What are the Parameters of "Popular" Song Forms?

[gongchime]

I have this idea to delineate all of the possible song forms for most of the popular styles of music such as Rock, Pop, Hip Hop, Dance, etc... AABA forms used in Blues and Jazz are not considered since they are not "pop" based genres. Yes, I like them, listen to them, play them and compose for them but that's not what I'm talking about right now.I'm good at exploring all of the permutations hence the following list. Just want to run them by you and hoping you'll tell me which ones you think might not belong or are just unworkable. Assumptions:"I" would stand for "Intro" which for the amateur composer/songwriter trying to break in should probably not exceed 4 measures under any circumstances unless it's just absolutely hooky, hooky hooky then you might be able to justify 8 measures if true professionals are recommending it. In any event the inclusion of the intro is assumed and probably should not left out under any circumstances either. Therefore its not necessary to show in the formulas since we know it's already there."V" is for verse and most likely contains 2 phrases of either 2 bars each or 4 bars each. Most likely 4 bars each for a total of eight which is standard. It may also represent a double verse, although that is probably suicide for amateur songwriters/composers trying to break in becauuse you don't want to keep those execs waiting for the big payoff in the chorus. They probably won't wait that long for it to finally roll around after a double verse."C" is for Chorus. The same criteria apply as for the Verse except that a double chorus is much more possible. "T" is for transition and may be 2 to 4 measures in length usually, and may also represent a build/prechorus which is similar but not the same (as you probably already know). "B" is for Bridge and represents 2 phrases for a total of 8 measures for the Bridge section in the "forumula" situation being portrayed.The following list could be a good starting point for composing an entire album so that the forms of each song on the CD would all be different and not all: Intro Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Bridge Chorus\Outro. Or an extra Verse thrown in after the bridge for:Intro Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Bridge Verse Chorus\OutroThe reason there is a slash before the Outro is because a tune may have a definite ending at the end of the last Chorus and not fade or have some extra ending material. It's assumed the Outro is optional.I have shown the existence of the Intro and the Outro for the first three forms just to reveal the overall pattern. Also, I always include the Outro if a transition precedes it, because you shouldn't end a tune with a transition in all probability.This list also does not show situations when the Chorus occurs before the Verse which would double the length of this list and also something you should not do as an amateur breaking in unless it's got a hook that won't quit and truly professional counsel is recommending it.It must also be realized that the more transitions intervening between all the verses and choruses, the faster the song has to be to come in under the 3 and a half minute rule for radio airplay. The final example in particular of VTCTVTCTBTVTCTO is probably just theoretical nonsense entirely.Of course not all popular songs need to be aimed at radio. Lots of great tunes longer than 6 minutes in which case more of these examples would be viable. I'd like to know where people think at which point they truly become nonviable.Think of these items as all of the possible combinations of amino acids in the genetic code. On with the list;IVCVCBC/OIVTCVCBC/OIVCTVCBC/OVCVTCBCVCVCTBCVCVCBTCVCVCBCTOVTCTVCBCVTCVTCBCVTCVCTBCVTCVCBTCVTCVCBCTOVCTVTCBCVCTVCTBCVCTVCBTCVCTVCBCTOVCVTCTBCVCVTCBTCVCVTCBCTOVCVCTBTCVCVCTBCTOVCVCBTCTOVTCTVTCBCBTCTVCTBCVTCVTCBTOVCTVTCBTOVTCTVTCBTOStarting to include a verse after the bridge before the last chorus.VCVCBVCVTCVCBVCVCTVCBVCVCVTCBVCVCVCTBVCVCVCBTVCVCVCBVTCVCVCBVCTOVTCTVCBVCVTCVTCBVCVTCVCTBVCVTCVCBTVCVTCVCBVTCVTCVCBVCTOVCTVTCBVCVCTVCTBVCVCTVCBTVCVCVTCBVCTOVCVCTBTVCVCVCTBVTCVCVCTBVCTOVCTVCBVTCVCTVCBVCTOVCVTCTBVCVCVTCBTVCVCVTCBVTCVTCTVTCBVCVTCTVCTBVCVTCTVCBTVCVTCTVCBVTCVTCTVCBVCTOVCTVTCTBVCVCTVTCBTVCVCTVTCBVTCVCTVTCBVCTVCVTCTBTVCVCVTCTBVTCVCVTCTBVCTVCVCTBTVTCVCVCTBTVCTOVCVCBTVTCTOVTCTVTCTBVCVTCTVTCBTVCVTCTVTCBVTCVTCTVTCBVCTOVCTVTCTBTVCVCTVTCTBVTCVCTVTCTBVCTOVCTCTBTVTCVCVTCTBTVCTOVTCTVTCTBTVCVTCTVTCTBVTCOVTCTVTCTBVCTOVCTVTCTBTVCVCTVTCTBTVCTOVTCTVTCTBTVTCVTCTVTCTBTVCTOVCTVTCBTVTCTOVTCTVTCTBTVTCTOO.K. That's all. Next up, possible phrase lengths and number of phrases possible within each section.

[gongchime]

Continuing somewhat in this vein have a look at a scholarly journal article on tempos of western music:http://www.ipem.ugent.be/staff/dirk/pub ... ered.pdfIt says that the "Existence" region is between 40 and 300 beats per minutes(bpm). A different article defined the reasonable range between 35 and 130bpm for a human percussionist. The article in the link above says the "optimum" range for listeners and performers is between 81 and 162bpm which corresponds with the range of different people's walking speeds. 2/3ds of all music is in this range. More specifically, they say that over 120 bpm is the "preferred" range for most listeners and performers. Songs over 120 bpm are more often performed and listened to. The absolute peak of preference is 125 beats per minute. They go on to give data that says for radio music the mean is 116.4bpm. The median is 117.9bpm. The mode is 123bpm. And 81% of music on the radio is between 81 and 162bpm. Other data says that popular music's mean is 115.5bpm. The median is 116.8bpm and the mode is 124bpm. Also, 82.1% of popular music is between 81 and 162bpm.

[Casey H]

Quote:On with the list;IVCVCBC/OIVTCVCBC/OIVCTVCBC/OVCVTCBCVCVCTBCVCVCBTCVCVCBCTOVTCTVCBCVTCVTCBCVTCVCTBCVTCVCBTCVTCVCBCTOVCTVTCBCVCTVCTBCVCTVCBTCVCTVCBCTOVCVTCTBCVCVTCBTCVCVTCBCTOVCVCTBTCVCVCTBCTOVCVCBTCTOVTCTVTCBCBTCTVCTBCVTCVTCBTOVCTVTCBTOVTCTVTCBTOStarting to include a verse after the bridge before the last chorus.VCVCBVCVTCVCBVCVCTVCBVCVCVTCBVCVCVCTBVCVCVCBTVCVCVCBVTCVCVCBVCTOVTCTVCBVCVTCVTCBVCVTCVCTBVCVTCVCBTVCVTCVCBVTCVTCVCBVCTOVCTVTCBVCVCTVCTBVCVCTVCBTVCVCVTCBVCTOVCVCTBTVCVCVCTBVTCVCVCTBVCTOVCTVCBVTCVCTVCBVCTOVCVTCTBVCVCVTCBTVCVCVTCBVTCVTCTVTCBVCVTCTVCTBVCVTCTVCBTVCVTCTVCBVTCVTCTVCBVCTOVCTVTCTBVCVCTVTCBTVCVCTVTCBVTCVCTVTCBVCTVCVTCTBTVCVCVTCTBVTCVCVTCTBVCTVCVCTBTVTCVCVCTBTVCTOVCVCBTVTCTOVTCTVTCTBVCVTCTVTCBTVCVTCTVTCBVTCVTCTVTCBVCTOVCTVTCTBTVCVCTVTCTBVTCVCTVTCTBVCTOVCTCTBTVTCVCVTCTBTVCTOVTCTVTCTBTVCVTCTVTCTBVTCOVTCTVTCTBVCTOVCTVTCTBTVCVCTVTCTBTVCTOVTCTVTCTBTVTCVTCTVTCTBTVCTOVCTVTCBTVTCTOVTCTVTCTBTVTCTO and VTBP...Sorry, Vicki and Gong... Just couldn't resist the joke... Casey