Entry 2 – Song Form

Initially I didn’t think it was important to analyse song form at first – an aspect of writing I had often taken for granted. However, it became apparent the value of understanding something properly before then breaking those rules – as Robyn explained the names and structure of the various song forms (such as ), I was able to appreciate where certain forms would be appropriate – for example, using an AAA structure with a refrain to achieve a folk-y feel. There was also a discussion emphasis on the effect of pre-choruses, so I attempted to write a track that I felt utilised the pre-chorus to launch into the chorus effectively.

Initially I didn’t think it was important to analyse song form at first – an aspect of writing I had often taken for granted. However, it became apparent the value of understanding something properly before then breaking those rules – as Robyn explained the names and structure of the various song forms (such as ), I was able to appreciate where certain forms would be appropriate – for example, using an AAA structure with a refrain to achieve a folk-y feel³. There was also a discussion emphasis on the effect of pre-choruses, so I attempted to write a track that I felt utilised the pre-chorus to launch into the chorus effectively. To achieve this, I kept the melody lower and less explosive than the chorus, and when the chorus arrived changed keys from Db major to Gb major, creating a feeling of upward movement.

3 Habel, Robyn. “Song Form”. Lecture presented at the course Song Writing and Performance 1A, University of Adelaide, March 18, 2019.