Verse–chorus form

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Verse-chorus form)
Jump to: navigation, search

Verse–chorus form is a musical form common in popular music, used in blues and rock and roll since the 1950s,[1] and predominant in rock music since the 1960s. In contrast to thirty-two-bar form, which is focused on the verse (contrasted and prepared by the B section), in verse–chorus form the chorus is highlighted (prepared and contrasted with the verse).[2] "Many popular songs, particularly from early in the 20th century, are in a verse and a chorus (refrain) form. Most popular songs from the middle of the [20th] century consist only of a chorus."[3]

"Musically, most Civil War songs were cast in the verse–chorus patterns that had been popularized by Foster and widely imitated by his peers and successors, with their choruses set in four-part harmony."



Contrasting verse–chorus form[edit]


Simple verse–chorus form[edit]

Songs that use the same harmony (chords) for the verse and chorus, such as the twelve bar blues, though the melody is different and the lyrics feature different verses and a repeated chorus, are in simple verse–chorus form. Examples include:

Simple verse form[edit]


and with a contrasting bridge:




See also[edit]