What Are Song Sections?

Song sections can be confusing. Sometimes the terms can get mixed up (is it called a pre-chorus or a bridge?) or certain songs can work to free themselves of the definition of sections. Here is a guide to understanding song sections so you can use them effectively and break the rules as you like.

Verse:

• Telling the story
• Can also be describing the emotion
• Lots of descriptions, imagery and metaphors
• Often more “showing” than “telling”
• Can be the conflict point of the song

Pre-Chorus:

• May not occur in every song
• Section comes before the Chorus
• Bridges the gap between the Verse (the conflict) and the Chorus (the resolution)
• Usually quite short, sometimes even just one line
• Usually moves upward in the melody and stays unresolved, leading to the Chorus

Chorus:

• The main idea and emotion of the song
• Can resolve the conflict in the Verse
• The title of the song is almost always in the Chorus
• Usually a lot more “telling” than “showing”
• Often is the highest point of the song in terms of melody

Post-Chorus:

• If the title of the song is not in the Chorus, it might be in the Post-Chorus
• Usually a shorter, repetitive section
• Might repeat the title of the song several times
• Might not have the higher notes that a Chorus might have
• Always comes after the Chorus
• Might be more instrumental than other sections

Bridge:

• Usually comes after the second Chorus
• A new part of the song, often harmonically different
• Often has a new angle of the story or emotion in the song
• Can also be just another Verse (a song with three Verses)
• Can be an instrumental solo or vocal “oohs/ahhs/etc.”
• Can have notes even higher than the Chorus for peak emotion
• Sometimes ends with a Pre-Chorus to lead back into the Chorus