12.1: Verse-Chorus Form
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)12.1 Verse-Chorus Form
The Verse-Chorus form is arguably the most common musical form of present day popular music and is probably familiar to most readers of this text. In Verse-Chorus form, the chorus contains the “hook”—the memorable refrain—while the verse typically contains less memorable melodic material. A clear example can be found in the 1985 song “We Are the World.”
| 0:00–0:26 | Introduction, 6 bars |
| 0:26–0:53 | Verse 1, 8 bars |
| 0:53–1:18 | Verse 2, 8 bars |
| 1:18–1:49 | Chorus, 9 bars |
| 1:49–2:14 | Verse 3, 8 bars |
| 2:14–2:41 | Chorus, 8 bars |
| 2:41–3:08 | Bridge, 8 bars |
| 3:08–3:35 | Chorus, 8 bars |
| 3:35–4:02 | Chorus, 8 bars ending with key change |
| 4:02–end | Chorus, 7 times in F major with fade out |
Common additions to the Verse-Chorus form, beside the bridge, are the pre-chorus and post-chorus.
| 0:00–0:25 | Introduction, 12 bars |
| 0:25–0:42 | Verse 1, 8 bars |
| 0:42–0:58 | Pre-chorus, 8 bars |
| 0:58–1:23 | Chorus, 12 bars |
| 1:23–1:31 | Post-chorus, 4 bars |
| 1:31–1:39 | Interlude, 4 bars |
| 1:39–1:56 | Verse 2, 8 bars |
| 1:56–2:12 | Pre-chorus, 8 bars |
| 2:12–2:37 | Chorus, 12 bars |
| 2:37–2:45 | Post-chorus, 4 bars |
| 2:45–3:02 | Guitar solo, 8 bars |
| 3:02–3:10 | Interlude, 4 bars |
| 3:10–3:26 | Verse 3, 8 bars |
| 3:26–3:42 | Pre-chorus, 8 bars |
| 3:42–4:37 | Chorus, 21 bars |
It is worth noting that there may disagreement about labeling sections in a form. One person may call a section a “pre-chorus,” another may call it a “first chorus,” while another may call it “verse part b.” There is ambiguity in naming sections and disagreement is to be expected.
There are “simple” and “contrasting” verse-chorus forms. A simple verse-chorus form has the same harmonic progression for the verse and chorus (e.g., “All About That Bass”). The chord progressions for the verse and chorus are different in a contrasting verse-chorus form like “We Are the World.”