Basic Music Theory – What Makes a Song?

A song is a simple musical composition meant to be played by the vocal part of the body. This is frequently done in constant and varied pitches with varying patterns of silence and sound. Songs have different types, including those with the repeated and varied application of basic parts like chords, scales, and modes. Many people can play songs, as long as they know the basics of song structure and arrangement, which is based on four basic components – melody, harmony, rhythm and instrumentation.

To help you better understand this article we are going to look at some basic examples in which each of the four components of a song is explored. In the main article we looked at the melody, which is also called the main theme or a ‘hook’, that provides the background for the rest of the song’s lyrics and melody. In the second main article we looked at how music differs between verse and chorus, which are the main difference between the two parts of a song.

The third article looked at the differences between the two parts of a song, which is the verses and the chorus. Verse is usually repeated while the chorus is not repeated. Next we looked at the use of a refrain in a song and how it differs from a simple lyric which uses repetition. The fourth article looked at the use of a minor key in a song verses a major key. Finally, we looked at another very common feature, the use of an instrumental break. This can be useful when the lyrics are fast paced and the instrumental sounds dramatic but can be used if you want a more relaxed tempo for your song.