Song Structure

Each jazz song is structured in a given way so that soloists may improvise more easily. Indeed, most tunes and jazz standards have a short form which can be repeated (called a chorus). Typically, every time a chorus is repeated, there will be some changes in the arrangement. The structure of a chorus can vary from one song to the other, but generally stays the same throughout the song (except during key moments such as the intro, ending, and may sometimes have breaks between choruses).

In dance, we calculate the amount of counts in each chorus by groups of eights (8) since this is generally how we count the dance. In music, however, we count the structure in bars which are composed of 4 counts. So, in music, when we say a song is 32 bars, in dance we say that the song is 16 x 8. To convert music to dance, we divide the number of bars by two, and that’s the number of eights. To convert dance to music, we multiply the number of eights by two, and that’s the number of bars. Easy.

AABA

The most popular structure for a chorus is AABA. The chorus is normally 16 x 8s and is divided in four (4) sections of 4 x 8s. Each section is labelled with a letter (A, A, B, and A). As you might have guessed, the A’s are similar harmonically and B is a contrasting section. We can picture the AABA structure as a narrative: A (initial situation), A (reinforcing the initial situation), B (contrasting event, tension, problem), A (resolution, back to the initial situation). Composers will often use this structure to write their melodies, which typically evolve in a similar way as a narrative. When counting a song, we have to be mindful of the intro and the ending, which do not count as part of the AABA structure. There might also be breaks between choruses lasting anywhere between 1 x 8 to 4 x 8. This is especially important when selecting music for competitions, which typically requires the structure to be consistent throughout the song.

A

A

B

A

8

8

8

8

• A — Main theme / verse
• B — Bridge / contrasting section

Blues

The blues structure is also widely used in swing music. It is composed of 6 x 8s and the harmony is more-or-less always the same. It is the improviser and arranger’s structure of choice since all musicians are familiar with it and can easily improvise over it or arrange it quickly. For these reasons, Count Basie was known for using the blues structure to its full potential.

I

IV

I

V

IV

I

4

2

2

1

1

2

• I — Tonic chord
• IV — Subdominant chord
• V — Dominant chord

Other

There are many variations of the previously mentioned structures such as ABAB, ABAC and the 8-bar blues, just to name a few. These musical structures are a lot less used, however. There are also compositions which do not follow any apparent structure and which can be tough to count.