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adrianvarelablog · 1 year

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Reflections on an interdisciplinary composition workshop

Connections across time and genres: in a recent composition workshop, The Cure informed students’ understanding of Bach’s counterpoint, and the structure underlying Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ was revealed to stretch, via Beethoven and da Vinci, all the way back to ancient Greece. External tools show us more clearly who we are, and can make us better composers and performers.

What is the approach?

I was recently invited by the head of music in a secondary school to lead a composition workshop for A-level music students.

My practice is based on reframing the object of study within new, different parameters: specifically, how the contemporary popular music the students are familiar with, has deep roots reaching hundreds and thousands of years back, and conversely, how aspects of historical music that are studied in depth in the classroom, are applied ubiquitously without them realising it, in the music of today. This exploration is undertaken through a re-, or de-contextualisation, of the issue at hand, which allows for individual aspects of music to be analysed more clearly, as well as through other tools, such as drawing parallels from tropes from the Arts and Sciences to elucidate musical analysis and practices. In this setting, interaction with the students and their invaluable input, are vital components in navigating the intersections of these disparate, albeit connected, musical worlds, and of the issues this cross-pollination uncovers. The seeds of this approach as a practice were planted during my Master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music, and have since evolved into these rewarding workshops.

How does it work?

The Composition Workshop I refer to here took the shape of a 3-session, 5-hour day. Session 1 was in turn split into three parts, where students were guided through three large areas of music: texture, development, and structure.

In the first, textural portion, they were introduced, through their own performance, to a reframing of the concept of counterpoint through contemporary pop music. Stripped of its historical baggage, students garnered a deeper, more immediate understanding of counterpoint, how it works, what works and doesn’t, and how to make a texture intentionally clearer or murkier. Then, we analysed a deceptively simple developmental device free from its historical context, used exclusively -albeit ubiquitously- by Beethoven, as a potential tool for their own compositional toolkits, applied specifically to narrative development. Finally, we applied certain well-known tropes in the visual arts and mathematics to the analysis of musical structure, discovering how these ideas, hiding in plain sight, underpin the vast majority of both small and large-scale structure of most Western popular and art music of the last 400 years. This was done through a famous musical number, tracing its structural blueprint forwards from current popular music and film, all the way back to the Classical period and beyond, with roots in ancient Greek mathematics, drama, and philosophy; in a word, our common heritage, and a clear show of why the musical works we value -past, present and our own- are as they are.

Having opened the space with these alternative materials, Session 2 was left more open, for the students to bring their concerns to the table. I offered several options including an open forum, ranging from the most technical to the abstract, a ‘harmony lab’, and even an ‘intervals boot camp’ -this session was left entirely up to them. The head proposed critiquing each student’s work at their computers, going from one to the next like a simultaneous chess exhibition. Because of recurring issues in their work and time constraints, after looking at 3 or 4 of their pieces, one piece was selected to be put up on the main board to be analysed, critiqued, and worked on in depth. We saw how some of the issues of Session 1 were at play underneath the surface of their compositions, and how through clearly identifying them with the aid of these re-contextualising prisms, their work could be made stronger and more organic -in a word, better compositions.

For the third and final session, I had originally planned to return to further compositional techniques, by looking at some non-digital means, to explore creativity free from the restraints of sequencer-based software. But the head made an interesting suggestion: in order to demonstrate the challenges of the actual process of composition, could I please there and then, compose something new, in front of the whole class? I took on this unexpected challenge, talking through the brief, the compositional process, questions, challenges, and potential artistic and technical solutions to the task at hand while I wrote, with the aid of student input, a passage of music to accompany a theoretical ‘chase scene in a film’.

How did the students respond?

For me, creating and thinking about stronger, and new, connections between past and present, and between art and popular music, and being to be able to convey to the students, the power and potential of this type of cross-genre, pan-temporal virtuosity, are challenges that make pedagogy, composition, and performance hugely rewarding. But even more rewarding, is hearing audible gasps, ‘Whoah!’s, watching jaws and pennies drop, and other expressions of amazement in the room, as the students suddenly hear, or realise, that something exquisite is happening inside music they’ve known all their lives, or how Tchaikowsky and Queen both knew how to manage and subvert expectations in the exact same way, yet none of this had registered with them before.

Is it really necessary to step outside classical music to study it?

Recontextualization, decontextualization, and cross-fertilising resources from other types of music and from other disciplines in and outside art, such as mathematics- are powerful tools, when wanting to analyse music, and when analysing it with a view to developing students’ composition and performance skills, as well as one’s own. It is a way to bring theory, history, and all society together, in order to contextualise contemporary and historical music; and to understand ourselves and what we are doing, better, by spotting ourselves in the past.

From a purely practical standpoint, I find it handy to have a vast, perpetually growing, arsenal of technical, musical, cultural, and philosophical weaponry, so that when the workshop -like a river- takes whichever direction it does in the moment, it can be followed and supported by a wide cultural, cross-fertilising foundation, both contemporary and/or historical, and via popular and/or ‘art’ music.

Is this a one-size-fits-all workshop?

On reflection, one five-hour workshop day for an A-level group, is just enough time to introduce these concepts at entry level, and to then follow the teacher’s lead, but no more. Perhaps focussing on just one or two of these concepts per workshop would enable students to get to grips with them, and actually be able to begin to explore their application.

Undergraduate and post-graduate-level students have more maturity to grapple with these ideas and run with them; they are also a bit more aware of the world around them, and of the need to explore outside the constraints of the ever-narrowing bubbles their social media, streaming, etc. algorithms so effectively -and unwaveringly- seek to isolate them in.

For GCSE, only one of the ideas above, per workshop, would likely be more than enough.

Another alternative, for all age groups, could be to plan more than one workshop over one or two school years. This would enable students to absorb some of these powerful techniques and apply them to their course requirements, ideas that could then continue to be developed on their own, further down the line.

Any final thoughts?

I found it hugely rewarding to work as a team with the professionals in charge of the youths, as they are in the best position to select, out of this cornucopia-come-toolbox, what would better suit the students in their charge at this stage. There are tons of ideas to exchange. I’ll be returning soon.

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alive-drumming · 6 years

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Song Rhythm Tracks - Users' Testimonials

We canvassed some opinions from social media. It is always interesting to see how others view Song Rhythm Tracks. See what you think.

No.1 for Musician's Usability

Ethan - Kyoto, Japan. Sax player. Plays pop, rock, blues, jazz, bop, ballads, everything really

Ethan Algan

IMMEDIATE MUSICIAN'S USABILITY. What's different about this App is that it makes it feasible for the average guy, with very little effort, to play their songs to very engaging arranged rhythm tracks. I've tried lots of them and I haven't come across any other app that comes close to that. This app combines a musician's player, a setlist manager and an arranger in one app. It's really quick to select arrangements and then you can put them into setlists and keep changing and reordering the lists as your set evolves. Now I just grab my sax' and my mobile phone and either play a setlist or quickly search and find tracks as I go through my books of lead sheets. If I don't have a track for a tune, a minute later I will have and will probably be playing it. For me, there's nothing else that has this sort of immediate musician's usability.

Maverick and a True Innovator for the practical musician

Sandra - Perth, Australia. Plays guitar. Likes folk music.

Sandra Sutton

TRUE INNOVATION. What can I say that hasn't already been said? Only perhaps that this App is a true innovator. A maverick you might say. It seems to do everything differently. It wasn't what I was expecting but now everything else I've tried seems redundant. What do you really want to do? To play with flashing lights - pretending to be hitting real drums? Or to get an MP3 file which is a professional quality backing track to a song you are playing? That, I think, is the innovation. That's what you get here. It's like a cross between the 'Music' App and a musician's backing-track service. You select the track you want and the Alive Drumming servers get you it. Then you have much more musician-friendly setlists and player than you get with the 'Music' App. Playing becomes a real joy instead of struggle. It's what all of us musicians want. We want to play our instruments and have great rhythmic backing with a minimum of fuss and bother. That's what this App delivers. A true innovation for the musician.

Drum Machines don't work end-to-end. They're not performance-ready

Eloa - Brazil. Guitar, sings. Loves conga, timbales, bongos and claves. Plays and sings bossa nova, jazz samba, merengue, lambada

Eloa Andes

LOVE THIS APP!! Never seen anything like it. Drum machines don't cut it, even ones with some good sounding rhythms. Nothing else works well end-to-end in providing rhythmic backing tracks to your song list. The closest thing I've seen to this App are those apps that have the full sheet music, backing tracks and are song based. You buy the sheet-music and backing music for a song. They are OK, a bit expensive and don't always have your song, or the arrangement of your song, that you'd like to use. They can be a bit clunky as well and the rhythms tend not to be very good by themselves. This App is so much better for me because (i) the rhythms are fantastic, (ii) it doesn't matter if they don't have your song, you can arrange it yourself, simply, and (iii) the tracks start cheap and get cheaper the more you use the App. How come? I've found I often use the same rhythms and song forms. When I select exactly the same combination for a new song the App recognises it has that already and doesn't download it again. It's a different track name in the App with a different title but the App must know it can use the same audio file. Smart. It is also performance-ready as far as the setlists and player go. So I just use this one App and it's fast and reliable for me during a performance. Totally love this app.

A unique arranger provides a lot of rhythmic support for little cost

Hilly - Tokyo for now. Plays guitar and piano and sings. Likes latin and classic rock and pop

Hilly Edding

HUNDREDS OF GREAT RHYTHMS. I find this app pretty unique in its approach to arranging. It's not the most comprehensive arranger available but it's unique in its simplicity. It really does allow for some pretty easy ways to arrange a track from simply matching on the track title to selecting a well-known song form. You can even enter song forms using "stick notation" (see their website or the inbuilt help screens). You then get an arrangement based on the sectional structure of the song with options for intros and endings as well. This works surprisingly well providing a track that really outlines the sections of the song including bridges and middle choruses as well. That's a lot of rhythm support for very little effort and cost. They sound very good as well. For a lot of tunes, that's all you need but for some tunes, you might also want drum breaks or different styles of drumming throughout the song. That's not what Song Rhythm Tracks does - not yet anyway. I've heard they are working on introducing breaks right now (now delivered in release 3.0). Still, there's never been a simpler or faster drum rhythm arranger as this and the player and setlists make it more usable than anything else. I love the hundreds of great rhythms.

Professional quality results, a simple approach with portable convenience

Ron - LA, USA. Plays guitar, mouth organ, piano and drums. Likes country, rock, jazz and blues

Ron Upton

PROFESSIONAL AND USABLE. This App is incredible. I totally underestimated how good it is. The quality of the backing tracks is truly professional - professional, talented drumming, professional audio, professional arrangements. Coupled with that, I've never had an app like this before where it works so well keeping all the tracks in a table and being able to organise them into playlists. You can even play the entire list of tracks with one keypress. Incredible. I still can't get over that there isn't anything else left to do. It just works great! There are 4 included "factory" tracks that are OK. The Jazz and Blues Sampler app has 23 decent tunes included. These are good to evaluate the app but the real power comes from using it to arrange your own songs/tracks. There's nothing simpler than this. You won't believe it. I've created some of my own arrangements with 10+ choruses which is how our group plays. I carry it around with me on my iPhone and have it on an old iPad as well, which is good for our jamming. Still works on the old iPad. No problem with speed. Just start with the [ Jazz and Blues Sampler ] app and then add any tracks you want later. There are 1000s of rhythms to choose from - good ones too. There is nothing else out there anything like this App - it's nothing like the silly MIDI *dumb* machines. It's real quality, professional, and usable. Recommended.

An understated wonder is a wolf in sheep's clothing with ultimate usability

Wendy - Florence, Italy. Plays guitar, and clarinet. Likes classical music and classic popular, folk, latin, jazz and blues, particularly on the clarinet!

Wendy Nonereally

WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. My experience is similar to the other poster. This App, at first glance, seems bland and uninspiring, but it is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It's the very essence of UNDERSTATEMENT - like Braun or B&O. No flashing lights. No gimmicks. Just GREAT DESIGN and a TOTAL RETHINK as regards USABILITY. The backing tracks are the best imaginable and ready in no time at all. They really do sound like a drummer is playing the ACTUAL SONG. I don't know how they achieve that without knowing everything about the song. It's uncanny.

because they take up so much of your time and don't sound that inspirational anyway. It's not like that with these Song Rhythm Tracks. 30 secs tops and they sound just great. No duds. The organisation and playing of tracks aren't mentioned much but it's brilliant and so understated. You don't need to use another player. The inbuilt player is a 'musicians' player - big buttons, quality speed variation which persists to your next play. Here's another big thing that isn't mentioned very much. You always can see the arrangement on the screen, so you know what you will be playing along to. And it's in musician's language which is just what you want. Great. Most of my tracks I haven't had to arrange as I've found one using the inbuilt search feature. I've arranged a couple though and it was so easy. There really isn't anything else like this. Super simply arranging. Great sound. Total Understatement. I just love it - even on my iPod Touch! I play a lot of Latin Rhythms and they have them all. And they sound so authentic. I totally recommend this App to people who care about music and sound and aren't looking for a flashing-lights-toy, but rather something that will satisfy for the rest of your life. Real Quality is so rare, but this is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

A musician's arranger that talks your language

Ele' - Melbourne, Australia. Plays piano. Like jazz, blues and latin.

Ele' P

A MUSICIAN'S ARRANGER - That's what I call this App. Why? Because the problem with everything else I've seen is that we musician's use one language when we speak of our arrangements and the App always speaks another language. When you sit down with your buddy musos and someone calls a tune, what do you say? You might say let's play this or that tune, and if you've all played it together before everyone will know how it is arranged. But if it is not a tune you've all played together before, what then? I expect the leader will call the tempo to be used - medium-fast say and perhaps the feel also - Bossa or Reggae or whatever and whether there'll be an intro or you go straight in from the top. You might agree on the number of choruses then as well and perhaps the order of solos as well. Well, it is that sort of language you want from your backing tracks as well. You want to know if there's an intro and if so how long it is. You want to know the number of choruses, so you decide on the solos etc. and you'll want to know about the tempo and the rhythmic style. That's the sort of information you get with this App and it's how you 'arrange' your tracks as well - in musician's language - not in flashing lights and weird controls - just plain English musician's arrangement language. As you scroll through the list of tracks, each track has its arrangement spelt out like that, for example - 8-bars intro, 6 choruses of 16-bar tune with a 4-bar ending using this rhythm at that tempo. That makes sense to me and other musicians and is the sort of language that would be used between us as we play together. That's why I call this App a 'musicians' arranger.

Song Rhythm Tracks

Song Rhythm Tracks are a new type of backing track composed entirely of rhythmic backing (no melody or harmony) arranged to the musical form of the song — it’s “songform”. These tracks are complete performances like one gets from a professional drummer. They have a count-in, introduction section, choruses and characteristic endings, framed by fills showing where sections start and end. Even musical bridges and middle choruses have higher intensity where appropriate to the style. Things are kept simple by doing away with the traditional arranger’s interface. One can select a track in under 30 seconds - under 15 seconds once one gets the hang of it.

The App’s player has tempo adjustment and a facility to sequence the tracks for your gig or jam session. It is for musicians of all abilities. New musicians use the App to provide an accompaniment to songs. They get a rhythm that is sympathetic so they learn to keep time, get into the groove and internalise the song’s musical structure – All this while enjoying engaging and inspiring rhythms. Gigging musicians catalogue their backing into setlists and use it to guide performance. Having quality rhythmic backing, with a setlist facility and a musician’s player, all in the one App is so convenient one finds oneself using this rhythmic backing more and more.

Song Rhythm Tracks are truly high-quality rhythmic backing that is convenient to select and play. You are not going to get tired of these backing tracks. You are not going to have to sequence anything. You will find that the player and setlist’s user interface encourages continued use. You will get to appreciate the form of your songs more and you might include these tracks into your own single and album releases. Don’t be put off by experiences with other mobile drumming Apps. Song Rhythm Tracks are something different.

Whether you are learning a new tune, jamming, gigging or cutting your latest album, this Song Rhythm Tracks provides a solution.

Check out samples of the audio at Alive Drumming’s Samples page

Check out these articles from Alive Drumming that give further insights into the thinking behind the product,

“How to practice, then how to jam”

“When to work on your rhythm?”

“Why songform with rhythm tracks?”

Download the Song Rhythm Tracks App on the Apple App Store

Try Alive Drumming’s sampler apps to sample previously arranged tracks of popular tunes. It is then easy to use the app to adjust these to your practice and performance requirements. All the sampler apps are the same Song Rhythm Tracks app but with the included sample tracks.

Jazz and Blues Sampler

Afro-Cuban Sampler

Country Music Sampler

#arranger #backing music #innovator #Song Rhythm Tracks #usability #Alive Drumming #iOS App - Song Rhythm Tracks #Musicianship #Practice #Rhythmic Styles #SRT iOS App'

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gltsmoking · 2 years

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"I Thought About You"

Performed by Diane Schuur on the 1993 release "Love Songs"

A breathtaking performance on all levels. Dynamic vocalist and pianist Diane Schuur ("Deedles") is chilling, smoothly wafting vocal phrasing from the soul in this beautiful big band arrangement by Tom Scott of a standard written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Mercer in 1939. The production quality of this piece—for that matter, the entire album—is amazing; I'd call it pristine, and it is impeccably executed by a host of notable talent, including the great Hubert Laws on flute. (see complete listing below)

But, Schuur's vocals! Oh my! And, the meaty growl of the upright bass... And that flute solo! I'm in love!

Diane Schuur—vocals, Tom Scott—all saxes, Hubert Laws—flute, Chuck Domanico—bass, Roger Kellaway—piano, Will Kennedy—drums.

Produced by Tom Scott with Lynne Scott as the associate producer.

#Youtube #diane schuur #jazz #big band #music #tom scott #hubert laws #Jazz #musicianship #jazz vocalist #love songs #I Thought About You #jimmy van heusen #johnny mercer #Lynne Scott #jazz arrangements #saxophone #brass #jazz flute

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crisishauntline · 5 months

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Today I talked to my friend about her dying relationship. She asked me if I see growth in my life or just the same patterns repeating. I said that they often come together, like when practicing a piece of music.

As you learn a piece, there are parts you sail through easily, and trickier parts where you stumble. If you are unwilling or afraid to confront the parts that most challenge you, you will always stumble on them, no matter how fast or how well you can play the rest. That is a pattern repeating without growth.

The only way to master the piece is to pinpoint those few measures where you need to pay more attention, slow them down, and repeat and repeat them—hands separately, hands together, a little faster each time—until you fully understand those measures both in your mind and your muscle memory. Still, you're not done. You slow down again and smooth the transitions into and out of those challenging areas—add another measure or two one either side, repeat and repeat, a little faster each time—until you can play the whole piece without stumbling. Even then, you are not done, because you never are. But you are ready to make music. And more ready to make music from the next piece you learn, and the next, and the next.

That is a pattern repeating, and it is growth.

Recurring mistakes and challenges are not evidence of some deep failing or deficiency within you. They just tell you where you need a little more practice.

#personal #love life #mental health #self compassion #music #compassionate reminders #musicianship

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grumpygrans · 8 months

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The Importance of Play-Along Tracks in Music Practice

The Australian Government recognises the significance and value of music in fostering cultural expression and contributing to the economy.

In 2019, the music sector contributed $1.7 billion to the GDP, with potential for growth given the right platforms and practices, states the Government’s “Australian Music Industry” report.

One unique and influential aspect in bolstering this growth is play-along tracks.

Most people might associate these with an artist’s music recording process, but they offer profound enrichment to music learning and practice.

“Popular tools like Band In A Box and iReal Pro have been conducive but seem too formulaic to some. The real essence lies in playing along with masterful renditions of seasoned artists, offering joy and a priceless learning experience,”says music enthusiast, Flynn Lawson of YouTube To MP3.

The importance of play-along tracks in music practice:

1. Enhances Musical Skills

Play-along tracks help to sharpen various musical skills.

These tracks pave the way to practice rhythm, melody, and harmony in real-time, fostering an in-depth musical understanding.

The natural, dynamic feeling of performing alongside a talented musician’s rendition of a musical piece helps to hone the students’ interpretative skills and musical intuition.

2. Supports Self-Expression

Playing along with recordings of talented musicians allows one to connect personally with the music, fostering expressive capabilities.

It helps discover one’s unique musical voice, resonate with the piece’s emotion, and communicate these effectively through performance.

3. Aids in Fixing Mistakes

With play-along tracks, musicians identify and rectify their mistakes on the spot.

The immediate feedback helps players to detect off-beats, wrong notes, or other areas of improvement.

This instant detection and correction instil better playing habits and contributes to steady musical growth.

4. Promotes Versatility

Another critical advantage of play-along tracks is the exposure to different music styles.

Individual tracks will likely embody various genres, cultures, and traditions, thus coaxing musicians out of their comfort zones.

This versatile exposure broadens the musical vision and cultivates adaptability.

5. Rehearses Performance-like Scenarios

Play-along tracks re-create the vibe of a live performance.

Practising with these tracks helps musicians become accustomed to the performance dynamic – following the tempo, maintaining sync, and imparting feelings.

This role-play aids in confronting stage fright and boosts confidence when actually performing.

6. Provides Enjoyment and Motivation

Above all, playing along with recordings of talented musicians makes music practice so enjoyable.

It breaks the monotony of routine practice, injecting a thrill of playing with a virtual ‘band’.

This fun-filled learning stimulates enthusiasm and motivation, fostering a more profound love for the music.

Fine Tune Your Practice With NetTracks

NetTracks from Alive Drumming is the musician’s store for play-along tracks, with 1000s of high-quality tracks of artists’ recordings from Alive Drumming and other vendors. It is the ideal way to find, download and play great play-along tracks. The Apple app has helpful metadata, a superb audio player and setlists. Just what one needs to take advantage of the best play-along.

Alive Drumming is a hub for non-classical musicianship, offering various resources to enhance your understanding of contemporary songs and particularly their rhythms.

Explore rhythm recordings and experience the convenience of Song Rhythm Tracks through the NetTracks app.

Check out Alive Drumming at alivedrumming.com and elevate your music practice like never before. Rock, steady rhythms start there!

Contact Alive Drumming for more insights at [email protected]. They will guide you towards fulfilling your musical journey.

— Article from guest contributor Jude Young.

#learning #musicianship #NetTracks #Play-alongs #tutition

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alexanderlp · 1 year

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今日月曜日は、代官山タブローラウンジで荷揚げをします。プレ・バレンタイン・ナイト! お見逃しなく。Hoy lunes estaremos descargando en el Tableaux Lounge de Daikanyama. Pre valentines night! No te lo pierdas amigo. #アーティスト #ビート #ファッション #女性ミュージシャン #ギタリスト #インスタミュージック #インスタミュージシャン #地元のミュージシャン #愛 #musica #musician #musicianlife #musicians #musiciansdaily #musicianship #musicianslife #musiciansofinstagram #musicislife #musiclife #musicproduction #producer #singer #singersongwriter #singing #song #talentedmusicians (en Tableaux Lounge タブローズラウンジ) https://www.instagram.com/p/Col3wBeL3nu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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hezigler · 1 year

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Watch "Get Better At Music By Practicing Less" on YouTube

youtube

Practic better, not necessarily more.

#musical practice #practicing music #learning to play a musical instrument #musicians #musicianship #learning music

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ponderingrandomthings · 6 months

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youtube

One day, I will truly appreciate it at the level this music is played by these stunning musicians... (Till then, I will be ok with just enjoying it.)

#snarky puppy #musicianship #music #Youtube

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teledyn · 6 months

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"Then there's music that's right on the beat. Well, white people can do that. If it's on the beat they got you, and say, "That's my stuff!" If you get ahead of the beat or behind the beat they be talking about you and say it ain't even music, 'cause they can't play it. If you play on the beat you can forget it, you won't have a job. So stay ahead of the beat, something you can't count. Now, Lex Humphies [the drummer] is passive. He's thinking, "Everything is beautiful, 'cause I'm going to heaven when I die." So he's happy. But you don't believe that, you're restless. You look out at the world and you say, "Something's wrong with this stuff." Then you get so mad you can play it on your instrument. Play some fire on it. If you're not mad at the world you don't have what it takes. The world lacks for warriors. You have to prepare yourself accordingly."

-- Sun Ra

#sun ra #musicianship #warrior cats

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wordgoods · 1 year

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Verse Similar to how paragraphs are the body of a letter or essay, the Verse is like a stanza in poetry. The length is usually larger than the rest of the components. Though not all Verses have a rhyme scheme, it is characteristic for Verses to follow a 'AABB' or 'ABAB' format. -> Click here for examples.

Chorus An independent section which is usually repeated, with identical harmonic and melodic structure. The lyrics of the Chorus often contain the song's lyrical hook, which serves to make the tune more recognizable and, in many cases, coerce the audience to sing along. It is worthwhile noting that both the Chorus and Pre-Chorus can be exchanged for Drop and Pre-Drop, respectively, for electronic tracks. -> Click here for examples.

Refrain A Refrain is a line or set of lines that repeat at the end of each Verse. The refrain can often be confused with the Chorus. A Refrain is a repeated section of the verse. A Chorus (or a Pre-Chorus) will have a distinct change in "feel" that separates itself from the Verse. In fact, many songs with a refrain do NOT have a chorus; of course, there are always exceptions. -> Click here for examples.

Bridge Essentially there is a point in song when it completely changes, sounding both melodically and/or lyrically different before it transitions back into original form. It can appear anywhere and rarely appears more than once. -> Click here for examples.

Intro An Intro always appears at the beginning of the song or Part, though not all songs will include an Intro. They are often instrumentals with no words but sometimes there are people talking or buildup involved. Depending on the genre, there are many variations. Only add the Intro header if dialogue is present. -> Click here for examples.

Outro An Outro always appears at the end of the song or Part, though not all songs will include an Outro. Lyrically, the section is represented by either repeating a line as the track fades out or repeating a section of a Chorus or Verse, sometimes with a slight change in the lyrics to indicate a resolution to the song's climax. Outros can also be seemingly-random dialogue. Only add the Outro header if dialogue is present. -> Click here for examples.

Pre-Chorus An often-repeated, semi-independent section that appears between the Verse and Chorus. The Pre-Chorus differs both musically and lyrically from both the Verse and the Chorus, but always appears in conjunction with the Chorus. This is also colloquially referred to as the "build" or "climb." It is worthwhile noting that both the Chorus and Pre-Chorus can be exchanged for Drop and Pre-Drop, respectively, for electronic tracks. -> Click here for examples.

Post-Chorus A semi-independent section that works inversely to the Pre-Chorus, serving to link the Chorus to a succeeding Verse. A Post-Chorus differs both musically and lyrically from the Verse, Pre-Chorus, and Chorus, but always appears in conjunction with the Chorus. On occasion, a Post-Chorus will also double as a lyrical and/or musical Outro. -> Click here for examples.

Interlude Similar to a Bridge, an Interlude is an instrumental or lyrical section which introduces a different feel than any other previous part of song. Like a Bridge, they are used to connect different sections of a song that does not follow a standard song structure. This is not to be mistaken with a Segue which connect two different songs within one track. All spoken-word Bridges are Interludes. -> Click here for examples.

Segues & Parts A Segue is a musical, lyrical, or spoken passage that is used to connect two distinct entities---sometimes whole songs---within a single track using a non-standard structure.

Instrumental Instrumentals on the other hand are when groups play without vocalists and either coordinate in symphonies or jam together. -> Click here for examples.

Instrumental Break Breaks involve instruments or percussion being played between different sections to help create variety in the arrangement or build up to the next Verse or Chorus.

Solos Solos are Instrumental sections where a single performer shows off an improvised or written, extended melody, showcasing their talent. More often than not, a specific instrument rises above the others, hence there could be a [Guitar Solo], [Drum Solo], or [Saxophone Solo]. -> Click here for examples.

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