Most common song structure for "rap" got zero on the search.

I konw i know, its a not a right or wrong way to make a song... i know this and truly i make my ish how i want it to be..

but i'm askin more to have that knowledge cuz i MORE knowledge never hurts right? it can only benefit a body... and yeah i tried the search but nohthing that answers my question came up..

I want to know what exactly is a song?

my version of it is this:

intro - 20 sec's or usually its my sample w/o drums...
main beat - bout a min or two dependin on the emcee and its usually my sample wit drums on it..
hook/chorus - whatever the length of my sample, in basics its my intro sample again w/o the drums..
main beat AGAIN- 1min-2min
hook/chorus AGANI
endtro - usually my intro sample wit an endin vocal chop on it...

so far i have not had any complaints but at the same time i see now how basic and ametuerish my vision is..

not even countin wheni read posts on here talkin bout the chorus this, 20 bars that.. breakdown here.. bassline there..

1. so yeah break it down for me... give me the most common song structure for hip hop..

2. and can somebody translate bars into seconds.. i be seein yall dont' really talkk in time yall speak in bars in terms of measurement...

3. when speakin on music and song structure, when yall say chorus it would seem your not referring to the "hook" but song structure, break that down...


thank you all for any guidence on this.. mad appreciated, tryin to get this viel lifted over my eyes..

i tried readin a book on music theory but it was bout reading music and how mathematicz is applied to it.. way beyond me meager levels of intellect..

breakin down an actual song wit yall sed explantion wuold also probably be a huge benefit..

yo i'm at the library till 5pm so hopefully yall can shine the light n i can this ish out and take it home wit me...


good lookin out

be eaZy

you need to count in bars not seconds/minutes

ya bars to time will be different each track depending on your tempo

intro - however long u want, to too long though

3 verses - 16 bars each

3 choruses - 8 bars each

outro - same as intro

Definitely 16 bars is the most common verse length (most songs).
Chorus can be 4 bars if you want to keep the momentum of the verse raps going, but 8 is much more common.
Intro can be anywhere from 4 bars (like Edo G I gots to have it) or 8 like 'live at the bbq by main source)....some songs don't have an intro, or have the chorus as the intro like 'gangstarr mass appeal'

2 verse songs are pretty common, not just 3 verse. I like 2 verse songs, less tedious, unless it's a good story rap like 'J Live - great live caper' or the 'art of storytelling rmx by outkast and slick rick'......
Chorus length can depend on whether a rapper wants you to make a beat around his chorus rap, or whether you are going to do a scratch chorus, or sample chorus, or instrumental chorus, in which case you can do as you like.

all crap.

Instead listen to me.

Group some loops together that you think form the foundation of your verses and choruses.

Then start with an intro. try writing the song, start to end. It has to be totally fluid.

If you find out you need something to get you to a chorus or back to a verse.
Go and write something.

GritKitz wrote:all ****.

Instead listen to me.

Group some loops together that you think form the foundation of your verses and choruses.

Then start with an intro. try writing the song, start to end. It has to be totally fluid.

If you find out you need something to get you to a chorus or back to a verse.
Go and write something.

1. intro: 4 bars
2. verse: 16 bars
3. hook: 4 bars
4. repeat 2 & 3 twice
5. outro: 4 bars

not the "right" way, but most common. obviously, there's no rules...for an example, list to Swizz Beatz "It's me, BITCHES!!!"

why did swizz beats spit a total of 8 unique bars throughout the whole song

mindcontrol wrote:why did swizz beats spit a total of 8 unique bars throughout the whole song

that's my piont...he ain't playin' by no rules but he got himself a hit though, didn't he?

verse 16 bars chorus 8 bars but check this out it help me out alot credit to jimbo for the link

http://www.tweakheadz.com/hip_hop_beat_construction.htm

mikespits wrote:

mindcontrol wrote:why did swizz beats spit a total of 8 unique bars throughout the whole song

that's my piont...he ain't playin' by no rules but he got himself a hit though, didn't he?

true i like the song myself, its just funny.

like cmon anyone can spit 16 bars atleast, not that hard

i prefer a 24 bar x 2 verse over 16 bar x 3 usually

if its a shorter song, a break down after the 2nd chorus usually keeps momentem going - specially if there be cuts

unless your mad experimental steer clear of long intro outros, they bore unless theyre mind blowing

ending without an outro is cool if the vocals are tight

mindcontrol wrote:why did swizz beats spit a total of 8 unique bars throughout the whole song

Unless you've heard some verses from Swizz Beats that I haven't heard, you probably could have stopped that question right after "...swizz beats *spit*". Every producer doesn't need to spit, though I can understand why some do. (The missing instrument can do wonders some times)

BTW, although it may be a club banger or whatever reason people like the song, I personally think the song is garbage. Maybe I'm getting too old, but it just sounds like a lot of noise to me. The Bomb Squad made "noise" sound incredible. Swizz Beats makes it sound repetitive, familiar, and like garbage. He's capable of much better. He's done it before.

Peace,
KM

dopedee wrote:you need to count in bars not seconds/minutes

aight cool, but how do i go about doing that.. cuz aint' it like your 1 bar might equal 2 of my bars and all that? or wahts teh best way for me to about learning how to read and count in bars.. i mean to me a bar is this.. 1, 2, 3, 4, <-- thats 1 bar to me, but the next man might count it quicker and all that...

so how do i go about learning to read and count and MOST IMPORTANT measure in bars..

mad appreciated on all the info.. good looks on all that!

keep it peace

be eaZy