Understanding Song Forms
Helping students to understand the existence of, and correctly identify song forms and structure in popular music
Fun music classroom sessions with lots of directed listening helps develop a useful skill that assists with the study of existing tracks and with the composition of original music
The vast majority of "hit" singles over the last seventy years or so have been based on one of the following three song forms
No matter what stage a student is at with regard to a knowledge of music theory they will benefit from being able to understand common popular music song forms (AAA, AABA and AB)
How to analyse song structure

Part of our download is made up of handouts (featured on the graphics on this page) which introduce the idea of analysing songform as well as individual sheets covering each of the three main song-forms and common variations to those forms
Below you can see one of the documents which sets out to provide students with an "overview" of the standard method of analysing the structure of songs


The AAA Song Form
The AAA song form is the least used of the three forms and has its origins in Folk Music and usually features a "hook" either at the beginning or the end of the A section and these type of songs do not have a chorus or "middle eight"
Even though this form is hardly ever used these days explaining how it works and allowing your students to hear a couple of examples of it is a great an effective and simple way of introducing them to the idea of song forms
There are very few successful examples of this form but a few that you could play to your students are "By The Time I get To Phoenix" By Glen Campbell
The song features the hook ("By the time I get to.....") at the beginning of each A section After you have played them the song it can be a good idea to count them into what they hear as the hook and I find it fun to tell them the hook is the part of a song that drunks would sing on the way home from a bar (obviously this may not be suitable in your situation)
Download all of the resources that you see on this website (including the song form ones shown on this page) for a single "one off" payment of $18.00
A Lifetime supply of printable classroom resources for less than the price of a single paper text book
$18.00
AAA Song Form Example:
"By The Time I Get To Phoenix"
AAA Song Form Example:
"I Walk The Line"
Another AAA song that you may like to play your students is "I Walk The Line" by Johnny Cash
This time the hook ("Because You're Mine I Walk The Line") comes at the end of each A section

The AABA Song Form"
The AABA song structure is more popular than the AAA form although it still trails well behind the AB songform covered further down this page in terms of how many recent hits have conformed to it The form is often used for ballads and is derived from stage shows and musicals as we will see the songform (two A sections followed by a B section and then another A section) did not need to take up a lot of time. There is no chorus in the AABA form
AABA Song Form Example:
"Saving All My Love For You" by Whitney Houston
In the song below the hook is at the end of the A section Like just about all other AABA songs once the song-form has been established (when it has progressed through the AABA form to the end of the third A section) the arrangement provides a (sax) solo and then the "roll out" of the song combines material drawn from the A and B sections with some development of the vocal hook ("saving all my love for you")
AABA Song Form Example:
"Great Balls Of Fire"
by Jerry Lee Lewis
Although the vast majority of AABA songs are ballads here is a (short!) uptempo Rock and Roll classic from Jerry Lee Lewis that follows the AABA form before featuring the common arranging device of a solo followed by a repeat of the B section of the song

The AB Song Form"
This songform (often wrongly referred to as the "verse-chorus" song-form) is by far the most popular and successful song form of the last seventy years. It is worth making your students aware of the fact that although this is the most common song-form there are many variations of it and that it is as well to remember this "general rule"
AB songs tend to start with combinations of A and B sections (most commonly but not always verses followed by choruses) until about two thirds of the way through the arrangement when "something happens" That "something" can be a solo, a C section (often featuring a key change), a "breakdown" oe a bridge
Following on from this the song resumes with combinations of A and B sections that often feature the "hook" of the song heavily but presented in different ways to how it was heard in the early part of the arrangement

Below you can see one of the handouts that students can use to gain insight into the structure of this (perhaps the most) common song form

AB Song Form Example:
"Perfect" by Fairground Attraction
The Fairground attraction song "Perfect" is a nice simple AB song to get your students started
AB Song Form Example:
"Don't Dream Its Over"
by Crowded House
Variations to The AB Song Form Example:
"Maneater"
by Hall And Oates
A common variation to the AB Song Form can be found in tracks such as this one where there are two A sections (verses in this case) before the first B section (chorus)
Variations to The AB Song Form Example:
"Lyin Eyes"
by The Eagles
A much less common variation can be found in the (very long for a single!) Eagles hit "Lyin Eyes" where there are three verses before the chorus kicks in
$18.00
Our "one click" download consists of more than 300 professionally prepared handouts that can be printed over and over again for less than the price of a single paper textbook!
Variations to The AB Song Form Example:
"That'll Be the Day"
by Buddy Holly
This song features the chorus as the A section (the first thing you hear) This is a very common variation and it can be useful to ask your class group to identify other songs which feature the same device
These resources are especially designed to make life easier for classroom music or instrumental teachers who need to get theoretical ideas over to students.
The handouts have been put together so that the same basic ground can be covered with differing levels of graphic support (some handouts feature keyboards and have space for letter names while others aimed at more advanced students rely on a more conventional musical stave approach).
They are designed so that a single music educator might work with all ability levels within a single session. challenging the more able learners whilst supporting those who are not so familiar with the concepts and material under study
musicteachingresources.com is a new sister site of the already well established guitar and bass teacher's resources website teachwombat.com
DOWNLOAD 400+ Music Theory PDF Worksheets NOW!
A lifetime of re-usable resources for only $18.00
$18.00
How to access your simple "one click" download
Buy your music teaching resources in complete safety via any major credit card (through paypal) or directly through your paypal account if you have one. If you choose to use a credit card, rest assured that we never see your credit card details as paypal do all of that for us.
When Paypal receive your payment you will be immediately invited to click a
"RETURN TO MERCHANT"button.
You will be taken to a page from where you can download the products that you have paid for NOW!
In the (rare) event that something should go wrong with the order/download process just email me at robh@teachwombat.com
I will check the order and send you the links that will get you to your stuff.
Cheers! Rob!