tend to be strophic Verse/Chorus

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MP-102

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  1. MP-102 Lecture 3: Elements of Song Form and Arranging

  2. Why use form? • Organization • Power tools • Make larger works from smaller pieces • Instantly familiar

  3. Types of Song Form • Strophic • Form repeats • No “chorus” • Blues; 32-bar song forms tend to be strophic • Verse/Chorus • Simple: verse and chorus have the same chord progession • Contrasting: verse and chorus have different chord progressions • 32-bar “Song Form” • Organized into 8-bar phrases • AABA • ABAB • Etc.

  4. Parts of a song Things that an integral part of the identity of a song: • Melody • Lyric • Chord Progression • Verse • Pre-Chorus (maybe) • Chorus • Hook • i.e. a melodic or lyrical hook

  5. Two distinct things • The Song: the core melody, harmony, and lyrics • The Arrangement: how you “dress” the song – instrumentation, sections (intro, bridge, solo, coda), musical genre Anything that the song “cannot live without” is part of the song. Anything that could be changed or stripped away is part of the arrangement

  6. What is an arrangement? “The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as ‘the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form… [arranging] involves adding compositional techniques, such as new thematic material for introductions, transitions, or modulations, and endings...Arranging is the art of giving an existing melody musical variety’” (Corozine). An arrangement may specify or vary some or all of: • Harmonies, including parts • Instrumentation • Style, dynamics and other instrumentation to the players • Sequence, including the order and number of repeats, sections, verses, and choruses, and provision of sections to be improvised by instrumentalists • Introduction, coda, modulations and other variations

  7. Intro Pre-Verse Pre-Chorus (maybe) Bridge Hook If it’s added after the fact If it’s not an integral part of the song Riff Modulation Solo Vamp Coda Outro Parts of an Arrangement

  8. Stylistic Devices • You can take almost any song and arrange it in different musical styles • Certain styles have their “calling cards” • Rhythmic devices • Tempo • Orchestration • Mixing effects

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