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I learned this method from Nancy Howland Walker, a very talented improviser and teacher currently based in Chicago (she's the brains behind MUSICAL! the Musical, an improvised musical theater piece that critics hailed as one of Chicago's top shows in 1998). When I was at the 2000 Chicago Improv Festival, Nancy graciously allowed me to spend an entire day with her, observing (and sometimes playing) while she taught this method in several workshops.The graphics (such as they are -- hey, I'm a musician, not a web designer!) represent the various components of each song structure. The little squiggly lines inside each box or circle each represent one line of the song, and the letters following the squiggly lines give you possible rhyme schemes to consider. Clicking on any graphic in the diagrams below will give you a fast-loading, lo-fi audio example of the song element represented by that graphic. Listen to how the verses, choruses, etc., fit together to tell a story or make a point. Note that although the rhyme schemes vary from one song to the next, they are always consistent within the same song. If you haven't done so already, read the page on song improvisation for a more in-depth discussion on how the parts of a song work together.
The Fine Print: This method and the musical examples that go with it are not my intellectual property. Regarding the method, Nancy gave me permission to use it, provided I give her credit as the originator - thanks, Nancy! As for the musical examples, the best way to understand how these structures work is to apply them to well-known popular songs. I offer this method and the examples that go with it in the spirit of learning, and I'm trusting that the use of this material, in this context, will be considered to be educational. It's not my intent to profit from anyone else's work; I'm just trying to advance the use of music in improv. Click here to email me if there are any problems or concerns.
VERSE-VERSE
This is the simplest of song structures. It fits well when working in a style of folk music, or folk-inspired pop songs. The musical example used here is "California Dreaming" by the Mamas & the Papas. Clicking on each box will allow you to hear a verse. In this example, each line of the verse is 4 bars long. There are a couple interesting things to look for here; first, notice how each verse ends with the same line (the thesis of the song) similar to the "Tag Line" structure below. Also, note that in this song, the rhyme scheme is A-A-A-A -- literally! Every single line in this song ends in the sound of "ay," which is difficult at best, and nearly impossible to do well -- yet John Phillips makes it seem as easy as falling off a log. This is great song-writing, folks -- check it out!
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VERSE-CHORUS
Here, the verse will handle your exposition and the chorus will provide the "hook" of your main idea. Two main points: a) be consistent with rhyme schemes so that all of your verses rhyme the same way, and b) to keep the chorus simple and memorable -- not only so your audience will find it catchy, but so you can remember it when you have to repeat it later in the song! The musical example here is "Mama Told Me Not To Come" by Three Dog Night. The lines within each verse and chorus are 2 bars long.
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VERSE-CHORUS-BRIDGE
As above, you will use your verses for exposition, and your chorus will provide the main idea of the song. However, in this structure, you will add a bridge before your last chorus. This bridge must satisfy two criteria: a) lyrically, it must provide a "twist" or some sort of additional information that will drive the song into the final chorus, and b) musically, it must be significantly different from the verse and the chorus in terms of melody and/or phrasing. The musical example used here is "Soul Man" by Sam and Dave. The lines of the verses, the chorus and the bridge of this song are all only 2 bars long. Note the chorus, which is simplicity itself -- just one line, repeated four times.
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TAG
LINE
This structure is old school; it was used extensively in popular music in the '30s, '40s and '50s. There's no chorus here; instead, the last line of each verse acts as your hook. This is your tag line, and it's the same in every verse. As above, the bridge is musically and lyrically different from the verse, and it gives an extra bit of information to drive the song into the final verse, which again gives the tag line. Note that the first three lines of each verse have the same rhyme, but the tag line doesn't have to rhyme with the rest of the lines (it can, as in California Dreaming above, but normally it does not). The musical example is "The Lady is a Tramp" by Ella Fitzgerald and the lines of the verses are 4 bars long. Note that the final verse breaks the pattern because: a) it's is only two lines long, and b) the first line rhymes with the tag line.
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